Artists Statement

Concert/Sound Event, La Station – Gare des Mines, May 21

SoundWays Paris x Toronto – audio AR on mobile phone

Outdoor presentation on SoundWays (geolocalized listening platform) of five immersive sound works by the duos Nova Materia (FR-CL), OttoannA, Parhelic Shell (FR), Laura Barrett X Slowpitchsound (CA) and Stefana Fratila (CA). Program proposed with the support of Toronto Transit Corporation, the City of Toronto, the French Institute and the City of Paris as part of an artistic exchange project conceived on the occasion of A More Beautiful Journey: a commission of 30 immersive sound creations for the city of Toronto.

Cooperation by:

1. Station – Gare des Mines
2. CNM
3. Région Île-de-France
4. Dark Euphoria
5. L’Institut Convergences Migrations (ICM)
6. La Plateforme MAS (Musique – Audio – Sons)
7. Radio france
8. Institut français
9. Ville de Paris
10. Canada Council for the Arts
11. Toronto Arts Council
12. City of Toronto
13. The Daniels Corporation

• Formed in Paris, France, in 2004, OttoannA (Rodolphe Alexis & Valérie Vivancos) have been generating sound pieces, devices and participative actions. Their passion for processes has taken various shapes including ​ a software that singles out fragments from TV news and rearranges them into a poetic litany, memories of familiar routes recorded on the edge of hypnosis, one-to-one DJ sets, transposing sounds from the streets of Paris to those of New York via boomboxes, a piece based around the tale of a man hit by lightning, a barely audible live set performed from a closet… OttoannA’s semi-improvised compositions create a multilayered soundscape made of collages, fragmented narration, field recordings, electronic and electroacoustic synthesis… Besides, through their publishing and curating activities (under the Double-Entendre umbrella), their ear has become attuned to the possibilities and limitations of fixed aesthetic genres. The individual practices of the two artists (field recording and writing protocols) have also helped enrich their audio signature. http://www.ottoanna.com
• Stefana Fratila is a Romanian-born artist, composer and sound designer based in Toronto, Canada. She is also a DJ and co-founder of Crip Rave, an event platform showcasing and prioritizing Crip, Disabled, Deaf, Mad, and Sick body-minds within safer and more accessible rave spaces.
 She created Sononaut, 8 open-source VST plug-ins that emulate the atmospheric conditions of the planets in our solar system in collaboration with NASA scientists and Jen Kutler. https://stefanafratila.com
• SlowPitchSound (Cheldon Paterson, CA) is an award winning Toronto-based composer, mentor, and explorer of sound & visuals. He has collaborated with creators from a wide range of disciplines including opera, jazz, classical, electronic music, theatre and dance. His unique style of music production, self proclaimed as “scifi-turntablism”, has graced stages around the world including Canada, Australia, USA, United Kingdom and Sweden. With a passion for depth and detail in his work, Cheldon is heavily inspired by nature, outer space, and dystopian sci-fi. Cheldon’s unique approach to making music includes turntablism, sample manipulation, and field recordings. https://www.slowpitchsound.com
• In Laura Barrett’s (CA) career as a singer/songwriter/composer, she has released multiple albums, including two feature film soundtracks, and served as music director to several live comedy and theatrical productions. She also holds a Master of Teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, as a certified Junior/Intermediate teacher. Laura has mentored youth through Girls Rock Camp Toronto and at Dixon Hall Music School’s overnight camp, designed curricula and led instruction at Camp Make-a-Game, and currently works with the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) as a supply teacher. https://laurabarrett.net
• Parhelic Shell is a French duo exploring sound through field recording, sound synthesis and special sound processing creating their own identity. The duo cut their teeth with the NVNA association and became part of a universe allowing them to express themselves through lives and musical outings. Both passionate about sound design and rhythmic research, their lives are renewed at each event, embellished with new rhythmic and teeming materials. https://superforma.fr/parhelic-shell