REWIRE to unusual

With the ice-cold, face-stinging air biting, one can not think of anything better to do this weekend than to fade into winter sleep after enjoying a cup of delicious hot chocolate, with cream, please. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi’s. Three Mississippi’s… Pardon me, but this idyllic image simply has to go… to make some space for the fourth edition of the REWIRE festival.

The most intriguing artists famous for their extraordinary approach to contemporary electronic music are about to sound art  the best venues of the Hague. Trust me on this one! For two days, 7 and 8 November, they will help you visualize the sound in huge places like Grote Kerk, Barthkapel, and E.O.N. Electriciteitsfabriek or more intimate venues like Prins 27, Paard Van Troje, Zaal 3 and Studio Loos.

High are the expectations for the performance of German house producer Henrik Schwarz and Swiss pianist/composer Nik Bärtsch in Grote Kerk, on Friday, 11pm. They will present a new piece that combines prepared piano of Nik Bärtsch with scripted and software infused piano, played by Henrik Schwarz. Swiss born Bärtsch is using minimalistic approach to the contemporary jazz to bring a sound often called ritual groove or Zen funk and Schwarz is… that one guy everyone wants to collaborate with.

Before the two pianos take over the church, Bohren & Der Club of Gore take you on a trip through “unholy ambient mixture of slow jazz ballads, Black Sabbath doom and down tuned Autopsy sounds”. Wordy industrial coldness of band members’ statement is softened in sound with meditative themes built on top of deep bass and elusive percussions using saxophone, piano, vibraphone and various electronics.

The final recommendation for the evening is the festival’s opening act. Canadian multidisciplinary artist Herman Kolgen presents a unique “audio kinetic” performance in between the walls of the E.O.N. Electriciteitsfabriek. His work consists of three pieces Train Fragments, Overlapp (collaboration with the Belgian percussion group BL!NDMAN) and Dust. During one hour-long performance, Kolgen further explores the boundaries or connections between contemporary music, electronic music and digital art.

Various locations, 7 and 8 November, late weekend ticket € 43,50, day ticket € 26,50.