Frictive Frequencies: Munsha / DuChamp / Lun Ário

The concert series Frictive Frequencies brings some of the mostly behind-the-scenes cultural activists in the field of improvised music in Berlin into the spotlight. It makes the artistic side of the organizers visible, giving something back to this scene. The series sees itself not only as a forum for improvised music, but also as a place for communication and the exchange of ideas about DIY practices. The invited guests present their own unique sonic languages, and also share their experiences in artistic and organizational practice in short talks.

Composer, cellist, and vocalist Munsha works in the realms of installation art, multimedia, and the intersection of theater and video art. During her university studies, she was an active member of a vibrant punk and rock scene. This background—at once academic and practical—continues to shape her artistic and curatorial practice to this day. In Munsha’s music, rhythmic energy and unconventional harmonies, as well as concrete sounds and melody, coexist. The scope of her work ranges from noise and drone music to abstract soundscapes, and extends to electronic music and songwriting.

As a solo artist, the Italian musician and curator DuChamp fully devotes herself to drones. For her, sustained planes of sound or noise constitute a music of sanctuary, closely intertwined with childhood memories. Field recordings—which invariably bear a connection to her personal biography—are an integral part of her musical works. DuChamp co-organizes the successful concert series “Sunday Matinée” in Berlin. Besides all that she plays guitar in alternative rock bands such as “brabrabra” and is part of the team behind the independent label Kitchen Leg Records.

Employing contact microphones, Lun Ário draws sounds of immediate proximity from repurposed musical instruments and other objects. These sounds evolve into dreamlike soundscapes situated in the realm between the conscious and the subconscious. In 2018, together with a team, Lun organized a concert and performance series called “Strings Attached”. Since then, Lun Ário has regularly served as an organizer of performance and music events.