between systems and grounds continue their interdisciplinary collaboration between live-electronics and live-textile construction in this third album release, Live from the Davis Street Drawing Room. This release is the first of their albums to feature two continuous performances. Sounds of cars rumbling by commingle with the gurgle of a noise synthesizer. The bounce of a lace bobbin on the working surface triggers the sound of a plucked string. The rustles made by bobbins weaving meld with music box–like textures from the electronics.
Live from the Davis Street Drawing Room builds on the tools for interaction forged by the duo in their previous releases. Inspired by the curious and creative environment of the Davis Street Drawing Room, both artists made two intermingled scores derived from zooming in on a single piece of lace — one for weaving and one for sound making. A twist of threads, closely examined, suddenly becomes a map both for weaving and for gently evolving sonic textures.
Valentine and Matthusen were invited by Chicago-based artist Anne Wilson to perform at the Davis Street Drawing Room, a project conceived by Wilson as a place to practice slow, close looking, utilizing Wilson’s extensive textile collection. A special, one-time performance of between systems and grounds took place on June 22, 2023.
Available through carrier records, September 2025.
Percussive machine sounds meld with synthesized electronic tones and noise bursts out of feedback created between spaces spanning countries and continents – between systems and grounds: the overshot sessions involve bridging two disparate mediums – live-electronics and live-textile construction – together to examine contrasting spaces and time scales.
This project album plays with patterns of tone and noise, computational techniques in art making practices, and the sharing of space and time through communal work.
the overshot sessions was developed with the intention of sharing the same physical space and time. In response to the disruptions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project became reconfigured through a number of streaming platforms so that audio could be passed back and forth.
Delays and latencies were embraced, allowing rooms and their linkages to impart their own trace.
Linked “virtual” venues and spaces included Des Moines Art Week (IA & CT), the Des Moines Arts Center Salon 4700 (IA & CT), Mise-En_Place (NYC, IA & CT), The American Academy in Rome Society of Fellows (NYC, IA, CT, & Rome, Italy), and Doily Free Zone (IA, CT, & Wollongong, Australia).
Available through carrier records Jun 2023.
Forming intersections between interior resonant spaces and outdoor environments through durational performance, between systems and grounds brings into relief the slow and deliberate practices of lace-making with the spontaneity of live-electronic music.
This album represents excerpts from six separate sessions along with six time-compressed recordings in various locations beginning first in Rabun Gap, Georgia at The Hambidge Center and ending in Steuben, Wisconsin as part of a residency with ACRE. In these sessions ambient sounds were sought out and incorporated as part of the gradual improvisation process. As a result, room resonances excited through feedback blend with momentary variations in the environment such as a summer thunderstorm, frogs singing in the distance, or the buzz of an electric fence.
Available through carrier records November 2018.