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Open Studio: Foss/Hallbäck/Pestana (SHAPE+) │ FREE ENTRY

As a part of the eu-project Shape+ the musicians Luis Pestana + Mika Hallbäck + Gregory Vartian Foss are currently working on a collab (world premiere at Intonal 2023). Now we invite the audience to take part in their work process.

In this residency two local acts meet an international act and create something completely new together. Their collaboration will premiere at this years edition of Intonal. But before that you can experience their process during this open house.

Luis Pestana (PT)

Luis Pestana composes mystic minimalist pieces infused with pointillist epic-MIDI-collage. Like Arvo Pärt meeting Lorenzo Senni. Arcane Portugal and Tokyo neon lights coming together in a digital alchemy that goes full-on emotional supernova. Working within the aura of experimental electronic music, but filling it with organic textures and humanlike surrealist feels, the computer music composer proposes a new contextualization of traditional folklore music and instruments and explores a deep human need for music that has nothing to do with fashion.

Pestana’s debut album, Rosa Pano (Orange Milk Records), was one of A Closer Listen’s 2020 Top10 Electronic Albums.

Mika Hallbäck (SE)

After Swedish artist Rivet’s debut album On Feather and Wire – released 20 years into his career at the end of 2020 on the revered Editions Mego label – surprised and delighted with its punk spirit, industrial pulse, sensual atmospherics, and body music flavor, we get a better sense of what he’s capable of. Hinted at by his work as the body music enthusiast behind Kess Kill record label and the years honing his production skills first as Grovskopa and then as Rivet, his current sound has a sophisticated slink and a surprisingly accessible twist of pop, while still recognizable in its dance music lineage.

While the album signaled a change of sound, it also prompted him to premiere his brand new live set at the 2021 edition of Intonal Festival in his hometown of Malmö – alongside the gorgeous spectacle of shibari rope artist Ziggi Willpower – adding another dimension to the Rivet story. He’s already known for his wild and borderless DJ sets, where he’s played the most hallowed clubs around the world with fierce intentions and rare skill, on more decks than he has hands. He juggles, cuts, drops and chops at an alarming rate, but crucially never to the detriment of overall flow – Rivet is a passionate and driving spirit in the art of mixing, whether it’s in service to the sweatiest dancefloors or more thoughtful and experimental in form.

Gregory Vartian-Foss (US/SE)

Born in New York and started to play his first instrument (saxophone) when he was only eight years old. At 19 he switched playing bass to contra bass. He graduated with a bachelors degree in music  at Indiana University and later a Master of Music at Yale University.  The last years he has had a successful career in different orchestras the last years; Göteborg Symfoniorkester, Bergen Philharmonie, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Ensemble Modern Orchestra. He started playing contra bass  in Malmö SymfoniOrkester in 2017. He is also a DJ and producer.