Mind (and ears) fully blown

The Supersense weekend is your chance to embark on an hour of face-melting, musically adventurous doom metal. Intrigued? Welcome to the abstract musical structures of Nazoranai. Formed in 2011, this power trio combines Australian free-jazz drummer Oren Ambarchi, Japanese noise icon Keiji Haino and Sunn O)))’s main man Stephen O’Malley.

“An unholy blend of doom metal, free-form psych rock and pure howl-at-the-moon madness” – Time Out New York

Uniting several generations of improvisation and noise music, the band played its first gig in Amsterdam when Stephen O’Malley suggested to Ambarchi they invite Keiji Haino and perform as a trio. They knew each other but had never played together. Six years in the making, Nazoranai’s tremendous darkness and tortuous sound transcend into the spiritual, pounding out silence with unrelenting savagery.

A force of sound that must be experienced to be believed.

Book now to see this mesmerizing performance. Tickets available in a Full Festival Pass or a single ticket on Sunday Closing night.

A World of Lullabies

What if you could step into the intimate lullaby rituals of families from all over the world? Weaved together in over 25 languages, Lullaby Movement: A Song Cycle is a collection of cradle songs created by Supersense curator Sophia Brous. In the piece, Brous portrays a sleepless girl seeking safety and refuge, hoping to find comfort in these lullabies.

The project started in 2015 when Sophia Brous became fascinated with lullabies as a universal repertoire after a particularly emotional encounter with another artist, discussing the power of children’s songs. The Melbourne-born musician and vocalist visited migrant and refugee communities from around the world to learn ancient melodies and local lullabies directly from mothers.

An exploration into the common need for refuge, this project brings out the universal qualities of lullabies, regardless of time, location and language. Lullaby Movement: A Song Cycle was composed in collaboration with revered British multi-instrumentalists David Coulter (Yoko Ono, Kronos Quartet) and Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Imogen Heap).

Book now to see this mesmerizing performance. Tickets available in a Super Saturday Day Pass or a single ticket on Friday Opening night.

Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda

Ever heard of Alice Coltrane? You may already know she was married to jazz legend John Coltrane. Beyond her relationship with the most revered and influential saxophonist in the history of jazz, Alice Coltrane was a legendary pianist, composer and spiritual leader.

In the decades following her husband’s death, she pursued a solo career, releasing thirteen full-length records and appearing on a number of projects as a sidewoman. An artist with many lives, she explored different sonic realms reflecting her different names and ever-evolving identity – from Alice Mcleod, to Coltrane, and finally Swamini A.C. Turiyasangitananda. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, she became one of jazz’s singular visionaries before retiring from the public eye to lead a spiritual retreat and monastery, The Sai Anantam Ashram in Southern California. There, Coltrane crafted a series of bewitching and deeply spiritual albums under her new spiritual name.

In recent years, Alice Coltrane’s work has been revisited in multiple ways. From rare recordings to rave reviews, numerous tribute and even a film project by director Vincent Moon, there seems to be a collective push to shine a light on Coltrane as one of jazz’s most overlooked figures. Earlier this year, a series of ashram tapes from the 1980s and 1990s was released – the first collection ever to highlight the music she made during her time as a spiritual leader.

The collection – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda – premiered in New York this May, performed by the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers. The mood is prayerful and contemplative, oscillating between devotional frenzy and ambient chanting, creating a complete soundscape with universal appeal.

Hot from the New-York premiere, The Sai Anantam Ashram Singers will perform this exclusive and unrepeatable concert at Supersense: Festival of The Ecstatic as part of the Super Saturday program.

The Ecstatic Music Of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda

“This isn’t background music, for it will alter the room and your consciousness, as it was designed to. Open your mind and step in.”

We’re so excited to present The Ecstatic Music Of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (USA). One of the most respected and venerated musicians of the 20th century, Alice Coltrane was a pianist, composer, spiritual leader, and the wife of equally legendary John Coltrane, saxophonist and jazz icon.

Read the full article on The Monthly.

2017 program announced

After wowing audiences in 2015 with its hypnotically ecstatic program, Supersense is finally back this year.

Created and presented by Arts Centre Melbourne in association with peripatetic curator and performer Sophia Brous, Supersense presents a 3-day durational ‘festival-as-theatre’ where an immersive labyrinth of Arts Centre Melbourne’s underground walkways, venues and performance spaces is transformed, creating an experience of wonder, excitement, curiosity and entranced surrender.

Festival passes now available

SPIRITUALIZED (UK)
World Premiere

THE ECSTATIC MUSIC OF ALICE COLTRANE TURIYASANGITANANDA (USA)

PUSSY RIOT THEATRE – RIOT DAYS (RUS)

LULLABY MOVEMENT: A SONG CYCLE
By Sophia Brous with Leo Abrahams and David Coulter (AUS/UK/USA)

NAZORANAI (JAPAN/USA/AUS)

BLONDE REDHEAD (USA)

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO UFO (JAPAN)

THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA LED BY BACHIR ATTAR (MOROCCO)

MEMORY FIELD: WAANGENGO BLANCO + LAURENCE PIKE (AUS)

WORLD PREMIERE SUPERSENSE COMMISSION

ZEENA PARKINS (USA)

STEPHEN O’MALLEY (USA)

DAVE HARRINGTON GROUP (USA)

EXO-TECH (AUS / USA)

THE DREAM MACHINE (USA / AUS / MOROCCO)

THE MASTER YOIKER OF NORWAY: ÁNDE SOMBY (NORWAY)

ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO (USA)

KEIJI HAINO (JAPAN)

JG THIRLWELL- CHOLERA NOCEBO (USA)

CLEEK SCHREY – MOUNTAIN VERSES: HARDANGER D’AMORE OF THE APPALACHIANS (USA)

THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA LED BY BACHIR ATTAR (MOROCCO)

OVERGROUND: A FESTIVAL WITHIN A FESTIVAL

OVERGROUND will feature: Oren Ambarchi (AUS), Zeena Parkins (USA), Felicia Atkinson (FRANCE), Fujui Wang (Taiwan), Carolyn Connors (AUS), Oliver Coates (UK), Matthias Schack-Arnott (AUS), Jim Denley (AUS), James Rushford (AUS/USA), Leo Abrahams (UK), Acid Mothers Temple (JAP), Rainbow Chan (AUS), Judith Hamann (AUS/USA), Kane Ikin (AUS), Deborah Kayser (AUS), Tarquin Manek (AUS), Robbie Avenaim (AUS), Clayton Thomas (AUS), Jannah Quill (AUS), Nick Tsiavos (AUS), Marcus Whale (Collarbones, AUS), Rohan Ribiero (My Disco, AUS), Erkki Veltheim (AUS), Scott McConnachie (AUS) and many more!

Gurrumul’s Latest Single

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu​ has just released, ‘Jesu’ the lead single from his third studio recording, The Gospel Album. We can’t wait to hear it performed live on our stage for #Supersense – Festival of the Ecstatic. Tickets here: http://bit.ly/1JF6Pxf

Q&A: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

By CARLEY JELLETT, June 23, 2015 

Originally posted on: http://blog.ticketmaster.com.au/music/qa-the-jon-spencer-blues-explosion-2575 

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Be prepared for a multi-sensory extravaganza at Arts Centre Melbourne on August 8 and 9.

The stages and back rooms of the iconic Melbourne venue will be transformed for Supersense, a two-day festival that will transport you through a plethora of human emotions and experience through musical and artistic performances.

One of the highlights on the Supersense festival’s calendar will be two performances from the brilliant Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The trio will perform at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse on August 8 at 1pm and 8pm alongside iconic musician, Marc Ribot.

The incredible double-bill is one event you simply cannot miss.

When we heard about the upcoming performances and the Supersense festival we knew we had to know more! tmBlog caught up with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to hear more about the festival, their performances and working with Marc Ribot.

Ticketmaster: Thanks for joining us. We are really excited about the Supersense Festival at Arts Centre Melbourne. Can you tell us what drew you to perform at the festival?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  Money, good times, easy-action, fame, etc.

Ticketmaster: What can the audience expect to see when they attend your performances?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  Three sweaty, good-looking men.

Ticketmaster: Marc Ribot is joining you for your performances at Supersense. Can you tell us about working with him?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  Never had the pleasure but I am a fan.

Ticketmaster: If you could perform with any other musician in the world who would you choose?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  P.J. Harvey.

Ticketmaster: You guys are well known for your quintessential New York City sound. Are you excited to be performing in Melbourne and do you take inspiration from other cities when you are in town?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  Yes, most definitely. Melbourne feels very much like a sister city to NYC: very cool. And there have certainly been a lot of great Melbourne bands and sounds that have turned me on over the years!

Ticketmaster: Supersense is all about the human experience. Can you pinpoint a time in your life when you were the happiest?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion:  Does not compute. I got the blues!

Ticketmaster: Thanks for joining us. We are looking forward to seeing your performance at Supersense.

TAO Dance Theater

Sublime forces animate bodies under the command of choreographer Tao Ye, whose TAO Dance Theater works shimmer with striking graphic composition, establishing him as one of the most stunning creators of contemporary dance in the world today.

The extraordinary works of TAO Dance Theater have shaken China’s dance world since 2008 with a series of minimalist works that both recognise and transcend the limits of the individual form, with choreographer Tao Ye developing techniques that enable dancers to explore their most extreme and striking potential. His commitment to free interpretation by his audience goes so far as to refuse the naming of his works – which are simply numbered instead – and his ritualistic explorations of the process of perception suggest a rigour approaching the sacred.

“Hypnotic, enthralling and undeniably special” – Bachtrack

This performance is included in the Friday Festival Pass, Saturday Festival Pass and Full Festival Pass. TAO Dance Theater is also performing on Thursday 6 August.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Tour Trailer

Here’s a tasty little JSBX tour trailer for you all! Can’t wait to have them at Supersense.