◯ was an experimental event series and collective based in Graz, active from 2019 to 2022. Founded in early 2019 by a group of eight individuals associated with the computer music program at the Institute of Electronic Music, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, the collective aimed to curate and produce experimental post-genre events that blended contemporary bass and dance music with experimental electronics, live arts, and discourse.

◯ was launched on May 5, 2019, at Forum Stadtpark. Following that and throughout 2019, the collective was highly active, organizing its own events while also participating in a variety of festivals and events. However, as the pandemic took hold in 2020 and several members relocated from Graz, sustaining the series became increasingly challenging. Eventually, ◯ held its closing event at Forum Stadtpark on November 25, 2022.

Credits

Founding members

• Lain Iwakura / Bill B. Wintermute
• Constantinos Miltiadis
• Korin Rizzo
• Nico Mohammadi / DJ Durbin
• Peter Stiegler / Echnatron
• John-Robin Bold
• Florian Fend / Klaus Masuda
• Gianluca Iadema

As the only non-performing-arist of the group my main contribution involved production and co-curation as well as visual design.

Invited guests

• Jung An Tagen (AT)
• Bienoise (IT)
• Sun People (AT)
• Ibrahim Alfa Jnr (UK)
• Emiddio Vasquez / Joralsky (CY/US)
• Isabella Forciniti (IT/AT)
• Teonas Borsetto (IT/AT)

Collaborators & contributors

• Simon Hafner: sound engineer at Forum Stadtpark events
• Natalie Fend: Dance performance for #2
• Katharina Wraubek: Set design for #2
• Grey note (collective): co-producer of #2
• Ypatios Gregoriadis: Documentation

Collaborating events, venues, festivals

• Forum Stadtpark
• Elevate Festival
• SUb (live, DJ sets, discourse)
• Triple Hüttler (event series)
• Rostfest 2019
• OAG Kulturverein (‘beach party’ 2019)

Selected events

◯ inaugural event at Forum Stadtpark 04.05.2019

FB event

18:00 WORKSHOP

• Basics of no-input-mixing by Bill B. Wintermute ◯/ Force inc./ mille plateaux/ Acéphale
  no prior knowledge necessary | free | place for 20 people

22:00 CONCERT

• Echnatron ◯
• Jung An Tagen (Editions Mego)
• John-Robin Bold ◯

24:00 CLUB

• Gianluca Iadema -live A/V- ◯ / mille plateaux/ Force inc.
• Bienoise -live- Floating Forest / mille plateaux/ Force inc.
• DJ Durbin ◯ / Row Records
• Klaus Masuda ◯

Lecture, performance, concert, club at SUb 31.05.2019

FB event

Lecture & performance

• Emiddio Vasquez “Materialist synthesis”

Live concert

• Teonas Borsetto, live electronics (dynamic feedback system).
• Isabella Forciniti, live electronics (modular feedback improv)
• Joined live improvisation

DJ sets

• John-Robin Bold
• Bill B. Wintermute
• Joralsky
• DJ Durbin
• Klaus Masuda

Grey Note x ◯ at Forum Stadtpark 07.06.2019

FB Event

Event produced by GreyNote & ◯ .

Design & animation: studio any (animation) and alllone (sound design)

GreyNote guests

• ILe Flottante [UK]
• Der Vinylizer [DE],
• Deafblind (live visuals)

Event introduction by ◯

• Dance performance by Natalie Fend
• Ezili-i Sabbah (live); set design by Katharina Wraubek

Music program

• ILe Flottante Live Beat Set [UK]
• Der Vinylizer aka Marcus Maack II WobWob! / BTTB - Back To The Basics - ByteFM [DE]
• alllone II GreyNote, Noise Collage https://soundcloud.com/alllone
• OME Dubs II GreyNote https://soundcloud.com/ome_dubs
• Dotworks II GreyNote, Basstrace https://soundcloud.com/dotworks
• Bill B. Wintermute (live) II ◯ / Force inc. / Acéphale / Mille Plateaux
• DJ Durbin II ◯ / Row Records
  https://soundcloud.com/djdurbin
• Ezili-i Sabbah II ◯ / Force inc. / Acéphale / Mille Plateaux

◯ closing event at Forum Stadtpark 25.11.2022

Organized by Lain Iwakura
FB event

Program

• Peter Stiegler (Live-Set) https://soundcloud.com/peterstiegler
• John-Robin Bold (Live-Set) http://johnrobinbold.com/
• DJ Durbin https://soundcloud.com/djdurbin
• Lain Iwakura (Live-Set) https://derayling.copyriot.com/
• Sun People https://soundcloud.com/simon-off
• Ibrahim Alfa Jnr (Live- & DJ-Set) https://soundcloud.com/ibi-alfa