Join us for the debut of recent work by the great minimalist composer Phill Niblock in his first Chicago performance in more than eight years. Niblock constructs 24-track digitally-processed, monolithic, microtonal drones, and describes the intention of his music as “produce[ing] something without rhythm or melody, by using many microtones that cause movements very, very slowly.”

The two-hour program in the Graham Ballroom includes the following recorded works: FeedCorn Ear (2012) with Arne Deforce, cello; Bag (2014) with David Watson, bagpipes; Praised Fan (2016) with Dafne Vicente-Sandoval, bassoon; Ronet (2014) with Neil Leonord, tenor saxophone; V&LSG (2015) with Lore Lixenberg, voice, and Guy De Bièvre, lap steel guitar; and Vlada BC (2013) with Elisabeth Smalt, viola d’amore. Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm joins Niblock to play live on FeedCorn Ear.

In keeping with other Niblock performances, his films and videos accompany this presentation. Meudrone1 (2013), Agosto (2014), DH *Sand-Water (2014), Vain4 (2015), and Meudrone2 (2014), all works that include time-stretched and close-up studies of nature play as his new works play.

Niblock first performed at Lampo in March 2000, screening six 16mm films from the 1960s including The Magic Sun in addition to presenting his music. Additional Lampo performances followed in May 2001, February 2005, and December 2008, of various works and films from The Movement of People Working.

Phill Niblock (b.1933, Anderson, Ind.) is an intermedia artist using music, film, photography, video, and computers. He has presented his work around the world since the mid-1960s and has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Creative Artists Public Service Program, the City University of New York Research Foundation, and the Foundation for the Contemporary Performance Arts. Niblock has been a member of the Experimental Intermedia Foundation in New York since 1968 and now serves as director following his appointment in 1985.

Since 2010 the Graham Foundation has supported and partnered with Lampo to produce this performance series held at the Madlener House. Lampo, founded in 1997, is a non-profit organization for experimental music and intermedia projects.

Please note: Event entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets do not guarantee entry.

Image: Phill Niblock, Meudrone1 (film still), 2013