Sync | Loraine James, Volume
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will present Volume, a new and unique festival of music, film and performance in Sydney. Featuring a packed program of Australian and international artists, headlined by American Grammy Award–winning R&B singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary artist Solange and including award-winning Zambian musician, vocalist and rapper Sampa The Great, American songwriter and producer Mount Eerie, Dharawal and Inuit contemporary musician Sonya Holowell and many more, the festival will be held in a variety of spaces across the Art Gallery’s new North and original South buildings on Gadigal Country overlooking Sydney Harbour this spring.
Running from 22 September to 8 October, the expansive 17-day festival will bring trailblazing musicians, boundary-pushing filmmakers and cutting-edge performers together in Sydney to present a diverse program of more than 50 music, film and performance events, including free and ticketed programming by day and night.
Announced today, the ticketed music program includes 27 local and international artists. In addition to Solange (USA), Sampa The Great (Zambia), Mount Eerie (USA), and Sonya Holowell (Australia), the live music line-up features Black Belt Eagle Scout (USA), crys cole (Canada), Datu Arellano (Philippines), Fuji|||||||||||ta (Japan), Hamed Sadeghi (Iran/Australia), Jeff Parker (USA), Joe Rainey (USA), Kim Moyes (Australia), Lonnie Holley (USA), Maissa Alameddine (Lebanon/Australia), Mourning [A] BLKstar (USA), Naretha Williams (Australia), Oren Ambarchi (Berlin/Australia), Sumn Conduit (Australia), TENGGER (South Korea), and Toni Muñoz (Philippines). The festival will also present the world premiere of seven new music recordings by artists Dean Hurley (USA), KMRU (Germany/Kenya), Lea Bertucci (USA), Loraine James (UK), Megan Alice Clune (Australia), R. Rebeiro (Australia), and salllvage (Australia), all commissioned by the Art Gallery.
The eclectic music program, curated by the Art Gallery’s and Australia’s first music and community curator, Jonathan Wilson, includes new and experimental live music, genre-bending pop artists, collaborations and world premiere site-specific commissions, from large-scale to intimate.
‘Volume celebrates and connects some of the most innovative local and international artists, blurring the lines between contemporary popular culture and experimental music, film, dance and performance,’ said Wilson.
‘We are excited to invite these extraordinary artists to Sydney to perform one-off site-responsive performances and discover the amazing sonic potential of our new building: from the immense 25-second reverb in the Tank to the expansive Aqualand Atrium with sight lines across three levels of the building.
‘Among the many festival highlights is the chance to be among the first members of the public to experience live music performed in the breathtaking Tank, located at the deepest layer of the new building.’
The ticketed music program includes Play the room, an experiential live music performance series, featuring solo, duo and group performances; and Playback which features local and international contemporary composers (Loraine James) creating new scores to be played and experienced during the festival. The festival is centered around a live music series each weekend exploring the acoustics of the Tank, which is created and performed by internationally renowned performers and musicians.
