Elise Macmillan

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Elise Macmillan’s project revolves around a concert at and broadcast from the former telegraph station, Sørvågen Radio. Macmillan draws from choreography, mythology, choral singing traditions, acoustic dampening techniques for noise pollution, radio shows, and the history of signal transmission.

The magnetic tape bow instruments were made together with artist and instrument maker Carl Schrecongost – during Festspillene i Nord-Norge. Together with a tape bow ensemble, the group has continued to make new bows and dub altered sound and speech onto magnetic tape, each bow with its own character and name, such as Gliss farm, Impatience, Allergies or Harstad Barne og Undomskor’s to name just a few.

Macmillan is reflecting on her own archive of altered and homemade bows including bows with magnets, dog fur or bells as well as variations on historic bows including early baroque and medieval bows, Laurie Anderson’s tape bow, and curved bows which allow the player to bow all strings simultaneously.

Prior to the festival, there was a performance at Sørvågen Radio, leading up to a concert in Svolvær during the opening weekend of LIAF. The event will be broadcasted by Montez Press Radio in collaboration with The Kitchen. Macmillans performance will later this fall be performed at The Kitchen at Westbeth, as part of the exhibition Lines of Distribution.

Elise Macmillan is a multimedia artist and musician. Since moving from the US to Norway to play Hardanger Fiddle, she has composed music for wandering choir, string ensemble, and percussionists, and a song cycle on endless loop tape. Her projects range from sculptural installations to sound works accessible as a telephone hotline. Her music and installations have been presented by nyMusikk, UKS, Kunstnernes Hus, Ella Lissey, Haus der Kunst, Atelier Nord, Breton Cassette, Landmark Bergen Kunsthall, Kafé Hærverk, Destiny’s, Shedhalle, Zurich, and in the US at LAND, Kansas City, and CCRMA, Stanford. She was recently a guest composer at EMS Elektronmusikstudion, Stockholm, and is currently part of the Norwegian artist collective Verdensteatret in Oslo.