Walking on Gemshells Takeover | Zoë Mc Pherson & Jopo
- Soul
- Experimental
- R&B
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Described as a "vanguard" by British publication Mixmag and "fearless" by Hyponik, Berlin-based Zoë Mc Pherson is a French-Irish multimedia artist whose practice absorbs elements of performance, sound design, installation art and DJing. Additionally, Mc Pherson runs the SFX label and interdisciplinary conspiracy with their long-time collaborator Alessandra Leone.
Their breathless third album and AV show "Pitch Blender" released in 2023 is a tight set of cybernetic dancefloor experiments that flicker between the rave and the art space. With a club-topped-up remix EP consisting of smart takes from artists AYA, Jana Rush, Scratcha DVA, MC Yallah, Kasimyn, and Jessica Ekomane.
Since the release of their immersive 2018 debut album "String Figures" and its acclaimed 2020 follow-up "States of Fugue", Mc Pherson has performed across the world, appearing at Berlin's CTM Festival, Berghain, MUTEK Mexico, ICA in London, Bourse de Commerce in Paris, MIRA in Barcelona, The Hague’s Rewire festival, Elevate Festival in Graz, Novas Frequências in Rio de Janeiro, Nyege Nyege in Jinja, Uganda, Norbergfestival in Norway and Les Nuits Sonores in Lyon.
Besides an intense touring schedule, they work with spatial sound and continuously present different immersive sonic pieces, amongst those with a residency and tour at world-famous MONOM (the world's first 4DSOUND system), Montréal’s PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art, Berlin’ Silent Green.
Not to mention their love for curating events. In 2022-23 they worked alongside bULt, in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to invite musicians to perform and hold workshops at a brand new queer-run club. In 2023 they co-curated a festival focused on artists with disabilities with an experimental-club music program at Brussels’ Lavallée! A seasoned collaborator, Mc Pherson worked with renowned French sound artist Jessica Ekomane. The two performed a special project at Berghain's Halle broadcast by ARTE TV, and their first recording was released on Ostgut Ton's "Fünfzehn + 1" compilation. On the other end of their creative spectrum, Carbon 96 finds Mc Pherson teaming up with US techno producer and DJ Ciarra Black, and the duo's effervescent debut "Carbonated" was released on Peder Mannerfelt Produktion earlier this year.
One of their most recent project however is 3OK, a frenetic project that was conceptualized in Uganda and matches Mc Pherson's sci-fi sonics with singeli pioneer Jay Mitta's breakneck beats and Malian veteran DJ Diaki's unmistakable soundsystem energy.