There are many theories about the origins of music. One such theory maintains that the first song was a lullaby for children; another, that men began to make music in order to please the women. Hendrik Weber a.k.a. Pantha du Prince does not worry about such genealogies. For music is always already there, even without humans. On his new album, the producer and DJ, who lives in Berlin and Paris, claims: music slumbers in all matter; any sound, even silence, is already music. The mission, then, must be to render …

Touring top billing dj set along-side the likes of Richie Hawtin and Green Velvet (EXIT Festival, Serbia, as well as the legendary Detroit Electronic Music Fetival in Detroit) Jeff Mills (Tribal Sessions in Leeds), Jesse Rose, Dixon and Sebo K (for Jesse’s “Made to Play” monthly at Berlin’s legendary Panorama Bar), M.A.N.D.Y (Watergate, Berlin), Ewan Pearson and Will Saul (SONAR, Barcelona) to remix work for techno superstars Booka Shade, there’s much that can be said for this genre-mashing producer.

Room40 is a label and multi-arts organization based in Brisbane, Australia. Since 2000, Room40 has published over 70 uniquely packaged editions and multiples in the fields of electronics, improvisation, experimental-pop and sound-art. Curated by Lawrence English, the label continues to publish in and around the margins of each of these fields, drawing on a diverse roster of both established and emergent sound-makers. Room40 also produces numerous events, festivals and exhibitions in Australia and beyond.

For this year’s opening OPTICAL showcase we’re proud to be bringing together three masters of ambient sound design and composition; Mexico’s Murcof, Germany’s Robert Henke (aka Monolake) and the London born, New York based Mark Van Hoen (aka Locust).

Presented by Bubblin’ & Decibel

Unafraid and unhinged, Lorn’s music is exquisitely dark and ominous, simmering with anger that churns forcefully against a furtive longing. Yet Lorn passes far beyond this evocative brutality and plunges head first into the absurd; he draws not only a portrait of shadowy struggle but also arouses a dynamic universe of sentiments using deconstructed sounds and skills built from the ground up.
Lorn’s debut full-length album Nothing Else, released on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, has stirred the minds of listeners and rattled the keyboards of critics around the world, accumulating praise …

Tracer Visuals has been performing live video art for over a decade now. From the start in the dingy basement afterhours of Seattle to current global super-stardom, the focus has always been on cohesion. The art is taking all the stimulations coming at the audience in the moment and represent it visually on screens, walls and retinas. This skill has been utilized by many artists, clients, and events including Radiohead, Brian Wilson, Lusine, Keller Williams, String Cheese Incident, and almost every Decibel festival. Whatever the event calls for – be it visuals, live camera, custom software, documentation, equipment rental, or all the above, Tracer Visuals can do it professionally and affordably.

Mary Anne left school at the age of 16 and went to work in an egg packing factory for the princely sum of £39 per week.
She quickly ran away to London with a hard rock band and lived on a bus with them in a car park in Hayes, Middlesex for 12 months, working as their lighting engineer, record sleeve artist, wardrobe designer. and mechanic.
Her great ambition was to become a music journalist. She figured the next logical step would be to produce her own fanzine Krush.
She sent a couple …