practice 24: anabasine

practice #24: anabasine
saturday, april 14th, 4pm
never apart (7049 saint-urbain)
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time. seating is limited and first come, first served.
free entry, all ages / gratuit, pour tous les âges

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

anabasine builds an improvised set using synthesizer and effects-based drones, zooming in on the mind-rhythms of dance-oriented electronic musics to explore polyrhythm, phasing, and repetition with a stretched attention span. can these structural elements create a similar listening space to beat-driven music when stripped of their velocity and percussion? anabasine experiments with a gentle approach to explore if some of the trance-like effects and benefits of “zoning out” on the dancefloor are retained when translated into a meditative drone set. both dancing and meditating to music are specialized, focused forms of intensely conscious listening; in this way, dance music can be thought of as a kind of technology-of-mind alongside the action of improvisational dance, and likewise, drone music alongside meditation. join us to explore a long-form sit-down with these phenomena.

for more on anabasine, see here: https://soundcloud.com/anabasine

+

about practice

practice is an investigation of the capability of sound to induce different transcendental states of awareness and being. through a series of noise sets, practice explores the experiential application of theories underpinning the transformational properties of sound, such as cymatics, music therapy, sound healing, brain entrainment, and binaural-beat perception.
each session features a noise artist, who, informed by their own knowledge of sound, creates a immersive set intended to bend consciousness. listeners are encouraged to embrace a receptive, meditative attitude during sets.

we don’t mind if you’re new or old to noise or meditation.
if you’re curious to be engaged, to open yourself to new experiences and to hear some noise, then join us.

we have yoga mats available to use and listeners are invited to bring their own sitting paraphernalia if they please.

more info on practice, here: http://listpoem.com/practice/
and here: http://listpoem.com/category/listening-series/

+

about never apart

never apart is a non-profit organization in montréal, québec, canada, determined to bring about social change and spiritual awareness through cultural programming with global reach and impact.

+

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather for this event is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

anabasine construit un set improvisé à l’aide de synthétiseurs et de drones basés sur les effets, zoomant sur les rythmes mentaux des musiques électroniques orientées vers la danse pour explorer la polyrythmie, le phasing et la répétition avec une durée d’attention étirée. Ces éléments structurels peuvent-ils créer un espace d’écoute similaire à celui de la musique rythmée lorsqu’ils sont dépouillés de leur vélocité et de leurs percussions? anabasine expérimente avec cette approche tout en douceur pour explorer si certains des effets et des avantages de cette «évasion» sur le dancefloor sont conservés quand ils sont traduits en un ensemble de drones méditatifs. à la fois danser et méditer sur la musique sont des formes spécialisées et focalisées d’écoute intensément consciente. Ainsi, la musique de danse peut être considérée comme une sorte de technologie de l’esprit, en parallèle à l’action qu’implique la danse improvisée. La musique drone et la méditation présentent une relation similaire. Joignez-vous à nous pour explorer un sit-down étendu avec ses phénomènes.

Plus d’info sur anabasine:
https://soundcloud.com/anabasine

+

À PROPOS DE PRACTICE

Practice est une investigation sur la capacité du son à induire différents états transcendants de conscience et d’être. À travers une série de performances noise et ambient, Practice explore l’application expérientielle des théories qui sous-tendent les propriétés transformationnelles du son, telles que la cymatique, la musicothérapie, la guérison sonore, l’entraînement cérébral et la perception binaurale.

Chaque session met en scène un.e artiste différent.e, qui, informé.e par sa propre connaissance du son, crée un ensemble immersif destiné à faire fléchir la conscience. Les participant.e.s sont encouragé.e.s à adopter une attitude réceptive et méditative pendant les performances.

Que vous ayez beaucoup ou pas du tout de connaissances en ce qui a trait à la méditation ou à la musique noise et ambient, ce n’est pas important. Si vous avez la curiosité de vous y plonger, de vous ouvrir à de nouvelles expériences et d’entendre des sons atypiques, alors joignez-vous à nous!

Nous avons une quantité limitée de tapis de yoga à votre disposition. Vous êtes invité.e.s à apporter votre propre tapis ou coussin si nécessaire.

Nous voulons que tous les invité.e.s puissent participer, veuillez svp arriver à l’heure. Les places sont limitées, premier.e arrivé.e premier.e servi.e.

+

À PROPOS DE NEVER APART

never apart est un organisme à but non lucratif de montréal, québec, canada, qui a pour but d’amener des changements sociaux et une conscience spirituelle à l’échelle mondiale par le biais de sa programmation culturelle.

+

Nous reconnaissons que la terre sur laquelle nous nous réunissions pour cet évènement est située en territoire autochtone, lequel n’a jamais été cédé. Nous reconnaissons la nation Kanien’kehá: ka comme gardienne des terres et des eaux sur lesquelles nous nous réunissons aujourd’hui. Tiohtiá: ke / Montréal est historiquement connu comme un lieu de rassemblement pour de nombreuses Premières Nations, et aujourd’hui, une population autochtone diversifiée, ainsi que d’autres peuples, y résident. C’est dans le respect des liens avec le passé, le présent et l’avenir que nous reconnaissons les relations continues entre les Peuples Autochtones et autres personnes de la communauté montréalaise.

practice 21: two colour sets by Piper Curtis

practice #21: two colour sets by piper curtis
saturday, january 13th, 4pm, free entry, all ages
never apart
7049 saint-urbain
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time.
seating is limited and first come, first served.

in two distinct 20 minute meditative sets, talented sound artist piper curtis explores the relationships between colour, noise and environment. stemming from white noise, these sets introduce listeners to other colours within the spectrum. curtis evokes familiar environments seeped in colour (imagine the sound of a yellow sunlit day, a white snowy blizzard, a greenhouse) and listeners are transported into unfamiliar textures inspired by colourscapes. the first set focuses on the watery world of mids, turquoise and azure, washing over and seeping in. the second set draws from the windy highs, cerulean and magenta, the pink sky following a storm. transposing colour into sound, we allow for an imaginative reinterpretation of vibrational frequencies, a synesthetic understanding of the reception of one sense as another, pushing our known perceptions into creative new territory.

for more on colour spectrums of noise, see here or check out this noise app. 

for more on piper curtis, see here.

 

……

practice is an investigation of the capability of sound to induce different transcendental states of awareness and being. through a series of noise sets, practice explores the experiential application of theories underpinning the transformational properties of sound, such as cymatics, music therapy, sound healing, brain entrainment, and binaural-beat perception.

each session features a noise artist, who, informed by their own knowledge of sound, creates a immersive set intended to bend consciousness. listeners are encouraged to embrace a receptive, meditative attitude during sets.

we don’t mind if you’re new or old to noise or meditation.
if you’re curious to be engaged, to open yourself to new experiences and to hear some noise, then join us.

…….
we have yoga mats available to use and listeners are invited to bring their own sitting paraphernalia if they please.

never apart is a non-profit organization in montréal, québec, canada, determined to bring about social change and spiritual awareness through cultural programming with global reach and impact.

more info on practice, here:.
we are on facebook.

questions about the event can be directed to: janntomaro@gmail.com
…….

practice 20 aperture by mikael tobias

practice #20: aperture by mikael tobias
saturday, december 16th, 4pm, free entry, all ages
never apart
7049 saint-urbain
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time.
seating is limited and first come, first served.

mikael tobias – aperture

mikael tobias, one of the original founders and noise makers of practice, moved to copenhagen a year ago. while visiting montreal this december, tobias has graciously offered to play an experimental set for practice.

in optics, an aperture is an opening through which light travels to focus into an image. in the human eye, the iris and pupil work together to form the aperture, contracting and dilating to regulate the amount of light admitted.

imagining this process in sonic landscape, tobias explores the psychoacoustic opening of the mind using noise as well as organic and synthesized sounds. slowly blending, expanding, and toying with the interactions between frequency and rhythm, this set transposes aperture from light to sound, decelerating the process by multitudes.

deliberating, mikael builds tunnels of sound that weave and entwine through the air, slowly unfurling and brightening. in sympathetic resonance, the mind and body can allow for a state of consciousness to bloom and unfold, increasing sensitivity. with heightened openness, thoughts may become clearer and physicality may be more embodied as the sonic environment envelops the listener.

for more on this artist, see here: http://mikaeltobias.com/
……

practice is an investigation of the capability of sound to induce different transcendental states of awareness and being. through a series of noise sets, practice explores the experiential application of theories underpinning the transformational properties of sound, such as cymatics, music therapy, sound healing, brain entrainment, and binaural-beat perception.

each session features a noise artist, who, informed by their own knowledge of sound, creates a immersive set intended to bend consciousness. listeners are encouraged to embrace a receptive, meditative attitude during sets.

we don’t mind if you’re new or old to noise or meditation.
if you’re curious to be engaged, to open yourself to new experiences and to hear some noise, then join us.

…….
we have yoga mats available to use and listeners are invited to bring their own sitting paraphernalia if they please.

never apart is a non-profit organization in montréal, québec, canada, determined to bring about social change and spiritual awareness through cultural programming with global reach and impact.

more info on practice, here:.
we are on facebook.

questions about the event can be directed to: janntomaro@gmail.com
…….

interview with nick schofield

Nick Schofield teams up with practice on November 11th for a meditative lullaby where Schofield showcases a first listen to his new project, Water Sine.

Tell us a bit about your project Water Sine

Water Sine started in June 2016 as a way to create music more fluidly, using somewhat specific production parameters that guided the compositions. I used just one synthesizer (Yamaha PSS-270), one effect pedal (BOSS RV-3) and an Edirol field-recorder. Even though I tracked with Ableton Live, I treated the DAW like a 4-track recorder, so I had limited channels and editing options. The music itself is very much my way of coping with insomnia and tapping my nocturnal creative energy.

How does your work tie into noise meditation?

It doesn’t really tie directly to noise meditation, but I made the music to help coax me towards sleep, so the music has the intended effect of relaxation and release.

This is your first time producing work under your personal name, Nick Schofield. Why now? Why this project?

That’s true, I’ve always worked on music under a moniker or as a band, so this is somewhat exposed solo territory for me. Having grown up going to galleries and exhibitions with my mom, I always held high regard for artists who go by their own name. Personally, it implies acceptance. This music is ‘me’, it just felt like the most natural nomenclature.

What is your relationship to meditation?

I actually don’t really meditate, I probably should though. A doctor said I have anxiety issues a while back, and suggested practicing. Making this music is super meditative for me.

When did you start listening to music ?

My brother got me interested in music when I was 9, but moving to Montreal and studying Electroacoustics broke my mould of what music ‘should’ be. It was around then I started shedding a lot of preconceptions and just sought simplicity; all my my early ideas felt too crowded, I wanted something more singular. It took time to actualize those ambitions.

When did you start producing music?

Again, my brother urged me to give production a shot, he said I should try Garageband and I quickly became fascinated with being able to create whole compositions on my own. Before that, I was ‘just’ a drummer. After a while, people started describing my music in really similar terms, basically as being very watery, so I unintentionally found my sound. I gravitated to the idea of being a producer when I learned about Daniel Lanois and his career, he’s such a creative conduit, that’s my aspiration.

What have been big moments for you, producing, playing, or listening to music?

Hm, that’s a tough question, I’ve had some really special life-moments with music. When I was quite young I got to play a ripping drum solo to a sold-out Roy Thompson Hall, that definitely sparked something in me. Since then, what feels ‘big’ is when a musical dream comes true, like opening for Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Bing & Ruth and Hauschka – these are artists I genuinely admire and appreciate. Playing alongside them felt monumental, like I should keep going… it’s not for nought.

How does space factor into your music and how do you think Never Apart will influence your work on the 11th?

Location is really important! I like David Byrne’s idea that a space actually inspires what kind of music befits it; he contrasts how cathedrals enhance choral music, but the boxiness of CBGB is perfect for punk. A space works on so many levels, it’s impossible to surmise all the elements, but Never Apart is pretty ideal since it’s a place that fosters appreciation for experimental arts and welcomes community projects.

What upcoming projects are you excited about?

This project! This is just the listening-party portion of Water Sine, so I’m excited to really release it in 2018. Otherwise, I’m on the edge of my seat to finally finish an album that has been in the works for almost three years – that’s for my other project, Rêves Sonores.

 

practice 19: water sine by nick schofield

practice #19: water sine by nick schofield
saturday, november 11th, 4pm, free entry, all ages
never apart
7049 saint-urbain

we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time.
seating is limited and first come, first served.

practice and never apart present a meditative first listen of water sine, the debut album by nick schofield, in advance of its 2018 release.

straying from the format of live and experimental sessions, practice nevertheless continues engaging in immersive sonic events at never apart with water sine, a minimal ambient album comprised of one synthesizer and field-recordings. schofield has spent the last year tinkering away during twilight sessions at his home (studio 2X5) in montreal, and what results is his soundtrack for sleep; an antidote to insomnia. we invite listeners to be lulled by the softness and simplicity of water sine, a sound that beckons for tranquility and release.

practice shares this listening session as a way to join together in an experience of calm. we invite you to sit with us and listen to this new body of unreleased work that continues the ambient tradition pioneered by hiroshi yoshimura and brian eno, allowing for the soothing effects to wash over us all.

nick schofield is a montreal based musician, producer and radio host with a BFA in electroacoustics from concordia university.

…….

we have yoga mats available to use and listeners are invited to bring their own sitting paraphernalia if they please. uniquely for this event will be the availability of chairs.

never apart is a non-profit organization in montréal, québec, canada, determined to bring about social change and spiritual awareness through cultural programming with global reach and impact.
more info on practice, here:.
we are on facebook.

questions about the event can be directed to: janntomaro@gmail.com

practice 13: tunnel. a listening session

practice 13: tunnel, a listening session
saturday, may 13th, 5pm, free entry 7049 saint-urbain
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive early. seating is limited and first come, first served. this event will start on time.

practice deviates from its habitual format to introduce a unique listening session of a 50 minute recording titled tunnel by jen reimer and magnus tiesenhausen.

In late September of 2015, Jen Reimer and Magnus Tiesenhausen stumbled upon an underground concrete enclosure in a construction site in Montreal. Over the course of the next three weeks, they recorded the sounds of their own voices and actions in the tunnel, transformed and influenced by the architectural dimensions of the space.

The tunnel became a mutual meeting place, and the process by which the two would navigate there each night consisted of a complex repeated pattern of recognized landmarks. A beam of light crossing the path, a downed chain link fence, a swamp’s edge: all directional indications. This ritual of recognition inundated the tunnel pieces, becoming a magic decision-making process which formally structured the recordings.

The resonance of the abandoned space served as a type of prosthetic communication, translating the artists’ voices to the plane of reverberation and resonant frequency, and guiding their actions within the space. The absolute darkness within the tunnel reduced the two to sound sources, each movement of their bodies generating ten-second reverberations, from which certain frequencies would surface and linger. The aural artifacts of the space rendered speech incomprehensible. The artists were only able to communicate in relation to the tuned frequencies in constant ricochet. As a result, the compositions materialized in real time. The melodies and harmonies recorded are human explorations of a complex audio world, aleatoric representations of the energy and physicality of the space.

The sound captured by Reimer and Tiesenhausen in September/October 2015 culminated in a fifty-minute piece, simply titled ‘Tunnel’.

———–

Jen Reimer is a sound artist, musician and performer based in Montréal. Her work explores the resonances of urban environments through in-situ performances, installations and spatial recordings. More here

Magnus Tiesenhausen is an interdisciplinary artist and musician based in Alberta. His work is a multi-angle treatise on magic energy, characterized by experimental and industrial synthesizer music; craft and sculpture processes; readymades and free drawing.

 

practice 12: core values

practice #12: core values

saturday, april 29th, 5pm, free entry
never apart
7049 saint-urbain
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time. seating is limited and first come, first served.

sound artist dominique alexander skillfully plays with memory and recall curating two sets using foley type sounds from personal, found and field recordings, mixed with melodic and rhythmic elements from a variety of sources. layering ambient and atmospheric airs, alexander fills an audio bath of dub echoes where micro samples bubble up to the surface and get pushed back down, reemerging again in changed configuration. toying with the comfort that repetition and familiarity bring about, alexander invites an atmosphere of awareness with focus on pattern recognition and recall. through sound, alexander fosters an environmental that nurtures meditative presence and the renewal of presence again and again.

dominique alexander performs solo as buffalo mri and as a two-piece called urlapse with her longtime collaborator joshua bastien. 

join this event on facebook, or dial into the series by following our page on facebook.

 

practice 11: scent and sound

saturday, april 22nd, 5pm, free entry
never apart
7049 saint-urbain
we would like all guests to be able to participate, so pls arrive on time.
seating is limited and first come, first served.

sound artist jeremy young pairs up with scent artist and zen buddhist chaplain in training alex beth to guide a collective meditation through scent and sound.

scent is one of our strongest senses in its ability to recall images, memories and distant forgotten moments, as well as to forge new kinds of relationships . when combined with meditative sonic blankets, we are deeply excited to explore what new landscapes this compound might evoke.

awareness of the memories and emotions recalled when introduced to the associated scents and sounds can give us glimpses into our many ways of being in relationship to the world… past, present and future.

in two sets, a subtle narrative is created through sounds by young and scents by alex beth. using materials from the jean talon market, alex beth strays from essential oils and employs techniques such as toasting, cracking, stewing and simmering to open and disseminate fragrances, while young moves between a variety of instruments, objects and electronics to sew together a floating cloud of minimal noise.

hear more from the artists on the internet, here and here

join this event on facebook, or dial into the series by following our page on facebook.

questions about this event can be directed to noisemeditation@gmail.com

 ———————————————————————————

samedi 22 avril à 17h
entrée gratuite
never apart
7049 saint-urbain

nous aimerions que tous les invités puissent participer, arrivez à l’heure svp.
les places sont limitées, premier arrivé, premier servi.

l’artiste sonore jeremy young s’associe avec l’artiste des odeurs et l’aumônière bouddhiste zen alex beth pour guider une méditation collective à travers l’odeur et le son.

l’odorat est l’un de nos sens les plus forts dans sa capacité à rappeler des images, des souvenirs et des moments lointains oubliés, ainsi que de forger de nouveaux types de relations. lorsqu’ils sont combinés avec des couvertures sonores méditatives, nous sommes profondément ravis d’explorer quels nouveaux paysages ce composé pourrait évoquer.

la prise de conscience des souvenirs et des émotions rappelés lors de l’introduction des parfums et des sons associés peut nous donner un aperçu de nos multiples façons d’être en relation avec le monde … passé, présent et futur.

en deux ensembles, un récit subtil est créé par des sons de jeremy young et des parfums par Alex Beth. Utilisant des matériaux du marché jean-talon, alex beth vagabonde entre diverses huiles essentielles et emploie des techniques telles que le grillage, le craquage, la cuisson pour ouvrir et diffuser des parfums, tandis que Young se déplace entre une variété d’instruments, d’objets et d’électroniques pour coudre un nuage flottant de bruit minimal.