NL premiere

The amorphous sounds of acoustic and electroacoustic composer, improviser, and sound artist Nick Dunston twist and turn as he toys with jazz genre conventions through his band project Skultura. From minimal animalistic sounds to unfurling free-jazz solos, Dunston and his group's music bursts with playful intent: one section might focus around an instrument joyfully making unexpected sounds, before the pitter-patter texture of interlocking melodies and rhythms expands and fills and breaks – as heard on their 2023 self-titled release. From curious twinkling xylophones and hymnal vocal choruses to mayhem-inducing drums fills and bossa-no-wave saxophone trills and quivering vocals – Skultura's unpredictable music provides a bodily experience to listeners, leading them ear-first into a chaotic sound world of mercurial movement. Accompanying Dunston at the festival is Cansu Tanrikulu on voice and live processing, Mariá Portugal on drums, Liz Kosack on synth, and Eldar Tsalikov on clarinet.

Nick Dunston is an artist of the SHAPE+ platform for innovative music and interdisciplinary art, co-funded by the European Union and Pro Helvetia.

SHAPE+ is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.