It’s not that usual for Sussex Uni to find one of their alumni on the stage at the ACCA but that’s what’s happening at the end of November. Elizabeth Bernholz, better known as Gazelle Twin the lauded composer, producer and performer of dark electronica, returns to the place of her music student days to present a new live experience framed around her latest ‘Black Dog’ album.
Under the Gazelle Twin persona Bernholz has self-released a canon of significant solo albums before this recent debut for Bristol’s Invada Records. From ‘The Entire City’ (2011) and ‘Unflesh’ (2014) to ‘Pastoral’ in 2018 and 2021’s ‘Deep England’, with NYX the electronic drone choir, her body of work has maintained an enduring capacity to trouble and thrill. There’s also that growing roster of illustrious recordings for film, TV and video games which have accelerated her reputation as an in-demand composer. Just check in with Nocturne, The Power or Then You Run and you’ll encounter the sweep of Gazelle Twin soundtracks.
But despite such a prolific output, Bernholz is not a studio-bound musician. The live presentation of her work has always been central to Gazelle Twin’s modus, the audio, visual and physical connection adding another visceral dimension to her powerful, unsettling, surreal soundscapes. So the opportunity to witness the haunted explorations of the recent ‘Black Dog’ music is something to be prepared for and something we’re determined not to miss.
Support for the evening brings a connection with Bernholz’s ambassadorial work within the music world. UK-based Slovak artist Nina Kohout is a recipient of the Gazelle Twin Scholarship for Women in Music Technology which supports women, trans and non-binary students taking up music studies at Sussex. Beyond that recognition, as a musician Kohout weaves emotive Slovakian folk with lush electro-pop and tense trip hop undertones around a voice that demands attention…. take note and arrive early.
Gazelle Twin image by Teri Varhol
Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, Friday 24th November 2023, 8pm.
Get your tickets for Gazelle Twin with support from Nina here
