Kookoo feat. Zoë Mc Pherson at OHM Berlin / Friday, 3.3.2023

Performer and spatial sound shaper ZOË MC PHERSON got burned as a child. They were scorched by the flames of Sedmikrásky, the work of Czech avant-garde filmmaker Věra Chytilová. In 1966, the tale of two young women devouring the world seemed to be too much to handle for some: wild, anarchic femme fun met by incredible mastery in editing and an incorruptible artistic vision. The movie was controversial at the time, censored and finally banned from theaters in Czechoslovakia while winning awards in other parts of Europe.

Sedmikrásky was a main source of inspiration for ZOË MC PHERSON when they were about to form their creative self. To this day, you can sense the impact it had on their cybernetic experiments in sound. Very much like in Chytilová’s self-description — “an overheated kettle that you can’t turn down” — ZOË MC PHERSON is steaming with ideas. Their projects oscillate between art, rave and riot. Their DJ sets are as unpredictably versatile as they are energetic, weaving together different tempos, moods and styles into one fabric, with an attitude uniquely their own. This lead, among other things, to collaborations with Jessica Ekomane (their first track being published on Ostgut Ton’s Fünfzehn + 1 compilation) as well as with Singeli pioneer Jay Mitta and Malian veteran DJ Diaki.

After their first appearance at KOOKOO (with an unforgettable live-set), right after releasing their last full-length States of Fugue in February 2020, this time, ZOË MC PHERSON celebrates the release of their new album Pitch Blender, out on SFX, the A/V-focused platform they founded together with multimedia artist Alessandra Leone. The opening track — could it be a coincidence? — is called On Fire.

CARLY FISCHER reflects Mc Pherson’s impetus in her flyer artwork, slipping between forms, finding a balance between deconstruction and dance of the elements. YUKIHIRO TAGUCHI, a certified master of shape-shifting, will transform OHM Berlin’s space into an experiential playground through his site-specific installation practice. Your Kookoo hosts MIEKO SUZUKI and ARA, in their music selection, follow the Chytilová-Mc Pherson philosophy: Fight fire with fire.