After acclaimed seasons in Brisbane, Adelaide and their home town, Sydney innovators kdmindustries, known for their mixture of club aesthetic and raw theatrical energy, bring CONCRETE:heartbeat to Perth as part of the Blue Room Theatre’s 2015 Summer Nights program.
Created and performed by Mark Haslam, one of Sydney’s leading artists working with multimedia, CONCRETE:heartbeat is a compete treat for the senses, exploring 24 hours in the life of a major city.
This single day is compressed into 8 short tales describing the energy, noise, passion and humour found in the absurdity of high-density living within the metropolitan playground.
As the day unfolds, hour by hour, the protagonists go about their lives. The stories speak of the energy, noise and loneliness of urban living; the dislocation within anonymity, the pressures and the pollution. But within each there is also a recognised joy in the act of collective living; an inspiration and humour that can only be found in the absurdity of millions of individuals crammed into a high-density life.
Taking its inspiration from a fusion of global street styles and virtual exploration, CONCRETE:heartbeat looks through the smog and traffic congestion to the heart of contemporary cities, creating a powerful snapshot of the excitement of urban habitation in an hour that is both visually stunning and deeply human.
A Def Jam language style is surrounded by a visual world inspired by graphic novels and street expression, created by Melvin Montalban (clips for Flume, Boy and Bear, the Rubens) and supported by the freshest tracks written by Paranym (UK/The Netherlands). Thought bubbles appear, perspectives shift, text emerges and time slips, telling of the magical experience of living, literally, as one in a million.
“CONCRETE is about bringing together the best in contemporary artistic expression – from the streets, clubs, bedrooms and across the web and slamming it together to give a real snap-shot of what city-living is about… there’s real beauty in the madness of it all,” says performer Mark Haslam.
“A rich, deeply lyrical, multi-layered modern-day urban odyssey” – Time Out Sydney
CONCRETE:heartbeat
PICA Studio – Perth Cultural Centre, 51 James Street Northbridge
Season continues to 14 February 2015
Bookings: www.blueroom.org.au
For more information, visit: www.blueroom.org.au for details.
Image: Kerry Tribe, commissioned by the MAK Center for How Many Billboards? Art In Stead, 2010 – photo by Gerard Smulevich