Tricks of the Mouth - Liquid Architecture

An experimental program of interconnected performances exploring linguistic re-coding, tricks of the mouth, verbalism, chatter, translation, transposition, impersonation, and noise. Drawing from Liquid Architecture’s ongoing investigations into the dynamics of ventriloquism, polyphony and other multiplicities of sound and listening, Tricks of the Mouth will feature multiple artists' works materialising in a fluid and collaborative setting over a two-hour program, staged nightly throughout the festival. No two nights will be the same.

Indonesian punk coder, designer and horror-aficionado Natasha Tontey presents new work Church of Xenoglossia. First developed as part of Instrument Builders Project Kyoto, the project employs early-internet proto-emoji language Shift JIS in scores for improvisation. Legendary Japanese musician Phew, whose warped vocal exclamations over pulsating electronics have been described as ‘Yoko Ono meets Suicide’, will perform for the first time in Australia. Chinese Singaporean artist Zou Zhao will playfully dismantle proceedings through discursive intervention, while Sage Pbbbt will explore the overtones produced as air travels from her lungs, past her vocal folds, and out of her lips into the room. Sydney sound artist Alexandra Spence, recently returned from residency in Hong Kong, will present a new text-sound meditation on her experiences navigating the city through listening, reimagining the intricate relationships between the listener, the object, and the surrounding environment as a kind of communion or conversation.

Nightly Line-up (subject to change)
Wed: Phew, Natasha Tontey, Zou Zhao, Sage Pbbbt 
Thu: Phew, Natasha Tontey, Zou Zhao, Sage Pbbbt 
Fri: Natasha Tontey, Zou Zhao, Sage Pbbbt, Alexandra Spence 
Sat: Natasha Tontey, Zou Zhao, Sage Pbbbt, Alexandra Spence

Duration: 100-120 minutes