The great Phill Niblock presents several recent works—in the minimalist composer’s first Chicago performance in more than 8 years.

Niblock constructs 24-track digitally-processed, microtonal drones. He explains, “What I am doing with my music is to produce something without rhythm or melody, by using many microtones that cause movements very, very slowly.”

The two-hour program includes FeedCorn Ear (2012) Arne Deforce, cello; Ronet (2014) Neil Leonord, tenor saxophone; Praised Fan (2016) Dafne Vicente-Sandoval, bassoon; V&LSG (2015) Lore Lixenberg, voice and Guy De Bièvre, lap steel guitar; and Bag (2014) David Watson, bagpipes. Niblock concludes with an early cello work—and a nod to his 2000 Lampo performance—with 3 to 7—196 (1974) David Gibson. Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm plays live on FeedCorn Ear and 3 to 7—196.

Niblock’s performances are almost always accompanied by his films and videos. Here, he has selected Meudrone1 (2013), Agosto (2014), DH *Sand-Water (2014), Vain4 (2015) and Meudrone2 (2014)—time-stretched and close-up studies of nature.

Phill Niblock (b.1933, Anderson, Ind.) is an intermedia artist using music, film, photography, video and computers. He has presented his work around the world since the mid-1960s. He has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Creative Artists Public Service Program, the City University of New York Research Foundation and the Foundation for the Contemporary Performance Arts. He has been director of the Experimental Intermedia Foundation in New York since 1985 and an artist and member since 1968.

Phill Niblock made his Chicago debut at Lampo in March 2000, when in addition to presenting his music he also screened six of his 16mm films from the 1960s including The Magic Sun. He also appeared at Lampo in May 2001, February 2005 and December 2008, presenting various works along with his films from The Movement of People Working.

Presented in partnership with the Graham Foundation