From Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, SoundNOW hosted its eighth annual music festival in different locations around Atlanta. Meant to encapsulate the eclectic side of Atlanta’s expanding music scene, the festival showcases a variety of musical performances within the contemporary classical spectrum, encompassing everything from synth and chamber improvisation to immersive dance experiences.
The first night of performances began at eyedrum, a creative hub tucked away in the heart of Atlanta. Eyedrum has a long-standing connection with Tech: “We’ve been doing WREKtacular for decades,” explained Nisa Asokan, one of eyedrum’s founding board members. “We’ve got a space for film, literature and performative arts. We don’t keep in-house musicians — we’re sort of like an incubator that allows bands to play that wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to play.”
Javelinas opened with the debut of an original piece, “Counting Cards.” Scott Burland, one half of the duo, hand drew a series of abstract shapes on 13 different cards. For each movement, both musicians read a copy of the same card, improvising based on its contents.
They operated two synthesizers — one of which included a theremin, which is a thin, elongated musical instrument operated not by physical contact but through the disruption of its electromagnetic field. Rich layers of distorted echoes filled the space only to be pierced by sporadic pulses and buzzes. High and low synth tones exchanged fragmented phrases until they collided and culminated in a transcendent release. Opening with such an unearthly dialogue of sound set the tone for the festival: contemporary, vibrant and unmistakably experimental.
Red Light Café hosted the second night of the festival, headlined by the Atlanta Improvisers Orchestra. The ensemble is made up of an array of orchestral string and wind instruments as well as occasional vocal accompaniment. Instead of following a traditional score, the group based their improvisation around the directions of a conductor.
Steady eye contact remained between the conductor and the ensemble. Like a dancer, the conductor served as a human manifestation of the sound. As the conductor leaned over, folded their arms and crouched down, the sound grew deep and soft. The conductor stood up and extended their arms, and the sound crescendoed. The conductor’s varying jolts and thrashes formed an uneasy rhythm among the players, dividing the cacophonous tones into jagged, emphatic staccato notes.
The next four nights were hosted at Georgia State University’s Kopleff Recital Hall. This venue saw a range of contemporary chamber compositions, including Tech music professor Jeremy Muller, mandolinist Majid Araim and two groups that incorporated toy pianos: Chamber Cartel and Smol Ensemble.
Among the standout performances at Kopleff Recital Hall was the Petrasek Duo. The virtuosic duo consisted of Jess Petrasek, a flautist on concert flute, alto flute and piccolo, and Joe Petrasek, a percussionist on marimba, vibraphone and drums. The couple played three compositions, each featuring a flute with a different percussion element, and one incorporating varying percussion with all of the flute elements.
Their first selection, titled “Second Solstice,” stood out especially. The performers explained that the piece is meant to evoke the heat of the summer and was originally composed for trumpet and guitar. Nickitas Demos, the composer, transposed it specially for this performance on flute and vibraphone. The couple played it perfectly in sync, anchored by steady eye contact and seamless nonverbal cues. Listening to the airy vocality of the flute align with the soft, rounded baseline from the vibraphone felt as peaceful as lying beneath the embrace of a cloudless summer sky. The rendition was nothing short of serendipitous.
On the last day of performances, Core Dance Studio in Decatur hosted the presentation of “Greetings from Above,” bringing together sound, motion and imagery — a fitting culmination of the festival’s spirit. The Atlanta Contemporary Ensemble danced in front of projections of Krista Jones’s paintings, bringing them to life while music filled the space.
This year’s SoundNOW festival ended on a high note, but the originality and artistry driving Atlanta’s music scene live on. For more information on SoundNOW and future performances, visit atlantasoundnowfestival.com or follow them on Instagram @soundnowfestival for updates on upcoming events.