New Media Contemporary + Molten Plains Present: Live Sound and Visuals Series
JAMES TALAMBAS + KORY REEDER
In a groundbreaking collaboration, James Talambas and Kory Reeder come together to merge their unique artistic backgrounds into a singular, immersive performance experience. This collaboration represents a convergence of experimental soundscapes, where technology meets tradition, and improvisation intersects with intricate composition.
Drawing from Talambas’s profound engagement with site-specific, multi-sensory sculptures and performances, and Reeder’s introspective compositions that weave through the realms of the visual arts and political theory, their collaboration is an exploration of the uncharted territories of music and art. Together, they navigate the complexities of creating soundscapes that are both deeply personal and expansively universal, inviting audiences into a shared space of discovery and emotional resonance.
Their combined expertise facilitates a dialogue between technology and tradition, improvisation and composition, where the tactile and the ephemeral blend seamlessly. Through this collaborative venture, Talambas and Reeder not only challenge the conventional boundaries of their disciplines but also offer a profound commentary on the role of music and art in fostering connection and understanding.
As audiences step into the immersive world crafted by Talambas and Reeder, they are not merely observers but participants in a sensory journey that transcends the auditory to become a fully embodied experience. This partnership marks a compelling intersection of their respective domains, where the boundary-pushing explorations of sound, space, and sensory experience converge to create a uniquely evocative auditory and visual landscape.
JAMES TALAMBAS
Talambas is a multi-disciplinary new media artist, composer, producer, and activist who creates site-specific, multi-dimensional, multi-sensory sculptures, murals, and performances. Drawing from technology, collaboration, visceral improvisation, and the architectural space of each individual work, he creates art that is personal, emotive, and immersive.
Ellen Fullman has been developing her installation, the Long String Instrument, for over 30 years exploring the acoustics of large resonant spaces with her compositions and collaborative improvisations. Since 2016, Talambas has studied under Fullman, delving into the complexities and nuances of the Long String Instrument. Through the Long String Instrument, Talambas has expanded his exploratory range, contributing to the evolution of experimental music with his unique insights and interpretations.
KORY REEDER
Kory Reeder is an American composer and performer whose music, drawing inspiration from the visual arts and political theory, is often introspective and atmospheric, investigating ideas of objectivity and immediacy, while exploring the social implications of musical interaction with pieces ranging from symphonic and chamber works to field recording, text scores and computer-assisted improvisations.
Described as “one of the most captivating composers in modern classical music” (Dallas Observer), Kory’s music is performed frequently around the world. A dedicated collaborator, he has frequently worked with opera, theater, and dance programs, as well as noise, free-improv, and new media artists on projects ranging from video collaborations to 3-hour performance art works.
As a performer, Kory is a bassist, sometimes pianist, and sometimes noisemaker. Performing as a section and substitute bassist in regional orchestras as well as contemporary and traditional chamber ensembles, Kory also tours frequently as an independent artist or as an ensemble member performing his chamber music and works of others as well as in creative music and improvised musical contexts.
Kory Reeder will be leading a Deep Listening Workshop at 6:30, prior to the performances.
SARAH RUTH ALEXANDER
Sarah Ruth is a diverse musician and artist – a multi-instrumentalist, she employs hammered dulcimer, harmonium, electroacoustic sound art, and extended vocal techniques. She performs frequently both solo and with multiple bands and improvisational ensembles in the North Texas area. She is a University of North Texas graduate where she focused on vocal studies and electroacoustic composition. She has also studied with Meredith Monk and members of her vocal ensemble. She enjoys varied collaborations and has worked as a sound artist for art and photography installations and an accompanist for modern dance. She has performed with Damon Smith, Tatsuya Nakatani, Jaap Blonk, Liz Tonne, Sarah Gamblin, Rosemary Candelario, Susan kae Grant, Lisa Cameron, Tom Carter, and Aaron Gonzalez, to list a few. She tours nationally and her recent albums have been released on Sawyer Spaces, Obsolete Media Objects, Balance Point Acoustics, Pour le Corps Music, and Linda Hand. Sarah co-curates the Molten Plains series and festival with Ernesto Montiel in Denton. She also hosts a radio program called Tiger D on KUZU LP broadcasting in Denton at 92.9 FM and streaming online at kuzu.fm, playing music and often featuring guest musicians to curate and discuss their playlists. She recently had a chapter titled “Community Building Through Collaboration,” published in Routledge‘s Art as Social Practice: Technologies for Change.
MONTE ESPINA
Monte Espina is the electroacoustic free improvisation duo of Ernesto Montiel and Miguel Espinel, both Venezuelan-born and North Texas-based, where they met in 2016. They explore the possibilities of sinuous sonic environments amid amplified sounds and signal processing, through an absolutely improvised approach.
Collaboration is at the core of their practice, being Liz Tonne, Louise Fristensky, Sarah Ruth Alexander, Alan F. Jones, Jason Kahn, Tom Carter, Dan Clucas, Rebecca Novak, Chris Cogburn, Aaron Gonzalez, Aquiles Hadjis, Steve Jansen, Justin Lemons, Chase Gardner, Kory Reeder, Conner Simmons, Andrew Jordan Miller, Ray Henninger, Derek Rogers, Erika Orgosdotti, Elaine Di Falco, Kevin Butler and Heberto Añez among the long list of artists they have played with.
After some self-released cdrs, “y culebra” was published by Marginal Frequency in 2019, “pa” by Elevator Bath in 2021, a collaboration with Liz Tonne and Louise Fristensky, “pueblo glortha”, by Round Bale Recordings in 2021 as well. A year-long/site-specific project in collaboration with Sarah Ruth Alexander, “cuatro estaciones”, was released by Full Spectrum Recordings in 2022. “alquimia criolla” was released in January 2024 on presses précaires, a Montreal based label.