Museum of Consciousness at Oxford University

Welcome to the Museum of Consciousness

The challenge to the artists is to produce a reliable and measurable Altered State of Consciousness in a live audience, just with sound.
We currently have around 100 artists in the Museum including Jon Hopkins, Alexandre Tannous, Lisa Lashes and Tom Middleton. 

The museum follows a cyclical structure designed to act as an engine for creative regeneration between the artist and the audience, thereby empowering both in equal measure:

1. Transmission - The artists TRANSMIT their sample/artwork to the audience (20 min).

2. Integration - The artists then help INTEGRATE their transmission with a mini lecture which explains the piece in depth and their work generally after the deep listening is concluded (10 min).

3. Feedback - where the audience directly COMMUNICATES their thoughts and feelings back to the artist, in order to help the artist learn and potentially iterate on their piece (10 min).

Video explainer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrDa5qCodJc
Paper: https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/EVA2021.55

We have 5 artists who will perform in the Michael Pilch Studio at Balliol College on 7th March.
Balliol is one of Oxford's oldest colleges, founded around 1263.

1) “Musical Medicine” by Lisa Lashes International DJ and Music Producer (Lisa Rose-Wyatt)

In her piece “Musical Medicine” Lisa will explore the different variations of music, sound and frequency which have the potential to connect the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms simultaneously. Music therapy and sound healing can assist people with trauma to regain balance with emotional, mental, and physiological functions. In effect, the human body is a musical instrument that can go out of tune like any other instrument.

‘A language we don’t know but are fluent in’ James Rhodes

Bio: Lisa Lashes is considered amongst the most influential female DJs in the world after many years of accolades and top 10 positions in the industry. Not only paving the way for female DJ’s but musicians as a whole, offering a platform to all budding artists by creating the Lisa Lashes School of Music which provides government -funded music and arts courses and rehabilitation programmes.

We are honoured that Lisa will be giving her first ever public talk at the Museum of Consciousness. She will discuss 25 years of being at the forefront of the music industry and her incredible transformations through music.

Links: 
https://www.djlisalashes.com
https://www.lisalashesschoolofmusic.com

2) “Electronic music meets tribal drums” by David Maurette (Kaya project) 

David incorporates DJ’ing with drumming and live percussion. He blends world and ethnic tribal music with deep house and techno, creating a musical journey across very different styles. David will weave a range of live percussion instruments with electronic music in  order to design a tribal soundscape that naturally evokes transcendental states. His instruments include congas, bongos, djembe, doumbek, cymbals and shakers.

Bio: David Maurette is a drummer and percussionist who also performs with Kaya Project live band. In 2021 David started his own solo project, mixing his skills as a DJ and percussionist, in order to offer a fully immersive dancing experience that blends world, tribal deep house & techno. He has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury, Shambala, All About Love, and Anthropos. 

Links: 
https://www.davidmaurettemusic.co
https://soundcloud.com/davidmaurettemusic 
https://www.youtube.com/@davidmaurettemusic 

3) “Drilling the Unconscious” by Jose Macabra (Jose Rivas)

The aim of “Drilling the Unconscious” is to liberate the body and the mind through atonality, improvised vocals, field recordings, drones and noise. The voice is a symbol of the universal body, in search of sensations. Different voice registers are transformed using various techniques: contact mics, filters, granulation and saturation. The intention is to transcend the conscious realm by partly abolishing tonal norms. Some parts of this experience might lead to a void, while other sections might connect the audience with an overload of unconscious matter. The intention is to take you on a journey to explore memories, emotions, and beliefs, which may contain unprocessed or repressed feelings. This existential sonic performance is designed to puncture your chest and wrap its grasp around your beating heart, demanding your total attention as you are bathed in its relentless sonic flux. 

Bio: Jose Rivas, aka Jose Macabra (BA Sound Arts, UAL / MA Fine Art, Kent University) is an artist, sound designer, producer, video director, radio DJ/podcaster and curator. Jose teaches Sound Arts and Music Production at the London College of Communications, UAL and other educational establishments. His sound work has many influences from the industrial and noise panoramas, to genres such as ritual and the darker flavours of techno, blended with sound art, soundscape, art brut and experimental music. Jose's research interests include electronic music, field recording, noise music, industrial music, improvisation, sound art performance, queer studies, ritual art practice, collaborative practice, altered states of consciousness, film, surrealism, automatic writing, spatial sound and artificial soundscapes.

Links: 
https://echoesanddust.com/2016/09/echoes-of-the-future-jose-macabra/
https://soundcloud.com/josemacabra
https://extra.resonance.fm/series/jose-macabra-presents
https://vimeo.com/channels/josemacabra
https://www.mixcloud.com/josemacabra/

4) “Notte Notte - Journeying to my Inner Child” by Barbara Pugliese (AKA Barbarella)

An inward journey with the self through the hypnotic power of words, sounds, voice and songs. Using meditative, theatrical and storytelling techniques to drop in with one self, explore, feel and express emotions; Barbarella will take you on a quest to meet her inner child, trapped in a past yet parallel time and space… seeking for her attention, care and presence. An immersion through the layers of the self…from restriction and discomfort to catharsis, acceptance and integration. “In every adult, there lurks a child – an eternal child, something that is always becoming, is never completed and calls for unceasing care, attention and education. That is the part of the human personality which wants to develop and become whole.” Carl Jung

Bio: Barbara Pugliese (AKA Barbarella) is an Italian-English singer-songwriter, dancer and music producer based in London. She is the former lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the band Barbarella’s Bang Bang, formed in south east London in 2011. In 2017 Barbarella began a music production internship at the Midi Music Company in Deptford, where she developed her skills as a producer and bass player, writing songs for her upcoming solo project. In 2019 she met producer and former Faithless guitarist Dave Randall who invited her to contribute lead vocals for his collective SLOVO. Together they released the album Bread and Butterflies in 2020, which she considers an uplifting, intense, fierce and healing music masterpiece. She also worked with Brixton grime artist CHOZE whose energy, lyrics and music have motivated and inspired her creative mind. Barbarella is passionate about working on art collaborations which allow her to explore her voice and movement. She has created experimental sound and performance on visual art projects with multidisciplinary artists Maria Almena from Kimatica Studio (Transcendence -2018, Metaverse-2022 at The National Gallery), Celia Arias ( Triformis - 2020) and Sybilla Bam Bam ( Magic Mirror -2019).

Links: 
Barbarella Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundslikebarbarella
Kimatica Studio - "Transcendence": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bck1xMnnhg
The Only Way by Slovo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgMX07Sb2tw
Diana Triforms: https://vimeo.com/579321758

5) “Earth Overtones” by Alistair Smith

Sound focused at and emerging from the frequency of 1 Earth orbit around the sun. 136.1hz (a slightly flat C#) is the 32nd octave of an Earth year and is a popular frequency used in sound healing. This sound journey uses gong and singing bowls, together with strings (harp) and generated pure harmonic ratios. The intention is for the audience to experience the celestial majesty of our beautiful blue jewel whilst absorbing the grounding and balancing effect of her frequency and its harmonic spectrum. All sound is made with a heart-centred intention for your highest good and in honor of your highest self.

Bio: Alistair is an experienced sound healer, multi-instrumentalist and published composer. His life purpose is to share the inspirational and healing power of sound and music. He graduated with first class honors and a Masters from Goldsmiths College, before training with the College of Sound Healing. He has worked in the community, care sector and for cancer support charities. 

Links: 
Sound Coherence: https://www.soundcoherence.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@soundcoherence/featured
Ascomposer: https://www.ascomposer.com 

*** Please note: Refunds/Cancellations are available UP TO 3 DAYS BEFORE the event ***