Soundwaves Festival
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th July
http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/soundwaves

Brighton is often cited as an epicentre for the eccentrically wonderful and Soundwaves is a small, charity-funded festival whose heart beats in step to that standard. Conceived in 2007 in partnership with the University, it’s a festival that takes the potentially highbrow world of Avant-garde composition, sound design and improvisation right onto the streets, with a playful interpretation of modern music that its fearless organisers should be lauded for.

This year sees the festival enhancing its repertoire of artists as well as its presence around town with several free events in public spaces, such as a Soundwalk through Jubilee Library (downloadable from the website) and a Sonic Forest; and if you’re suddenly surrounded by a flashmob Opera you’ll know what’s caused it. Amongst other planned performances, highlights look set to include a tag-team recital of Cornelius Cardew’s Treatise – a 193-page score written in shapes, symbols and numbers, with the odd recognisable note thrown in for… well, as much discernable reason as the rest of it.

Harp manipulator Rhodri Davies will be debasing this most austere of instruments with unlikely machinery and electronics, 10-second chamber operas in a Musical 100 Metres event, and the mangled ruff neck avant pop of Micachu. Soundwaves – the festival where pop is leftfield!

WORDS BY MEATBREAK