Sonosphere #4: Vera Vice + Audrey Chen

Audrey Chen

Audrey Chen’s work delves deeply into her own version of narrative and non-linear storytelling. A large component of her music is improvised and her approach to this is extremely personal and visceral. Her playing explores the combination and layering of the homemade analog synthesizer, preparations and traditional and extended techniques in both the voice and cello. She works to join these elements into a singular ecstatic personal language. Recent projects, include collaborations with Phil Minton, Richard Scott, Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø, Doron Sadja, John Bock, Maria Chavez, Nate Wooley, Lukas König and Julien Desprez.

Audrey Chen’s "ultra-verbal vocalising, often reminiscent of the visceral and emotionally charged sound poetry of François Dufréne or Henri Chopin, exposes physiological aspects of utterance that are concealed within standardised articulation and day to day speech. Fleshy, breath-driven and flecked with spittle, Chen’s voice emanates not just from her mouth but from an ensemble of upper body surfaces, channels, passages, and cavities." – Julien Cowley THE WIRE

Vera Vice

Vera Vice is a female electronic music duo based in Tallinn, Estonia. Their music is a mixture of dreamy pop, experimental ambient and hypnotic poetry. Vera Vice has performed at several venues and festivals in Sweden, Russia and Estonia. The duo mainly produces music with analogue synthesizers and keyboards, drum machines, vocal loops and personal field recordings, but also experiments with different household objects for soundscapes. They "express their feelings in a covert and figurative way", and take inspiration from daily life and related situations. Vera Vice use field recordings, natural sounds and their surroundings as the basis of their music. Both members have a photography degree, meaning the creative process is often guided by pictorial and visual language.

Vera Vice is currently working on their second full length album, mixed by celebrated local producer, Mart Avi.