Friday 11 May 2012

Cryptic Nights presents Colour Deaf




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After The Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art (sadly under-represented on this blog because I was too busy being an artist myself, much to the consternation of critics across the country), I am really befuddled about the once clear boundaries between art forms. The Making of Us at Tramway was part performance, part film, part installation; Sacrilege was part sculpture, part community intervention and all bouncy castle.


Of course, Cryptic have been at this game for years. Lately, they've emphasised the musical - The Little Match Girl Passion was engineered into a symbolic opera, and the trip out to Cove Park at their last Cryptic Night culminated in a drum solo in the middle of nature.


The next Cryptic Night stars Colour Deaf. As always in situations like this, I am not crazy about the language used to describe the project - mainly because I can't visualise what it is describing - but I have faith enough to know that I am likely to be challenged and entertained. Apparently, I am going to be invited to "conduct my environment" and the soundscape is influenced by hip-hop (great), electro (okay) and moombahton.


I do like cross disciplinary art - plus Colour Deaf are a collective, something I completely support. But using genres like moombahton just makes me feel old. And worse when it says it is a fusion of House (good) and reggaeton.


I am just going to be quiet and get my tickets. In the meantime, I am going to let the press release do the hard work.



Colour Deaf consists of an interactive installation and performance. The installation is a pyramid that uses live camera feeds and trigger pads to capture a live feed of the audience that will then be projected 360 degrees around the room.



The project pushes the boundaries of current sonic and visual collaborations by introducing the element of audience participation. The pyramid is the central hub for audience interaction. The audience will be able to interact with the projected visuals as they are filmed and an image of themselves processed into abstract forms. They will also be able to trigger sounds and affect the visuals by pressing the trigger pads. The audio from the sounds triggered will also affect the visuals as they are sound reactive.

The live performance element will come from Colour Deaf themselves. This will include live music, live visuals and performance.





Musician, Kayus Bankole (Boko) is one-third of the Edinburgh based band Young Fathers . Young Fathers have consistently tested the parameters of sonic and visual design through their videos and critically acclaimed choreographed live shows. Last year saw Young Fathers headline the BBC Introducing Stage at T In The Park, play Creamfields, Sonar and Glastonbury and toured all round Europe. This year the band have toured France, organised support for their own live shows, and have finished recording their self-produced debut album which will be released under Black Sugar Records early 2012.



Video artist, Sisi Lu (ftjelly) is originally from Beijing, is a recent graduate of the Glasgow School of Art (BAHons Graphic Design (Visual Communication) and is now working as a freelance film maker, musician, and motion & sound designer. He has featured in Creative Review's September 2011 issue as ‘one to watch’ from their national graduates. Following his graduation he has been working freelance with Graphic Thought Facility on a video installation for the V&A. This year, he won the 'Gold World Medal' for Television & Film Awards in New York Festivals, for his short film 'Digital Analogue'. It has been featured in a variety of festivals around the world. His work has excited the British design industry and on completion of his degree he is currently working with BBC.  He is also a member of the band 魔_登_破_坏_念/M_d_P_h_N


Music producer/visual artist, Steven Morrison (Dandy Riots/ COME collective) is the founder and creative director of the COME collective and produces and performs under the pseudonym Dandy Riots. The COME collective is an art, music and fashion collective founded in June 2008. The collective organise club nights, exhibitions and performances. They will also be launching a clothing line and record label at the end of 2011. The events have gained 5 star reviews and topped hit-lists by national culture magazines such as The Skinny and The List. COME performances have also appeared on the BBC news website twice. In August 2009, during the Fringe Festival, Steven successfully curated The Festival of Total Art, which consisted of nine COME events. Steven has curated and worked with over 100 artists and musicians at over twenty COME events across six venues in Edinburgh, St Andrews and Glasgow.


Steven's solo project, Dandy Riots, consists of music production, DJing, live theatrical performance, installation, video and a clothing line. He has performed in many venues across the UK and Europe as Dandy Riots and the DJ for the group, Young Fathers. His remixes have been extensively blogged and played by radio stations such as Radio 1. He is currently finishing his debut album, which is to be released on Black Sugar Records early 2012.




CCA, Glasgow – Thu 7 & Fri 8 June, 9pm, £5
Thu 7 June, 9pm: installation/performance includes fashion show (with designs from Ciorstaidh Monk) and a Q & A
Fri 8 June, 9pm: installation/performance, followed by an after party with a DJ set from Dandy Riots













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