World premiere

Sound artists, composers, and performers Maria Chavez, Mariam Rezaei, and Victoria Shen share an affinity for the turntable as an instrument for musical experimentation and improvisation. All three of these artists have become internationally renowned for their unique kind of turntablism, giving a new framework for a near-archaic and inherently lo-fi form of music making. Chavez’s book, Of Technique: Chance Procedures on Turntable (2012), further explores the turntable and its capabilities for live improvisation. Rezaei is slated to release her own book on turntablism with Repeater Books at the beginning of 2023. For Rewire 2023 Chavez, Rezaei, and Shen have been invited to collaborate on a commission to develop a performance for twelve turntables. The trio will be using “Needle Nails,” acrylic nails with built-in turntable needles that allow for simultaneous playback of multiple sound sources on the same record, developed by Shen. This project is co-commissioned by Counterflows, Glasgow.

Maria Chavez + Mariam Rezaei + Victoria Shen perform on Sunday 9 April.

Commissioned by Rewire & Counterflows