If you’ve ever wanted to soak up ambient synths and tape loops while surrounded by priceless artworks, Fixtures is just the thing
Contemporary music fans are heading back to the gallery’s Naala Badu building for Volume presents: Fixtures, a new free music series that’s all about pushing sonic boundaries in an art-world setting.
The program is a spin-off from the gallery’s larger Volume series, which has already built a cult following thanks to genre-bending lineups like Future tilt with DeepFaith, Lydian Dunbar and salllvage, and Extasis, which brought legends like Jim O’Rourke, Eiko Ishibashi and Keiji Heino into the fold. Now, Volume presents: Fixtures continues the vibe, offering monthly performances that are intimate, exploratory and often downright hypnotic.
Curated by the gallery’s music and community lead Jonathan Wilson, the series is split across two seasonal chunks. The first (running March to June) focuses on artists whose work responds to climate change, while the second (August to December) celebrates cross-cultural experimentation – think multilingual vocals, First Nations perspectives, and plenty of genre-hopping electronica.
Kicking things off in March, composer and tape manipulator Lisa Lerkenfeldt premiered In the window of time, a hypnotic new work that combined piano and sun-warped tape loops. It was eerie, fragile and totally mesmerising—a sold-out show that set the bar high.
Next up, on Wednesday 16 April, St Petersburg-born, Berlin-based artist Perila brings her immersive sound world to Australian ears for the first time. Known for her deeply emotional, body-focused performances, Perila’s shows are less “gig” and more “experience” – expect gentle disorientation in the best possible way.
Then on 21 May, soundscape artists Seaworthy (from Sydney) and Matt Rösner (from WA) will perform their latest albums Bundanon and Deep Valley, born from time spent in Illaroo on the NSW South Coast. Their music is inspired by the rhythms of the natural world—wind, tides, insects, birds—and it’s basically the musical equivalent of a walk through the bush at dawn.
June 18 brings French composer Félicia Atkinson to Sydney for the first time, performing works from her latest release Space as an instrument. Expect a heady mix of whispered vocals, found sounds, field recordings and poetic fragments – half performance, half dream sequence.
Each event happens on the third Wednesday of the month at 8pm in Meers Hall. Entry’s free, but heads up: they fill up fast. Consider this your excuse to blend a midweek culture hit with a bit of sonic soul-searching. More artists are yet to be announced, so keep an eye out – the art gallery is officially your new favourite venue.
Head here for more info.
