Laura Mello makes music, sound installations and performances exploring the perception of language as sound. She also composes for many media including herself. Ensemble LUX:NM will perform the world premiere of Laura Mello’s new work Pidg In Note Out for saxophone, trombone, accordion, violoncello, piano and electronics at Heroines Of Sound festival 2019’s kick-off on July 12th!
FACTS:
1: Leaked chats (revealed by Glen Greenwald in The Intercept) involving former Judge Moro in Brazil and the behaviour of Brazil´s mainstream media towards it. Here is an example of blind glorification of false heroes, who themselves helped constructing a manacheistic, undifferentiated narrative about Brazilian politics.
2: A voice is a person in sound.
3: In the beginning there was silence.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
My music is all about and around language: its origins, construction, use, presence in our lives, and our perception of it in all senses.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I think singing in a choir when I was 5, taking music theory classes at that time, with 6 I started with piano classes. But music was always present in my family, in both sides.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
This question remembers me of a theater play, a Shakespeare adaptation, where they did 5-best lists throughout the whole piece. For me it changes a lot, here are some: “Teenage” list: Elis Regina’s ‘Elis’, Rita Lee’s ‘Babilonia’, Public Image Ltd.’s ‘Album’, B52’s ‘Whammy’, The Police’s ‘Regatta de Blanc’. Later: Dave Brubeck’s ‘Time Out’, Maceo & all the king’s men’s ‘Doing Their Own Thing’, Flora Purim & Airto’s ‘Open Your Eyes You Can Fly’, Os ‘Mutantes e Seus Cometas no País do Baurets’, Egberto Gismonti & Hermeto Pascoal ‘História da Música Popular Brasileira’. Now: Erika Badu: World Wide Underground, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil’66: Greatest Hits, andandand!
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Freedom, you can be whoever you want, nobody will stand on your way, that seems to be the general city law…
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Any natural place by the water, best if swimming is allowed! And if not, the ‘Tempelhof Gardens’.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Write, right?
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Ears, by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, digital album.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I would like to collaborate with some experienced group doing social work through art, inclusive, diverse, still haven’t met but hope to!
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Well my best gig was as a light technician in Köpenick, doing lights for Nina Hagen and Capital Dance Orchestra in 2006, unfortunately, no selfie from that.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Technological tools are important to help me poor conceptual ideas into music and vice-versa. But as a musician it is also important to disconnect from the plug-socket and create a symbiosis between my body and the sound I am producing. And this happens best with an instrument that has a natural resonating body.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
Generally it’s too late for kids when I play…
Laura Mello is also part of Panel II on Heroines Of Sound’s festival day 2 (July 13) about de-tabooing, error and failure as aesthetic strategies.
Photo © Sophie Dvorak
