Terre Thaemlitz, the renowned DJ, producer, academic and writer (amongst other things) is to present a special evening, hosted by Netaudio, at London’s Cafe Oto on Sunday, November 27th. Rather than simply sticking to any one medium, Thaemlitz is to use a combination of lecture, AV performance and Q&A to present the three completed sections of his new four-part project Soulnessless.
In the event description: "If Thaemlitz’ 2003 project Lovebomb/Ai No Bakudan can be synopsized as a deconstruction of the ‘love song,’ Soulnessless is an attempted deconstruction of ‘soul music.’ More precisely, a deconstruction of notions of ‘soul,’ ‘meditation,’ ‘spirituality’ and ‘religiosity’ as fundamental forms of mediation between consumers and audio marketplaces."
Thaemlitz’s work spans art and academia, melding both as a means of exploring themes of identity and commerce. Her long player Routes Not Roots, under the alias Kami-Sakunobe House Explosion, was reissued earlier this year. A gorgeous, strung out and subtly transgressive 70 minutes of house music, it explored the shifting promises of early house music and the politics of race, sexuality and gender. 2009’s stunning Midtown 120 Blues, recorded under the alias DJ Sprinkles, was a continuation of his writings on the socio-economics of music production and distribution, lamenting the dissolution of house music into "controllable desire you can own". As well of producing and DJing, Thaemlitz regularly lectures and writes on these issues, and in depth on issues of queerness and transgenderism.
For a great introduction to Thaemlitz’s work, her lecture for Red Bull Music Academy is a deeply involving hour-and-a-half, or spend some time reading the writings on his site.
Bearing all that in mind, it promises to be an excellent and genuinely thought-provoking evening, and comes highly recommended. More information at the Facebook event.
