Nachtploeg: Matthijs Kouw - Who Goes There?

"Who Goes There?" is a durational composition by Matthijs Kouw for Extrapool's night concert program "Nachtploeg". Released on 12 December 2020 as part of Extrapool's December weekend: "Nachtploeg x Tableau Vivant x Moving Dots x Art Prison & all publications 2020"
More information: https://extrapool.nl/agenda-events/na...


About this piece:

In homage to Thomas Ligotti, this piece is titled after a section from his book 'The Conspiracy Against the Human Race'. In this book, Ligotti dives into philosophical pessimism and its implications for humanity. Thought attempts to take distance from sources of disconcern - only to circle back to them. Our bodies and the discomfort they may cause us. The uncanny and the mysteries around us we cannot seem to grasp. Who are we? Do we understand ourselves?

These transient, elusive, and (quite frankly) strangely liberating aspects of existence can be used to characterise drone music, which can sometimes appear to slip through our fingers once we try to hold on. Drone music invites us to ask what we expect from music and gives subtle pointers to how we approach the experience of listening. As is the case in meditation, we 'sit' with the experience. Like the breath, drone music offers itself to us, persistent in its invitation to listen and immerse ourselves. How are we listening? Who is really listening? Who goes there?

Listen on repeat at low volume.

Matthijs Kouw, December 2020


Artwork by Janneke Baltussen
Photo of Matthijs Kouw by Niek Doup
Banner design by Véronique van Helden