Moogfest 2016 will take place in Durham, NC, May 19-22. By day, Moogfest is a platform for conversation and experimentation. By night, Moogfest presents cutting-edge music in venues throughout the city. In the months leading up to Moogfest 2016, the festival presents a newly-launched event series, Moogfest Dial-Tones. Featuring daytime and nighttime programming curated by a selection of artists, the Dial-Tones series is a taste of what’s to come next May.
About Dial-Tones
Dial-Tones is a new series of Moogfest curated events celebrating the form and frequencies surrounding the art of synthesis, circuitry, drone, and microtonal compositions. Moogfest Dial-Tones is a partnership with the Ace Hotel (in Los Angeles, London, New York, Portland) and will also be hosted in select locations in San Francisco and Durham. The series kicks off at the Shed Jazz Club in Durham on December 5.
“Ace Hotel’s commitment to creating unique experiences for guests, and working with us to push the boundaries of the typical music event, is what continues to get us excited about the Dial-Tones collaboration,” says Moogfest Festival Director, Marisa Brickman.
“Moog has helped define what is possible in music for decades, so the chance to work together on Moogfest Dial-Tones is a total joy. We’re excited about the partnership, the artists, and the engineers to celebrate and explore Moogfest in so many ways at Ace.” – Kelly Sawdon, Partner/Chief Brand Officer, Ace Hotel
Dial-Tones Format
The format of Moogfest Dial-Tones includes a workshop component that invites anyone to assemble and understand the inter-workings of the Moog Werkstatt-01 Synthesizer, followed by an improvisational style performance curated by artists who reside in that city. Moogfest Dial-Tones aims to create an intimate space where the attendees can interact with technology, a Moog engineer and the participating artists.
Via electronic oscillation, the program is designed to engage the learning center of our minds and then entrance it with the hypnotizing effects of drone music.
Workshop
Moogfest hosts two free workshops in each city – daytime is co-hosted with a local community organization for school children and evening workshops are open to adults (who can purchase the synth they build at a discounted rate of $149). Workshops are followed by a Q&A with a Moog engineer. Admission is first come first served and is limited to twenty people per workshop. Those interested in attending can sign up http://www.moogfest.com/#/ for the Moogfest mailing list and will be alerted when workshop sign-up is open.
Performance
The curating artist is asked to work with an alternative approach to their usual performance stylings, instead dialing into an improvisational realm of sustained tones and cascading moods. These will be singular performances, never to be recreated or repeated again. Performances are led by the curator, sometimes joined by other musical guests. Sets will be recorded and in some cities, live-streamed. After parties will follow the performance.
Additionally, in some markets, video artists will bring drone sounds into the visual realm in real-time for an all out synergistic effect of the senses.
Curators
The Durham session is curated by Nick Sanborn, the synth half of pop duo Sylvan Esso who recently announced his solo project under the moniker Made of Oak. Moogfest Dial-Tones continues in Los Angeles on December 20, curated by famed West Coast producer, Nosaj Thing, who is widely known for helping shape LA’s beat scene and has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Busdriver, Nocando and Chance the Rapper. Jas Shaw, synth enthusiast and member of Simian Mobile Disco, is curating the event in London. Dial-Tones continues through Portland, San Francisco, New York and London. Other curators will be announced shortly.
Moog Music & Ace Hotel Cassette Series
In partnership with Twin Springs Tapes, Moog Music & Ace Hotel will produce a limited run of cassettes as an end cap to the Dial-Tones series. The tapes will feature recordings from select artists further exploring minimalism & ambient tone clusters. They will be available at Ace Hotel and included in select Moog synthesizer packages.
Confirmed Dates and Locations
DECEMBER 5: Durham, NC
Artist Curator: Nick Sanborn (Made of Oak / Sylvan Esso)
@ Shed Jazz Club
DECEMBER 20: Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Artist Curator: Nosaj Thing
Guest Artists: Shlohmo, D Tiberio, more TBA
MARCH 26: Ace Hotel London
Artist Curator: Jas Shaw (Simian Mobile Disco)
Dates and curators to be announced soon
for NYC, Portland and San Francisco.
FestPop Editorial Team