Press release June 24th 2009

Thursday July 2nd  – 8.30 pm
Matt Elliott /  Oo is an instrument

Matt Elliott has rather an atypical course... He used to work under the pseudo The Third Eye Foundation - emblematic figure of the English electronic scene recognized for his atypical electro tinted by drum' N bass. Since his first album under his own name "The mess we made" (domino records), Matt Elliott turns to compositions much more folk, forsaking the laptop and the machines - which go until disappearing, to return to more traditional instruments (guitar, piano, violin...).

"Drinking song" puts an emphasis on distant voices and ethereal ambiences. Guitars and keyboards are getting softer, almost affectionate, sometimes overwhelmed by drum n' bass beats that carry the song upward. Choirs and echoes give an almost mystical dimension to the album. All the songs hold the audience spellbound.

To succeed to "Drinking songs", because it's really about songs, "Failing songs" turns Matt Elliott into a true songwriter. He assumes completely his voice and sings very personal and dark texts (that we can find for the first time inside the booklet.) Songs whose subtle melodies contrast with the hardness of the words because "Failing songs" is a hard failure report. Between despair and cold anger, the texts talk about the liberal military evolution of the world that the author rejects. The Titles are as sublime as melancholic, bitter and sad, impressed by Slavic music, Greek, and besides, sometimes punctuated of Spanish guitars (the guitar which is from now the instrument of predilection, omnipresent although often combined with the violoncello's languor). 

"Howling songs" is the magnificent third and last part to the "songs trilogy". We are back to this slavonic tune, without any definite frontier, whose only and constant heritage finds its roots in European music. This is a very haunted and personal piece of music which is the testimony of a unique talent where moving melodies follow other moving melodies balancing between ballad songs and folk music, madness and reason, revolt and despair. "Howling songs" sympathises with the surrounding world, it is a definitive observation in which one can feel, throughout the songs, an outraged sensitivity which is the signature of the artist. It is all the more sensitive that Matt's voice is sometimes present without any chorus in the background, bringing to the whole both confidence and unquestionable heat.
Oo is an Instrument

Oo is a bricolage multidisciplinary Surrealist art instrument. She collects sounds, objects, images, dreams and ideas, and changes them into animations, songs, movies, installations and performances: interperceptive poetic reflections expressing the magic, beauty and humour of everyday life.

Oo is an Instrument (Bloem de Wilde de Ligny) started as a busker at the age of 15, and played many venues and festivals throughout Holland & Belgium. She also made a record for Sony music, but soon felt the mainstream music industry was not where she belonged and decided to take a break, and follow the path of her heart.

She briefly moved to Paris in 2000, then studied fine Arts in Rotterdam, and in 2003 moved to London, where she currently resides. There she teamed up with her long absent brother, multi media artist Kai Nobuko (also known as Toxic Chicken). Together they experimented with electronic gloomy music as 4fists which can be downloaded from www.gattoblaster.com

Inspired by the London dub and drum&bass scene, children toys, broken laptops, Indonesia, love, she also started a project, Polichinelle, with musical partner (drummer and multi instrumentalist) Bubu. They played various gigs & festivals across Europe, one of the highlights being the main dance stage at Glastonbury 2007, and released several tracks on Canada based label Peppermill Records.

In 2007 she graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy of fine arts, and with Kai Nobuko and Bubu founded the art collective Dream Society. Together they made a movie called Chant down Babylon which
has been screened at several arts exhibitions and festivals in Europe. They also create live performances of music and visuals putting into use whatever they can find [e.g. kitchen utensils, vegetables, tricycles, etc].

In Oo's work, music and animation and drawing merge, and in her music, different musical genres from the present and the past have always been present. Lately, she has been studying harmonium, piano & Indonesian gamelan music in London. Currently Oo is working on two albums; Kaleidophone and the Song the Ship, to be released by Gattoblaster Records. The first is a mostly instrumental danceable electronic diary, the latter a collection of acoustic intimate songs of voice, piano & harmonium.

A long player of her musical adventures can be found at her own website for full enjoyment:

www.dreamsociety.co.uk
www.gattoblaster.com/oo
www.myspace.com/ooisaninstrument

Reservations: parallel@bonnefanten.nl / T + 31 (0)43 329 123

With support from the Mondrian Foundation

You can download the original press release here

Beeldmateriaal

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	Foto Julien Bourgeois
	Foto Jullien Bourgeois