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19:30Uhr

Is there still a place for silence?

Sind Musikgenres wie Onkyonkei oder Lowercase eine Fortsetzung minimalistischer klassischer Musikgenres oder ein Versuch, uns vom ständigen Lärm unserer modernen Gesellschaften und/oder der Natur (je nachdem, wo man lebt) zu isolieren? Im 20. und 21. Jahrhundert entstanden radikale Musikgenres, die manchmal in völlig entgegengesetzte Richtungen gehen: auf der einen Seite Noise-Musik, harsche Lärmwände, Leistungselektronik, die den Raum völlig ausfüllt, und auf der anderen Seite Onkyokei und Lowercase-Musik, die minimalistisch bleiben und Raum für ruhige Teile oder Stille bieten, die den Zuhörern eine Zeit der extremen Aufmerksamkeit, Reflexion oder Meditation bieten. Sowohl onkyokei als auch lowercase sind in modernen und urbanen Umgebungen entstanden, die eine in Japan und nicht selten auch in anderen asiatischen Ländern, die andere in den USA, und auch auf anderen Kontinenten verbreitet, aber sie haben unterschiedliche Geschichten und Ursprünge.

Are music genres like onkyonkei or lowercase a continuity of minimalistic classic music genres or an attempt to isolate ourselves from the constant noise of our modern societies and/or nature (depending on where one lives) ? The 20th and 21st century saw the emergence of radical music genres sometimes going in absolute opposite directions : on one hand, noise music, harsh noise wall, power electronics entirely filling the space and on the other hand onkyokei and lowercase music keeping it minimalistic, offering space to quiet parts or silences, offerenring the listeners a time for extreme attention, reflexion or meditation. Both onkyokei and lowercase emerged in modern and urban environments, one in Japan and not unusual in other Asian countries, the other in the USA, and also spread across other continents, but they share different stories and origins.

Cedrik Fermont

Cedrik Fermont is an artist with Belgian, Congolese and Greek descent based in Berlin. He studied declamation, theatre improvisation, and electroacoustic music in Belgium. Since 1989, he has been actively involved in the realms of noise, electronic, and experimental music as a composer, musician, mastering engineer, author, radio host, concert organiser, independent researcher, and label manager at Syrphe, a label and platform founded in 2002, mostly dedicated to electronic, experimental and free improvised music from Asia and Africa. He is a member of groups such as Axiome, Tasjiil Moujahed, and Ambre and has lent his compositions to sound installations, theatrical performances, and choreographies. He was guest curator at GEIGER Septemberfest 2022 in Gothenburg, Sweden, gave composition workshops at the Darmstadt International Summer Course for New Music and was guest lecturer in numerous universities.


Cedrik Fermont is an artist with Belgian, Congolese and Greek descent based in Berlin. He studied declamation, theatre improvisation, and electroacoustic music in Belgium. Since 1989, he has been actively involved in the realms of noise, electronic, and experimental music as a composer, musician, mastering engineer, author, radio host, concert organiser, independent researcher, and label manager at Syrphe, a label and platform founded in 2002, mostly dedicated to electronic, experimental and free improvised music from Asia and Africa.