Ikue Mori: Pomegranate Seed. World Premiere of Obelisk

About

Roulette welcomes back veteran performer Ikue Mori for a double feature including Pomegranate Seed, a live audio-visual performance inspired by the story of the same from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tanglewood Tales, followed by the world premiere of her new group OBELISK, featuring Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Okkyung Lee on cello and Jim Black on drums.

Published in 1853, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tanglewood Tales retells well-known Greek myths for children. Ikue’s rendition of the classic tale of Persephine’s kidnapping at the hands of King Pluto will include video clips and puppetry. Calling upon the talents of Sylvie Courvoisier, Okkyung Lee, and Jim Black, OBELISK will premiere new pieces developed from Ikue’s solo electronic compositions.

After moving to New York from her native Tokyo in 1977, Ikue Mori began playing drums in seminal No Wave band DNA with fellow noise pioneers Arto Lindsay and Tim Wright. DNA enjoyed legendary cult status creating a new brand of radical rhythms and dissonant sounds. In the mid 1980s, Ikue began to employ drum machines in the unlikely context of improvised music. While limited to the standard technology provided by the drum machine, she nonetheless forged her own highly sensitive signature style. Throughout in 1990s she collaborated with numerous improvisors throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, while continuing to produce and record her own music. After becoming involved with the city’s flourishing improvisational scene via John Zorn, she began experimenting with drum machines, and in recent years utilizes the laptop as her primary instrument. Last fall, Ikue performed her Twindrums project with Yoshimio at Roulette. Ikue has lead workshops and lectures at University of Gothenburg, Dartmouth College, New England Conservatory, Mills College, Stanford University, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.