Following its success in 2015, Supersense – a contemporary performing arts festival exploring ecstatic experiences – returns to Arts Centre Melbourne for three days from 18 August 2017.
The extraordinary exclusive program of legendary artists and music pioneers includes Spiritualized (UK), The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (USA), Pussy Riot Theatre (RUSSIA), the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar (MOROCCO), Blonde Redhead (USA), Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (JAPAN), EXO-TECH featuring Kimbra (NZ), Nazoranai (JAPAN/USA/AUS), Sophia Brous’ Lullaby Movement (AUS), Oliver Coates (UK) and many more.
Created in 2015 by Arts Centre Melbourne with Melbourne and New York-based interdisciplinary performer and curator Sophia Brous, Supersense brings together a program of internationally revered artists and performers exploring contemporary and traditional perspectives on ecstatic experience across music, dance, film, visual art and design.
The inaugural 2015 festival was an enormous success with over 8,000 attendees accessing world first collaborations and commissions, including Discreet + Oblique: The Music of Brian Eno and Ash Ra Tempel Experience – which have both gone on to tour internationally.
In 2017, the huge Supersense follow-up will be a confluence of ritual, expression and transformation, featuring over 14 Australian exclusives, 13 Australian premieres, 4 world premieres, 5 Supersense commissions and a myriad of first-time collaborations thanks to the return of Overground: A Festival Within a Festival. The program boasts an exceptional line-up of international and Australian artists, brought together by Brous for the three-day festival event.
FRIDAY OPENER:
Supersense arrives with a dazzling opening night of revelatory sound, dance, light and collective transformation. Think heady rhythms, dizzying wonder and performances of profound impact from an incredible evening. This opening night party will be a mesmerising open door into the Supersense weekend, with performances including Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar, Oliver Coates and EXO-TECH, to name a few.
SUPER SATURDAY:
The central day of the Supersense program focuses on heightening: extremity, amplification, volume, beauty and immersion. Performances will include The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, Pussy Riot Theatre performing Riot Days live, Blonde Redhead, Sophia Brous’ Lullaby Movement, Stephen O’Malley founding member of landmark group, Sunn O))), and the world premiere of Memory Field by Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Waangenga Blanco, and PVT drummer Laurence Pike.
SUNDAY CLOSER:
A blinding conclusion to the Supersense weekend will be the return of Overground: A Festival Within a Festival – the celebrated day-long showcase of improvised music originally created at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival between 2010 and 2011.
Overground is a day-long festival of sonic exploration presented with leading organisations Liquid Architecture and Sydney’s The Now Now and 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), plus many more.
The weekend will conclude with an evening of visionary closing night performances by Nazoranai (Keiji Haino, Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi), and UK space-rockers Spiritualized – who will be performing a major orchestral concert of their iconic repertoire with the Australian Art Orchestra and The Consort of Melbourne.
Supersense takes place over three days: 18 – 20 August at Arts Centre Melbourne. Ticketing options include festival passes, day passes or single performance tickets for headline acts. For more information and full program, visit: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au for details.
Image: Sophia Brous will perform Lullaby Movement at Supersense