SUDDEN INFANT / JOKE LANZ

Born in Switzerland and currently operating out of Berlin, Joke Lanz is a prolific artist working with sound and performance since 1986. His activities in various solo and collective guises (for music groups, radio projects, theater and dance endeavors) have included Sudden Infant, Schimpfluch-Gruppe, WAL, Catholic Boys In Heavy Leather, Jaywalker, Opposite Opponents, MK Selection, Psychic Rally, The Eye of Arghhh, Tell and countless others. He has also toured the world over with various acolytes and has released his works on some of the most prominent record labels in the noise underground (Schimpfluch, Tochnit Aleph, Blossoming Noise, Entr'acte, Artware, SSSM, Klanggalerie, Some Bizarre, iDeal Rec and many more).

Sudden Infant is Lanz' longest-running and most enduring project. Its inception in 1989 was borne out of Lanz' urgent drive to combine sound art and performance into one visceral whole -- by doing so, his performances frequently bring forth elements and influences from Dada, actionism, Fluxus, noise, and punk, as well as some of industrial music's most trenchant performers.

A Sudden Infant performance will typically be anchored by two main characteristics: the use of minimal electronic equipment on one side, on the other a strong focus on the human body, its reduced essence, and the sound-worlds it contains and spews forth. Sudden Infant is a vehicle for Lanz to run acoustic and psychic elements to their end by focusing on their bare essentials. Thus doing, he establishes an extremely tense aesthetic of performance, and tears down any preconceived barriers between noise, performance, improvisation, and electronic music.

Sudden Infant peformed for 23five at The Terminal on May 7, 2008 and at The Lab on January 31, 2010. His work comes with the generous support from Swissnex and Pro Helvetia.

www.suddeninfant.com