Üle Heli brings Anna Hints and sound artists to Tallinn

Sound artist Anna Hints, musician Aivar Tõnso and violist Kristjan Kannukene are among the performers at this year’s Üle Heli festival in Tallinn, ERR reports. The festival runs from October 22 to 25 and explores the meaning of sound and its connections with other art forms under the theme “Sound is free.”

The festival’s programme centres on four concert evenings, each taking a distinct approach to sound. The opening concert, “AVAavarus,” uses sound to explore vast spaces. Monika Mattiesen’s Küberstuudio moves from underground depths to cosmic distances, using instruments ranging from a giant contrabass flute to sound objects. The programme includes the Estonian premieres of Madli Marje Gildemann’s “Birds of Jupiter” and Mattiesen’s “Roots of Rock.”

Lithuanian sound artist Adomas Palekas explores sound energy in transitional situations in the performance “Critical Systems and Their Melting Points.” Katariin Raska and Villem Jahu combine bagpipe sounds with abstract electronics. Kismabande, returning after years away, will close the evening in its classic line-up of Taavi Laatsit, Priit Pääsuke, Tanel Paliale and Tõnso.

Friday’s concert, “Modulatsioonipalee,” takes place on three stages at Mustpeade maja, a concert venue. Its theme of modulation, or one signal influencing another, shapes both the performances and the programme’s use of different rooms. Sibelius Academy doctoral student Katrin Enni opens with “Kandvus,” a presentation of her sound research. Ekke Västrik’s doctoral concert, “Transmortem,” is written for sine-wave generators, tape machines, a mixer, a radio and eight speakers, with Villem Jahu and Raul Keller taking part.

Also on the programme is “The Tcherepnin Series (Music for the Original Serge Synthesizers),” a special set by Dutch-born Berlin-based sound artist Thomas Ankersmit. Latvian artist Sofija Zaiceva and Austrian artist Andreas Trobollowich will present “Branches & Bytes,” bringing digital sound programming together with mechanical sound synthesis. Ukrainian composer Albert Saprykin, currently in residence at the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music, will perform his piece “Baobab” on organ with electronics and Italian drummer Gian Marco Medda. Kristjan Kannukene and Mia-Stella Aaslaid will close the evening with an improvisation combining viola, voice and manipulated record players.

“Sfääriline õhtu” begins at 18:00 on October 24 at Kanuti Gildi Saal, a performance venue. The programme features an audiovisual solo set by Medda, voice improvisations by Hints and Tushar Prakash with electronics by Mihkel Tomberg, and flautist Tarmo Johannes performing American composer James Tenney’s “Saxony.” It will also include a special programme from the Kintai Kitaip residency.

The residency programme in Lithuania focuses on experimental sound practices in the Baltic states. This year’s theme drew on Brandon LaBelle’s concept of the “sonic agent” and explored how sound practices can reflect experiences and understandings of issues affecting contemporary life. This year’s residents, who will also perform at Üle Heli, are Sandra Kazlauskaite of Lithuania, Gundega Graudiņa of Latvia and Tõnso.

The festival ends on October 25 with “Lõpukõver,” an event that explores spatial freedom by moving through different rooms in Tallinn’s Old Town. The programme includes Albert Saprykin & Tencu, Post Horn, Hanna Samoson, Eric Olivier (ca) and Perfectionst’s “Sound Footage,” among others.