Monday 17 April 2023, 8pm
“Whether it is to be Utopia or Oblivion will be a touch-and-go relay race right up to the final moment. Humanity is in a final exam as to whether or not it might qualify for continuance in the Universe.” (Utopia or Oblivion : The Prospects for Humanity 1963 R. Buckminster Fuller)
An album launch for Utopia or Oblivion, a compilation on Constructive, the sister label of SN Variations, showcasing work by 10 artists inspired by and in response to the work of R. Buckminster Fuller. Featuring Tujiko Noriko, Adam Janota Bjowski, Adrian Corker, Robert Lippok, No Home, Richard Skelton, Corey Fuller, Sylvia Kastel Ale Hop and David Prior, the album launch will feature performances from Ale Hop, Silvia Kastel and No Home with Djing from Adrian Corker. This will be Ale Hop’s first visit to Cafe OTO.
There will also run a website which will serve as a focal point for a series of rolling essays, articles, artists work and information resources that will be derived from the same broad remit offered to the musicians:
http://utopiaoroblivion.net/
Ale Hop Alejandra Cárdenas Pacheco (aka Ale Hop) is a Peruvian Berlin-based artist, researcher and experimental musician who began her career in the 2000s in Lima’s underground scene. She composes electronic music by blending a complex repertoire of techniques for electric guitar, which she uses to create a performance of deep physical intensity. Her work includes live shows, record releases, sound and video artworks, research on sound and technology, and original music for film, and dance.
Silvia Kastel Hailing from Puglia in Southern Italy, artist/DJ Silvia Kastel’s musical background began in experimental voice and electronics while studying sound engineering and electronic music in New York. Evolving into DJing while based in Berlin between 2014 and 2018, first on radio and then in clubs, and now based in London with a monthly residency on NTS, her range has expanded to combine her history of sonic exploration of the outer edges with sensual club music that fuses pop with bass-heavy driving polyrhythms. Her debut album, ‘Air Lows’ dropped on Blackest Ever Black in 2018. Recent releases include Shakey (Palto Flats, 2020), debut from her collaboration with Wilted Woman and the track “Ormai”, out on the Hyperdub x Adult Swim compilation. Her last EP Xantharmony was released in July 2022 by Youth.
https://silviakastel.bandcamp.com
No Home is the artist name of London based Charlotte Valentine. Their first album “Fucking Hell”, a mix of noise rock and pop, was released in June 2020 and was named one of the “The 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020” by Pitchfork. “Young Professional”, the most recent album was released in November 2022 is experimental pop adventure with folk notes. They have collaborated with artists such as SASAMI on her most recent album “Squeeze” and have played with artists such as Space Afrika, Moor Mother and Big Joanie. Their work has been written about in Crack Magazine, NPR and The Wire amongst others.
