nine-sum sorcery (2019)
                                                                                                                                                    
“Dust is the real nomadic entity.  It migrates elsewhere, spiriting itself away an illusive ground.  When dust particles are composed, they combine countless terms, languages and materials belonging to entirely different kingdoms.” -- Cyclonopedia:  Complicity with Anonymous Materials


nine-sum sorcery can be understood as an occult incantation to the dark energies, natural, political and otherwise, that are released when oil is extracted from the ground. This ritual is focused through the enigmatic electronic and percussion composition from LABOUR which alternates between foreground and background for the haunting vocal performance of Mojtahedy, who interprets Kurdish and Persian verses.


Opening the performance with a reading of ‘Poshte-Daryaha-Shahrist’, a poem by the Iranian modernist Sohrab Sepehri, Mojtahedy then sings verses from poems by Ahmad Shamlou and Rahim Loghmani. The melodic vocal line she employs follows dastgah, a musical modal system that makes up one of the principal components of traditional Persian music, specifically employing here the Homayoun, Mahour, Hijaz and Nava dastgahs.


LABOUR's composition utilises cloud formations, algorithmic composition, psycho-acoustics, stochastic distributions and weighted randoms to sculpt the various processes and timings of sonic events, linking granular synthesis conceptually to the dust and particles of the desert of the Xerodome.


The work's visuals by Enes Güç and Evelyn Bencicova combine different approaches of the 3D-realm over three chapters (The Wheel, Cyclone and Xerodrome):  modelled objects, drone scans and point-clouds representing the data-dust of the infinite desert Xerodrome.  The work is completed with original graphic illustrations of specific occult imagery by Zeynep Schilling inspired by ‘Hydroglyph', or snake-writing.


nine-sum sorcery debuted at Berlin Atonal in 2019 as Mi†ra, and exhibition versions have since been presented throughout Europe.  In November 2020, the music was released on vinyl and digital by Studio LABOUR.


concept, direction and composition LABOUR
vocal composition and performance  Hani Mojtahedy
visuals  Evelyn Bencicova and Enes Güç
graphic design  Zeynep Schilling
light realisation  MFO
latex outfits  AGF HYDRA
flowers  Mary Lennox
thanks to  Jarrett Gregory and Berlin Atonal