Goethe-Institut Virtual Partnership Residency with Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi (crazinisT artisT) and HYENAZ
BUY THE TRACK HERE: https://hyenazhyenaz.bandcamp.com/track/eku-eku-eku-a-call-to-death
We will be donating all of the proceeds from sales of the track on Bandcamp to perfocraZe International Artist Residency https://www.crazinistartist.com/piar-artist-in-residency/ CrazinisT artis.T Studio. Please give generously!
EKU EKU EKU (A Call to Death) is a Virtual Partnership Residency between Ghanaian multi-disciplinary artist Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi [crazinisT artisT] and HYENAZ, with support from Goethe-Institut. Special thanks to Silent Green Kulturquartier. Field Recordings and Performance: Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi [crazinisT artisT] and HYENAZ Cinematography by Onsoh Edward (Kumasi) and Sally Dige (Berlin) Song in Ewe (Dirge) by Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi [crazinisT artisT] Sound Design and Video Edit: HYENAZ Costumes (HYENAZ): Juan de Chamié Costume (crazinisT artisT): crazinisT artisT studiO
This deep listening journey follows a score developed by HYENAZ for deep listening in location. Together we developed and expanded the score so that we could collect field recordings and visual materials simultaneously in Berlin and Kumasi on the 20th of April 2021 at 12:00 GMT / 14:00 CET. We each chose to meditate on and around the theme of death. We followed this methodology for this simultaneous ritual:
Grounding. Find a comfortable position where you can relax your body into the location. Think about grounding. If you feel comfortable, come as physically close to the ground as possible. Lie on the ground. Let whatever parts of your body that touch the ground sink deeper into the ground. Concentrate on rooting. Capture the ambient sounds located there. Film yourself in this space, becoming grounded. Move the camera very close to your body to get some of the sounds and sensations very close to your skin and to your body against the earth.
Deep Listening. While letting the recording run, think about the sound that you hear. What sounds do you hear closest to you? What is more distant? What is even further away? Take note. You can also move your body in small micro-orientations to signal that you receive the sound. It could be an arm movement or a very subtle shift in your weight, depending on how you are positioned. Articulations. From this grounded space, what words come to mind. Try not to edit yourself. Just say the first words that come to mind. Say them outloud so that they are captured by the camera and microphone. Don’t worry at first about capturing a good recording, just let the words flow. Once you know what they are, repeat the same words again clearly into the microphone/camera.
Colour. What colour association do you make or feel as you occupy this space? Does the colour have a sound? Does the mood produced by the colour have a sound? Make a sound offering into the microphone, a squeal, song, gurgle, scream … be free Immediate concentric circle. Stand up and take space. From this specific place, take your camera and move slowly around your location in 360 degrees. This is the immediate circle and site of “home”. Move slowly so that you can notice details around you. Then take the camera and have someone move around you in 360 degrees to get you from all sides.
Mapping. Travel with your mind in concentric circles starting with the closest circle and moving out further and further like the skin of an onion. Name what is there and what it means for you, what is its significance, personal, political, contemporary, historical, futurological.
Found instrument. Find two objects within and around this site which can produce distinct sound and “play”. For instance, a wire scraped on a bench, or a tin can on the cement ground. Play your instrument while the recorder is set on the ground in a set location and record for at least 2 minutes. Let yourself record both distinct “hits” of the instrument as well as experiments in rhythm. Film yourself playing this instrument Free
Movement. As you have called into all directions the sounds and energies, begin to let your body move freely in response. Try to film your movements from different directions. Allow any sounds that rise to emerge from your body. Interact with the space and its objects in any way you feel compelled to.