Another Sky is a new London-based festival celebrating experimental music from the SWANA (South West Asia & North Africa) region and diaspora - 2023 is our first edition. Join us in listening, in watching, in dancing and in connecting for two days and three nights. We’ll present composed, improvised and electronic music; short films and moving-image works; six new commissions; a film workshop and an independent label & publisher fair. Another Sky is co-directed by Sam Salem أسامة سالم (composer; co-founder Distractfold Ensemble; RNCM) and Emily Moore (Southern Bird artist management & production; former co-director Kammer Klang).
Over the course of the 3 day festival (Sep 29 - Oct 1st) Distractfold will be premiering four new works by Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi کیمیا کوچک زاده یزدی, Nilufar Habibian, and Jad Atoui جاد عطوي, and presenting an existing work by Zeynep Toraman.
Friday Programme @ Cafe OTO
Nilufar Habibian, Becoming (2023) - Co-commission with Ensemble Contrechamps, for amplified qanun, electric guitar & bass clarinet, performed by Habibian with Distractfold Ensemble. World premiere
Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi کیمیا کوچک زاده یزدی, Unstuck In Time (2023) - Commissioned by Zubin Kanga with the support of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and Royal Holloway, University of London, for electric guitar, bass clarinet, violin, cello, electronics & video, performed by Distractfold Ensemble. World premiere
Jad Atoui جاد عطوي, Vibrant Pools (2023) - Co-commission with Irtijal Festival, for objects & electronics, performed by Atoui with Distractfold Ensemble. World premiere
Sophie Hoyle, Sheer-Naked-Aggression (2017) - Video with 2-channel sound
Nour Mobarak نور مبارك, Subliminal Lambada (2023) - Co-commission with Counterflows Festival, for voice & electronics. Second performance
Mazen Kerbaj & Ute Wassermann, Revisitations (2021) - Commissioned by SAVVY Contemporary in collaboration with MaerzMusik 2021 as part of a programme on Halim El-Dabh, for voice, trumpet, electronics & objects. UK premiere