Boomkat reviewed the collaborative release by Sonic Acts and Important Records:”Stunning”. Read the full review here and order the CD here.

We’re still working on the latest footage of this year’s edition of Sonic Acts. But as we cannot speed up the editing, in the meantime we updated our archive with less recent, but not less interesting videos of, among others, … Continue reading →

Sven Schlijper from KindaMuzik attended Sonic Acts – Travelling Time and reviewed, among others, the exhibition at NIMk, “Shutter Interface” by Paul Sharits, the performances of Mark Fell and Emptyset at Paradiso, CC Hennix + The Choras(s)an Time-Court Mirage, Pauline … Continue reading →

Sonic Acts is finished and I had a really wonderful experience. Beforehand, I expected the festival to give a broad and deep outline on its theme, which was this year ‘time’. During the festival, I tried to get a grip … Continue reading →

We look back on a very successful and well attended festival. Highlights included the three concerts by CC Hennix & The Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage, the concert by Pauline Oliveros, the keynote lecture by George Dyson, and a full atrium for … Continue reading →

For those of you who didn’t have time to see the Travelling Time exhibition at Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk) during the festival- no disappointment here, it’s still open! The Sonic Acts – Travelling Time exhibition can be visited until … Continue reading →

‘Colour Music Recollections’ was the name of the screening that took place on the afternoon of the festival’s second day at De Balie. It was introduced as “A programme with films that relate in different ways to historical performance practices … Continue reading →

Sietse van Erve from the Dutch website De Subjectivisten visited Sonic Acts XIV – Travelling Time. Read his review (in Dutch) to reminisce about Catherine Christer Hennix + The Chora(s)sand Time-Court Mirage, Roland Kayn, Pauline Oliveros, Eleh, Carl Michael von Hausswolff and more.  

By Inge Hoonte Most of the presenters on Friday arrived at sound analysis, and composing (experimental) music from a field outside of composition and music. The Infinite Sounds morning session started with Joel Ryan, a resident researcher at STEIM, who … Continue reading →

Friday night during Casa Luna at Radio 1, Sonic Acts’ Arie Altena was interviewed about the performance ‘No Time’ by Catherine Christer Hennix + The Choras(s)an Time-Court Mirage. This very special performance took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Sonic Acts XIV … Continue reading →

Sonic Acts XIV – Travelling Time is over. We had a fantastic time, and we were glad to have you here in Amsterdam with us. The wonderful musicians, performers and lecturers gave us lots of inspiration for the next months … Continue reading →

Katherine Nagels reports on Peter Kubelka’s masterclass at Sonic Acts XIV, held on Wednesday 22 February 2012 at De Balie, Amsterdam. When Peter Kubelka was shooting Unsere Afrikareise [Our Trip to Africa] in 1961, he was a guest at an … Continue reading →

Sonic Acts XIV is over – but not quite yet. Here’s some fantastic photos by Pinar Temiz:

The contrast couldn’t have been bigger – or perhaps that was no contrast at all. One would call it a contrast were the two lecturers actually facing or opposing each other. But with Timothy Druckrey, the American media-art theorist and … Continue reading →

De laatste festival dag van Sonic Acts begon met een ‘illustrated talk’ van Timothy Druckrey. Druckrey liet een aantal indrukwekkende kunstwerken zien die allen te maken hadden met de ervaring van tijd en film. Omdat de tijd die hij kreeg … Continue reading →

A collection of twitter posts by artists and visitors of day #4. Join the conversation at #SonicActs2012 Sonic Blog over Vrijdagavond en nacht met o.a. Pauline Oliveros en Model 500 2012.sonicacts.com/site/news/soni… #sonicacts2012 Omar Muñoz Cremers @textforweb Ik herhaal het nog maar … Continue reading →

Zoals een folder van het festival al zegt: Kunst is een tijdmachine en Sonic Acts XIV is een tijdreis. Ook wij hebben Sonic Acts ervaren als een spectaculaire mengelmoes van dromerige, tijdloze en mechanische geluiden, dynamische beelden ontpannende geuren en … Continue reading →

A collection of twitter posts by artists and visitors of day #3. Join the conversation at #SonicActs2012 Hoogtepunten van donderdagavond #SonicActs2012 vormvanvermaak.nl/sonic… Liselotte Doeswijk @llttd Mijn persoonlijk hoogtepunt was echter t optreden van Carl Michael #VonHausswolff #sonicacts, had gerust nog uren mogen … Continue reading →

Het avondprogramma van zaterdag begon met een aantal korte films. Met name Synchromy van Norman McLaren uit 1971 en Rectangles and Rectangles van René Jodoin uit 1984 vormden een mooi paar. Beide bestaande uit niet meer of minder dan gekleurde … Continue reading →

The name Deep Time that accompanied Friday evening’s program at Paradiso not only works as an ode to Pauline Oliveros and her ideas of Deep Listening but also invites speculation on what deep time can mean. It does hint at … Continue reading →

In dit filmprogramma stond de synesthesie van kleur en muziek centraal. De aankondiging vermeldde dat voorafgaand aan de films het boek The academy of the senses, Synesthetics in Science, Art and Education van Frans Evers gelanceerd zou worden. Frans Evers … Continue reading →

The opening night of Sonic Acts XIV was preceded by a keynote speech at Paradiso, in itself a symbolic gesture I quite liked because it brought together the worlds of ideas and music in one place. George Dyson’s lecture has … Continue reading →

A collection of twitter posts by artists and visitors of day #2. Join the conversation at #SonicActs2012 Great time last night at Paradiso ; the whole dubstep 3.2 + fims program was awesome. going to the talks now Keith Whitman ‏ … Continue reading →

The problem with history is that it is analog, and analog stuff is very persistent, persistent to the point of obstructive. This is my impression of nearly every panel, conference or symposium on media related arts in the past years. … Continue reading →

Sonic Acts is still going on and I will be adding some more photos to this set as the festival progresses, but here are some of the photos I made during the last couple of days. – Rosa Menkman

A collection of twitter posts by artists and visitors on day #1. Join the conversation at #SonicActs2012 … on the train to Amsterdam ; be there in a few. not much planned outside of Sonic Acts, holla if you want … Continue reading →

Na de officiële opening van het Sonic Acts festival in het Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst haastte iedereen zich naar de eerste key-note speaker: George Dyson. In de volle grote zaal van Paradiso nam hij ons mee in zijn onderzoek naar … Continue reading →

DJBroadcast interviewed Juan Atkins, founder of Model 500 and ‘godfather of modern techno and electronic music’. Read about his findings on techno, Metroplex and producing in the interview. Juan Atkins will perform tonight solo and together with the Model 500-crew … Continue reading →

In the small room of Paradiso, Amsterdam’s primary music temple, four film projectors stand side by side on black columns. They each nervously change the color of their projector beam every split second, throwing bright colors at the wall opposite … Continue reading →

George Dyson’s opening lecture ‘No Time is There’ of Sonic Acts XIV is streamed live on http://live.sonicacts.com. For performances in Paradiso, see here. For lectures at De Balie, see here.  

Rutger Wolfson throws light on his personal favourites: Daïchi Saïto: Never a Foot Too Far, Even The overwhelming experimental films of Daïchi Saïto are always a feast for the eye and ear. Pure analogue cinema which focuses on the process … Continue reading →

An edition of Beautiful Extremes, dedicated to the upcoming 2012-edition of Sonic Acts. An interview with Sonic Acts’ Arie Altena completes the programme. Now online at Studio 80 Radio. Don’t miss it! Beautiful Extremes (21-02-2012) by Studio 80

This years’ year Sonic Acts-theme “GnillevarTime” sounds and reads like a riddle at first sight. GnillevarTime (a palindromic way of spelling “-t-ravelling Time”), can be understood in many ways; maybe I will travel time nonlinearly (what does that mean: backwards-to the … Continue reading →

Due to circumstances, the Sonic Acts XIV conference scheme has been updated. Saturday, 25 February, Joel Ryan will participate in Session 1: Infinite Sounds. Thomas Patteson will appear in Session 4: Composing with process. Their places have been swapped. Sunday, … Continue reading →

Peter Bruyn throws light on his three personal favourites: CC Hennix + The Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage [ENG] Artistic heirs of La Monte Young. Hennix’ work The Electric Harpsichord, composed and enacted in the mid-seventies, was not published on CD until … Continue reading →

Café Sonore interviewed Sonic Acts’ Lucas van der Velden and Arie Altena. Tonight this will be broadcasted at 12:00 hrs on Radio 6. For the online version plus video material of many participating artists of Sonic Acts – Travelling Time, please … Continue reading →

Overwhelmed by the enormous Sonic Acts festival programme? Zeno van den Broek (Machinist) throws light on his three personal favourites: Carl Michael von Hausswolff
 (participating in Deep Time, 24 Feb, Paradiso) [ENG] The impressing minimal and spacial drones by Von Hausswolff … Continue reading →

Sonic Acts Press’ lavishly illustrated publication Travelling Time and the CD of Catherine Christer Hennix & The Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage, released by Important Records and Sonic Acts, will be on sale at Sonic Acts XIV. Those items are also on sale via our webshop. WORM.shop … Continue reading →

Overwhelmed by the enormous Sonic Acts festival programme? Gé Huismans, editor-in-chief of Gonzo (circus) magazine throws light on his three personal favourites:   [ENG] Sonic Acts is sound and image and pondering. My personal favourites are the evenings in Paradiso that mix … Continue reading →

Overwhelmed by the enormous Sonic Acts festival programme? Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) throws light on his three personal favourites: Mark  Fell (participates in Beyond Time, 23 Feb, Paradiso) [ENG] Fell recently published quite a bit of new music, en all of … Continue reading →

Overwhelmed by the enormous Sonic Acts festival programme? X-rated dj Bob Rusche throws his light on three personal favourites: Pauline Oliveros (participates in Deep Time, 24 Feb, Paradiso) [ENG] Oliveros may, without any concern, be called an absolute pioneer in the … Continue reading →

Call for Participants: Sonic Acts Masterclasses, 20-23 February 2012, Amsterdam DEADLINE: 12 February 2012 Masterclass Leaders: Catherine Christer Hennix, Peter Kubelka, Olaf Nicolai, Pauline Oliveros, Tino Sehgal In collaboration with the Stedelijk Museum and STEIM, Sonic Acts will host a … Continue reading →

Beyond Time Thursday 23 February 2012 Paradiso 21:00 (hall opens 20:30) / €17.50 (discount €15.00) Bass frequencies abound on the opening evening of Sonic Acts. Beyond Time presents an audiovisual spectacle with dubstep, subsonic minimal techno and avant-garde electronica. Roly Porter and Emptyset use the echo … Continue reading →

The festival theme Time is a complex and ambiguous concept. Relativity theorists and quantum mechanics have tinkered with the seemingly unambiguous concept of time since the beginning of the previous century. Art, film and music make abstract notions of time … Continue reading →

Keith Fullerton Whitman, confirmed artist at Sonic Acts XIV, is featured in sound- and musicmagazine The Wire, issue #336 (Feb 2012).   See the link for more details: http://www.thewire.co.uk/issues/336/

The ticketsale for Sonic Acts XIV ‘Travelling Time’ started today!

Book now and profit from our Early Bird discount prices.

We are proud to announce the release of the video records of lectures, panels and keynotes of Sonic Acts XIII ‘The Poetics of Space’ (2010).

Kontraste Cahier #1 The Aelectrosonic is published on occasion of the Kontraste festival Imaginary Landscapes (2011).

1966: Natural Electromagnetic Sounds, From Brainwaves to Outer Space

On monday 10 October, STEIM, Sonic Acts and DNK-Amsterdam invited Douglas Kahn, Professor of Media and Innovation at the National Institute of Experimental Arts, at the University of New South Wales, to STEIM following his lecture at Stedelijk Museum on Sunday 9 October. Douglas, author of the acclaimed Noise, Water, Meat: A History of Sound in the Arts, more recently has written on naturally occurring electromagnetism in the science and the arts. Within the scope of this research topic he co-edited the brand new Source – Music of the Avantgarde, 1966-1973 (University of California Press, 2011).

Conflux will be presented on Sunday 16 October 2011 at Kontraste within Landscapes of Light and Fog, also featuring Anthony McCall and Greg Pope / Gert Jan Prins

On 26 September, the Patterns + Pleasure festival organized by STEIM (Studio for Electro Instrumental Music) opened its symposium with the panel  ‘The New Past’, raising the question of how to deal with the past in terms of digital archiving.

Travelling Time is the fourteenth edition of Sonic Acts, and its theme is the human experience of time. The ongoing development and application of technology challenges, destabilises, and changes our sense of time. Technological advances have produced a gap between ‘machine time’ and ‘human time’. Nothing is so complex and ambiguous as time, especially since also quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity have tampered with our straightforward concept of time.

1966: Natural Electromagnetic Sounds, From Brainwaves to Outer Space

A special evening at STEIM, organised by Sonic Acts, DNK and STEIM on Monday 10 October 2011 at 20:30 hrs, following Douglas Kahn’s lecture at Stedelijk Museum on Sunday 9 October.
Douglas Kahn, author of the acclaimed Noise, Water, Meat, a History of Sound in the Arts, and co-editor of the brand new Source, Music of the Avant-garde, 1966-1973, guides us through the fascinating history of art which use natural radio, electromagnetic sound and brainwaves. It’s a listening session, so it includes many audio recordings and video material, some of it very rare.

The 2011 edition of the Kontraste festival is curated by Sonic Acts. The first revamped edition will take place from 14-16 October in Krems in Austria, an hour’s drive from Vienna. This edition of the festival explores a wide range of imaginary landscapes created by composers, filmmakers, musicians and artists.

We finally finished the new trailer for Sonic Acts XIV containing a lot of footage from previous festival editions. More information on the theme, the programme and locations will follow soon!

Sonic Acts and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam proudly present: An Afternoon With: Douglas Kahn
9 October 2011, 15:00 hrs, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

The Arts of Sound in a Natural History of Media
A lecture about the connections between a new media theory historically based on 19th century telecommunications, and the practice of artists and composers who since the 1960s have used the sounds of physical forces at the scale of the earth as their raw material.

This is a collection of links relating to opinions and actions concerning the Dutch culture cuts.

The letter ‘Meer dan kwaliteit’ (‘More than Quality’) by the State Secretary for Culture, Halbe Zijlstra (VVD, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) arrived in the electronic mailboxes of Dutch art and cultural institutes on Friday, 10 June 2011. It stated that €200 million would be brutally slashed from the arts and culture budget, starting as early as 1 January 2013.

Sonic Acts is guest-curator at the 49th Ann Arbor Film Festival, and will present the program: Modulating the Human Sensory Apparatus. The AAFF will take place from March 22 until March 27 2011 at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Sonic Acts has been invited by the Arte.mov festival in Brazil to present a compilation of works illustrating the expanded cinema movement in contemporary film and video art. Selected works will include films by Golan Levin, Daniel Burkhardt, Steina Vasulka and Semiconductor.

Furthermore, Martijn van Boven from the Sonic Acts editorial team will be participating in a symposium on (expanded) cinema in urban environments. In his presentation, he will discuss the relation between the early expanded cinema movement and its modern day successors which manifest themselves on public screens, flash mobs and large-scale open air projections.

For more information on Arte.mov please visit their websiteand watch this space for a report.