Enjoy "A Bundle of Measures" - Review 27/05/11

The title a Bundle of Measures derives from a German idiom that translates to - every one has to catch their own bundle.

Racking up up at the event within a deep corner of Leeds' industrial nightmare. On a street that is legal to drink on (due to the existence of a few alcoholic residencies on the same street) we direct ourselves to the ominously green fronted building @ ENJOY headquarters. We were greeted with a conversation about edible flowers that then transformed into a discussion of a particular club in Leeds with a seemingly infinite smoke machine. An odd introduction to prepare for the numerous obscure conversations that were in store for the rest of the night. ENJOY itself must do something to people, turns stories like Oliver Twist into debauched allegories where Fagan administers his children to the streets to harvest body parts. With the added feature of cheap wine, conversations tilted into more obtuse angles, adding to a night that would soon be filled with breathing sub frequencies and clinically disorientating swells of Grischa Lichtenberger.

Lichtenberger had been given a 2 week residency at ENJOY where he would produce a varied display of artistic skill. Collections of paintings, sculptures and sound art would fill the halls of this art space over the course of the next 14 days. On the opening night one was faced with a large tilted painting containing esoteric shapes produced with a minimal palette of colour and form which would force the viewer to become more indulged in its abstract splendor. Moving to the corner of the room, a metallic object was suspended with red string above a small sheet of flimsy glass. This I gathered was representative of a tension in his art. On the cusp of shattering something fragile, revealing the potential destruction that all art can face.
After a few more glasses of red wine and cigarette breaks, the sound performance had begun.
A combination of evil digital sound-scapes, blending transitory events that would reveal a metamorphosis in his music. So heavily manipulated and processed, form and structure seamlessly flow. A distant reminiscence of Berlin techno comprised within a glitch-fed distorted environment. Objects that were leaning against the walls of the room became displaced during the sub frequency passages in his set. These events for me, implied the room itself was accepting in Lichtenberger's offering, a strange sign that the universe was agreeing with him. People sat, stood and swayed in awe at this "felt more than heard" performance. One guy was roaming around in a glitchy flurry, wielding a rolled up piece of canvas round his body in a strangely idiotic synchronicity. This music was tampering with peoples bodies in an uncompromising way.
Toward the end of the set; one of the first times I had looked up from ineffably gazing down at my shoes in a trance, I had noticed a strange box in the corner that was lit up inside. I had later found out that this was in fact Lichtenberger's sleep hatch where he was staying during his 14 day residency. This certainly was dedication to the cause.
The whole thing reminded me of a sequel to a film (that I had watched expecting the same level of quality as Vincenzo Natali's first offering but was unfortunately disappointed) Cube 2: Hypercube. It documents the struggle of a few individuals trying to escape the torment of a huge cubic structure which is part of some kind of governmental experiment. A particular room they enter has its own time, in that as soon as you enter, time exists at a slower rate. Almost like a twisted static temporal reality in which sounds dismantle themselves into grainy particle-based quanta.
I'd like to sum up the whole performance with two words: Electronic Rapture.

GRISCHA LICHTENBERGER, born Bielefeld 1983, is involved in a variety of arts such as writing, graphics, installations, video and music.

www.myspace.com/grischalichtenberger



Another act on the night was Northern noise purveyor SKEKSI, who provides the listener with tonally challenging music that beats up your insides sonically. Skeksi was the perfect antidote to the dwindling mental capacity felt after Lichtenbergers performance. Like an all-you-can-eat buffet where the only thing on the menu are large moreish binary chunks of pure synthesised forces that satisfy from the inside out.

SKEKSI is a UK based dj/producer, runs ∆ICASEA records with Alex Peverett and Satoshi Aizawa. Also records as one half of m&c (skam)

http://www.skeksi.com/skeksi

Buy tickets here for Skeksi's next event

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/118941

NHKyx (skam/ raster noton)
VHS Head (skam)
S>>D (icasea)
MDX (skam)
Skeksi (icasea)
Skam Djs
Icasea Djs
+more TBC
25/6/2011 @ the Musiquarium
8-10 Wyther lane, Kirkstall, Leeds.
10pm - late
£7 in

Listen to this sweet recording of one of Skeksi's live performances:
// by 5K3K51

TOM
BS

ENJOY a Bundle of Measures

ENJOY art space are holding a night of experimental electronic vibrations with multi-talented artist Grischa Lichtenberger (GER). With additional support from gadget virtuoso SKEKSI, Ed Vector and ENJOY's own Rian Trebner.

The guys at ENJOY seriously know what they are doing. Their events in the past have spanned broad horizons in genre and medium. They seem to kindly educate the Leeds' populous about immensely intriguing areas in art without boasting elite attitudes, that a lot of the Avant-Garde and more experimental pockets within the art-world can purvey... which scares people off (I have had firsthand experience myself in the past). This liberal, 'it is what it is', approach strikes numerous chords with myself and their honest and inspiring outlook does nothing but enthuse my own personal interest of art and its surrounding niches. ENJOY has been run now since Rian and Kayleigh founded it at the end of their degrees about a year or so ago. Though youthful, the essence of ENJOY stands tall and proud with enough wisdom to challenge touting superiors atop of the exclusive contemporary art fortress. ENJOY bring art back to the people which I personally honour.

Keep your ear firmly pressed to the ground for future events at ENJOY.

Click here to visit ENJOY's homepage
info@enjoythevoltaire.co.uk

The BIG SPACESHIP recommends this event... get yourselves down for some cheap beer and wine and some mind expanding, circuit bending electronic hullabaloo. Expect to meet some wonderfully interesting people in a relaxed environment and enrich your mind palette with some more unfamiliar colours. Colours out of space!

Tom
BS