Entry tags:

nova_express_cafe, soriah

Wed. Jun 21 * SORIAH at the Nova Express Cafe * FREE

Through the use of a vocal technique most commonly known as throat singing, SORIAH wordlessly articulates the contours of vast virgin planets and deep wooded regions with each site-specific performance.

Sonic artisan SORIAH has emerged from a six-foot cocoon and sang from high in the branches of an old Oak tree, blending haunting chants with stunning visual performance that unavoidably astounds. Whether alone with an alter-organ beneath his fingers or flanked by a carefully chosen musical troupe, SORIAH is always an experience in divining CHAOS.

SORIAH's desire to throat sing derived from a need to express the spectrum of emotions that live beyond the limitations and pre-associated ideas of established language. The name SORIAH is a phonetical epiphany which he later understood to be an ancient Sufi term for our Milky Way galaxy. He uses a poly-pantheonic singing base to reach five octaves with his voice, which he then concentrates and distorts using effect processors, sequencers, and synths to channel his energy back to the listener. The amplified result is hypgnotic, exposing SORIAH's command of delicate musical gesture and force.

He says, "A SORIAH performance is a realization of divine tendencies in one's everyday existence- an extraction from the background noise of the mundane that brings the listener to a mythological and yet tangible level. Each performance is an offering to those "tendencies" for a more metaphysical understanding of the world through music and theatre." SORIAH is that and more.

With several years of classical vocal training, Enrique Ugalde emerged as SORIAH in 2000 and has since performed across the nation. Synchronicity whisks him to and fro, from the Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco to a recent impromptu perfromance with The Polyphonic Spree in Portland's Alladin Theater. SORIAH has gained a following through twilight performances ranging from a Butoh-esque cocoon transformational rite performed at Lollapalooza 2003 to regular sit ins with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and alongside GWAR at The Roseland Theater. SORIAH's existence is living proof that the conceivable pathways to the soul are still, even in the 21st century, comprised of a vast uncharted territory.

check out these other great events!

Friday, June 23 hop-frog presents: Dung Mummy at the Steve Allen Theater Wednesday, July 5 Magic Box at the Nova Express Wednesday, July 12 William C. Harrington at the Nova Express Saturday, July 15 Drop Black Sky performs at the Labyrinth of Jareth Fantasy Masquerade @ the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles