Somewhere between a DJ set and a radio show, sound becomes a building block for collective space
Elsa M’Bala’s sound performance rounds up three days of sharing and caring in the context of Architectures of Violence, with further speculation through the realm of sound as space-making.
Elsa M’Bala aka A.M.E.T. is a sound artist who makes live podcasts between DJing and live radio shows, in which field recordings and interviews are shared live with an audience. A.M.E.T.’s musical journey, and her reflections on race, cultural background, gender and spirituality, challenge preconceptions of how someone’s music should sound based on where they’re from. Her practice breaks with western classical music by creating graphic scores that enable her to include semi tones, as is often the case in non-western music. By using technology, she amplifies her unique voice and addresses narratives of inclusion and visibility.
Her work is also marked by collaborations with musicians, dancers, artists, performers and makers from different backgrounds; she performed internationally at Akademie der Künste Berlin (DE); Casino Luxembourg-Forum d’art contemporain (LUX); Dak’Art Biennale (SEN); Gessnerallee Zürich (CH), among others. She made the trailer for Berlin Biennale 10 and is currently working on a project funded by Akademie der Künste Berlin and Musicboard in Cameroon. Since 2019, Elsa M’Bala also practises massage therapy.
