Theremidi Orchestra

In 2017 the orchestra gradually stopped with its activities.

Archival article

Theremidi Orchestra, group of enthusiasts from Ljudmila Art and Science Laboratory performing at Mladi levi Festival and 7th edition of U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovene Arts, 2013

The somewhat quirky electronic noise line-up Theremidi Orchestra (TO) was founded as a result of a three-day theremin and theremidi physical interface workshop at Ljudmila - Ljubljana Digital Media Lab in May 2011 under the mentorship of Cirkulacija 2 art collective's Borut Savski, who later also joined the ensemble.

Theremin was used as to produce sound themes and soundtracks for some of the obscure US sci-fi film production in the 1950s and 1960s. The orchestra members' fascination for the electromagnetic sound waves it produces grew into what they define as exploring, producing sounds with the help of DIY gadgets, antennas, conductive ink, umbrellas, wire ducklings, air tubes, flowers, and scrap metal. Their live acts are considered to be experiment-seeking interventions, ongoing workshops or performances rather than musical concerts.

Orchestra's background

The nine active members of the TO (Simon Bergoč, Tina Dolinšek, Luka Frelih, Ida Hiršenfelder, Dare Pejić, Tilen Sepič, Saša Spačal, Robertina Šebjanič, Dušan Zidar) with diverse education and/or art backgrounds are engaged in the process of creating sounds by the learning-by-doing approach and use Ljudmila - Ljubljana Digital Media Lab as their base. Their performances are described as an ongoing workshop where the audience members are not merely observers but also active participants and can even make their own instruments at the TO workshops.

Sound generating workshops

The first workshops for DIY theremin and theremidi physical interfaces were mainly concerned with producing the sounds, although with the help of Pure Data - a visual programming language for creating computer music and multimedia works - it allowed them to explore the making of visual images. These were also used at their début performance at City Art Gallery in Ljubljana, which was transmitted live on Radio Študent.

The performances at festivals are usually combined with open workshops for making DIY instruments and gadgets: a pocket-sized theremin, TouchTone sound synthesizers or MicroNoise, as well as other small and portable electronics noise gadgets. For the past two years Theremidi Orchestra are also mentors of technological workshops at Sajeta Creative Camp, together with Cirkulacija 2.

Performances

The noisy audiovisual public presentations entitled Public Rehearsal, First Performance, Second Attempt, Antennas for All!, Draht Orchestra and Score No.1 – Organism Chaos have taken place at various venues, combining art, social, media lab spaces: ŠKUC Gallery, KIBLIX Festival in Maribor, the M3C Festival at the MIKK Youth Information Cultural Club in Murska Sobota, the LiWoLi Festival 2012 in Linz (Austria), COFestival/PLESkavica Festival at Dance Theatre Ljubljana, Zagreb's I'MM Media Lab, at the 6th edition of Slobodni Festival in Mursko Središče (Croatia, 2012), Sub Club in Graz (Austria, 2013), Poolloop Festival in Zürich (Switzerland, 2013), at Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies (KSEVT) in 2012 and 2014, at Piksel Festival in Bergen (Norway, 2013), at TRESK Festival 2014 together with Irena Tomažin at Kino Šiška, Sound, Poet & Visual Performance at Škuc Gallery in 2014.

Sound exhibitions

Orchestra was included at the 2013 edition of U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovene Arts, which addressed the concept of Resilience presenting over 150 (international) artists, art collectives, groups that practice DIWO (Do It With Others) principles.

In 2013 group played at Mladi levi Festival as a part of U3 Triennial and as forerunners at Kino Šiška. The same year they published their first album 4011 with Trivia Art Association, which is also accessible online.

External links

Gallery

Theremidi Orchestra, group of enthusiasts from Ljudmila Art and Science Laboratory performing at Mladi levi Festival and 7th edition of U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovene Arts, 2013

Theremidi Orchestra

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