arystan
Urban Archaic Ritual
Multi-instrumentalist Arystan musically welds the entire world together in one intense live set. An important part of the performance is the voice as the starting point of every musical idea as well as its transfer to all limbs and body parts with the help of a smorgasbord of worldwide collected and learned instruments such as ngoni, trumpet, kobyz, flutes, rattles, drums as well as beatbox, keys etc. Expressed in the form of global patterns and modes that are partly played simultaneously, polyphonically and polyrhythmically to create a band sound as well as in a solo setting to support the emotionality of the situation.
The resulting music is a live remix of ideas, improvised, urban, ritualistic, a haptic counterpoint, recorded with the loop machine and mixed in electronic music aesthetics, but always incorporating the analogue warm, edgy as well as provoking the unexpected. No set is like the other. To immerse oneself in the music, to absorb the energy in the room, to transform it, to swim in it and at the same time to tickle the archaic need of transition out of the participants and to celebrate it joyfully together – that is Arystan’s claim.
Loops as a medium to cathartically heave the body and mind into a state of flow. The result is a mix of driving beats and repetitive sounds, shapes and patterns, which cannot be categorised or assigned to a specific genre, but whose characteristics are expressive, ecstatic and meditative.
The setup has evolved over the past few years (2015 – today) and can be set up flexibly, depending on the conditions and possibilities of the location. Theoretically, the basic equipment fits into a travel suitcase.
Preferred are places with a certain separated space, outdoors or indoors. Sessions in nature and at a later hour always had a special energy, but it is not a must. If there is a possibility to give some indications about breathing and cyclic movements beforehand, this can facilitate the dancers to better immerse into the music. During the performance, olfatic factors and light elements are played with so that the most synesthetic experience possible can be provoked.
Detailed information about instruments and sounds can be found here.
Places and Spaces
New Fire Festival (Trinidad and Tobago), Operndorf (Burkina Faso), What is Music Festival Frias (Spain), Hedokongress (Berlin), Folk´n Fusion Festival (Hildesheilm), Festival L*abore (Zwickau), Gailalda Gathering (Dresden), Dissidance Festival (Italy), Badehaus (Berlin), Komplex (Schwerin), Borwaerk (Netzschkau), Rabryka (Görlitz), Kukulida (Dresden), Scheune (Dresden), Staatsschauspiel (Dresden), 101 Club Monte Amiata (Italy) etc….and lots of subcultural spaces and places inside and outside
