Grove Studios, Gallery Bypass Present REMLAND with Matilda Saturday
Get ready to immerse yourself in a hypnotic dreamland where sound and art intersect through technology! This Saturday, we’re excited to host REMLAND, an ambient and atmospheric art and music experience, in conjunction with Gallery Bypass and Matilda, a techno collective comprised of Franny Mendes Levitin, Ian MacLachlan, and Josh Felice. We recently chatted with Ian about Matilda’s artistic vision, their live set for Saturday’s show, and upcoming plans.
How did the three of you come to meet and form Matilda in 2015?
We all met in Ann Arbor. While Franny and I were students at the University of Michigan, we started jamming together and recording Franny’s voice over my electronics with a thrifted karaoke machine. We met Josh at the Nectarine Ballroom during a rare techno night and immediately began talking about our respective setups and the lack of legitimate dance clubs in Ann Arbor.
We all made plans to meet up the next week, and shortly after, we began jamming together after our weekly trip to the thrift stores to find objects to hack and incorporate into our setup (VHS tapes/players, overhead/slide projectors and tape machines). Ann Arbor was ripe for thrifting, and we all have a passion for reusing old technologies and elevating the second life of objects, so it was a great exercise to try to make something out of found objects. What began as an experiment using old technology to inexpensively impart our aesthetic without a computer progressed into building larger generative systems incorporating more digital technologies.
How does each member help bring Matilda’s artistic vision to life through old and new technologies, live audio and visual performances, and site installations?
We do not really have set roles. Each member has a unique background and educational experience that they bring to the table, but we all contribute fluidly and bounce ideas off each other.
What do you have planned for your live set during Saturday’s REMLAND show at Grove Studios?
Our installations respond to the space and time constraints of the space. This makes every event unique and dynamic because no two spaces are the same, and our performances are a reaction to inhabiting the space we create. The creation of the space itself is a dynamic performance of its own with choreographed hole-drilling (for anchoring) and improvised spatial sculpting.
How is Gallery Bypass helping you curate the optimal live music experience at Grove Studios?
We worked with Gallery Bypass before to create a unique environment at the Tangent Gallery in Detroit, so we know they understand our work and the ideal setting for conjuring such an experience.
What plans do you have for the remainder of 2021? How do you see Matilda’s artistic vision and live performances evolving into 2022?
We plan to keep making music and working on video. Maybe a little tour sometime and another VHS tape release. We also provide visuals for artists who we believe are in alignment with our views and whose work could benefit from added visual stimuli. Things have been rough with C19, but we managed to participate in some streams along with some other talented artists from Detroit.
Show details:
Saturday, Aug. 21 | Doors 9 p.m.
Grove Studios, 884 Railroad St. in Ypsilanti
Tickets: $15
