Noise of Art
Band member Ben Osbourne on pushing the boundaries of art and music.
This is your first time performing in the GCC, can you tell us a bit about your group?
Noise of Art is not a band in the conventional sense. It’s a group of musicians, DJs, artists, performers and contemporary dancers who work together to create different shows and events. Different members have different roles and we can appear with anything from one person to more than 50 people, depending on the show.
The idea behind the collective is to work across the boundaries between music and different forms of art. We like to ask musicians and artists who haven’t worked in an area to take part. Crossing personal boundaries and trying new things is also a part of what we do.
Driving it all is the desire to create something that is enjoyable and interesting, but also something that is new. If we can avoid it, we don’t want to repeat what other people have done. My role is to create the project and then invite different members of the wider group to develop an aspect of it.
For the event in Abu Dhabi we will be mixing images we have created with existing images and will set them to music put together for this show. Creating these shows normally involves three or four people and one or two people performing them, using standard DJ set-up and manipulated imagery. We’re working on the show at the moment, so I can’t tell you exactly what will be in it. We are really looking forward to the performance.
How does this genre of music try to bridge the gap between art and music without falling into simply one category?
Noise of Art started as a reaction to the way musicians and artists were using digital technology to cross the boundaries between music and art. This was eight or nine years ago. A lot of people I knew were making pieces of music that had art attached or art that used sounds. But they were making them for the small screen – for computers. I wanted to get these pieces of work onto the big screen. So we’ve grown from a music background, to working with music, visuals, fine art, dancers, performers and films. Music is still core to it all, but we’re doing lots of other things.
Is there a set prepared or will this be improvised?
There is always an element of both in every performance. So far we’ve never done exactly the same set twice.
Catch Noise of Art’s live performance on November 9, from 8.30pm to 10.30pm.
Autostrad
We caught up with the band’s producer Nicolas Sabanegh.
When and how did the band come together?
Autostrad is a Jordanian world music (reggae, Latin, funk and rock) band formed in 2007 with their love for music and passion for changing the norm. Autostrad invests in the diversity of its group members to produce an ‘out of the box’ rich music style that goes beyond the language, place and individuality barriers.
What’s the response been like to your unique Arab rock?
We can simply say the response is massive and lovely. People all around the region love the style we present and we already have a huge fan base across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and most importantly Palestine.
How do you expect the crowd reaction in the UAE?
We can’t wait to rock the place. We are really looking forward to this event and to the diversity of its crowd.
As a band that fuses different musical styles, how important do you feel it is to incorporate Arabic influences into your music?
As a local Jordanian band singing in the local Jordanian slang dialect, we aim to introduce a new genre to the local music scene in addition to the existing traditional songs. Our songs are a various mix of tunes and our lyrics are inspired from Jordan’s daily life, love and challenges. The diversity of our styles and topics make us popular, and that’s what we care about. That would not have happened if we didn’t understand how to incorporate our Jordanian identity and originality with what comes from the west.
You can watch Autostrad’s inaugural UAE performance on November 8, from 8.30pm to 10.30pm.
Abu Dhabi Art The Facts
It’s hoped the fair will attract over 20,000 visitors this year.
Last year, over 17,000 people visited.
This year, over 600 art pieces will be featured.
For a full schedule and timings, visit www.abudhabiartfair.ae.
