Exorcism

Teaser for Exorcism, based on version co-created with Nathaniel Moore

Fluctuating between meditative gongs and overwhelming speedcore rhythms, music and performance work EXORCISM explores the possibility of an exorcistic ritual during an underground club night. Electroacoustic soundscapes form a base for improvised collaborations with instrumentalists and dancers.

Could an EXORCISM be a universal and secular state of mind, just like meditation? And can we tap into this cathartic mind space by allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed? Can we override our rational understanding of rhythm, dance and movement – and, instead, let go?
EXORCISM challenges performers to engage in above questions through a balancing act of control (ritualism) and loss of control (intuition). Gongs play a compositional and spiritual role in the performance, as they – too – fuse a a controlled stability with a cosmic chaos (heard in the constantly evolving overtones).
Rhythmically, EXORCISM was inspired by the overwhelmingly fast (300BPM+), rhythms of speedcore music (see for example DJ Mutante, Catscan, Nekrosystem, Gabba Front Berlin, Gridbug, Bart Hard and the glitch-breakcore of Xanopticon). To be enchanted by these rhythms (on the dancefloor), it’s probably best to try to lose control – mentally and physically.

The following collaborative versions of EXORCISM were developed:

3 – Since 2024, improvisation-powered performances with Yukari Uekawa (JP) on saxophone, suling (Indonesian flute) and movement.

2 – A communal club experience with Brussels-based performance artists / dancers Andrée Chapatte and Nathaniel Moore. In 2022, at Intro in Situ (AINSI, Maastricht, NL), we invited the audience to partake in a ritual of sharing experiences, which were then expressed in movement.

1 – A ritualistic performance with dance by Nathaniel Moore: at Cultura Nova 2020 (PLT Theater, Heerlen, NL), we created an impromptu mise-en-scene with elements of mysticism and surrealism. It also incorporated club ideas Rutger developed with Andrée Chapatte.

Past Performances

9-March-2024
OCCII (GROND benefit),
Amsterdam, Netherlands
with Yukari Uekawa

17-Feb-2024
Vrijpaleis (Lukjansky exhibition),
Amsterdam, Netherlands
with Yukari Uekawa

26-Feb-2022
Intro in Situ (AINSI),
Maastricht, Netherlands
with Nathaniel Moore & André Chapatte

29/30-Dec-2020
Cultura Nova Festival
Heerlen, Netherlands
with Nathaniel Moore

24-Jan-2019
Studio Loos
Den Haag, Netherlands
‘Rituem’ (solo electronic)

22-Jul-2018
니트 KNEET
Seoul, South Korea
‘Rituem’ (solo electronic)

Rituem is a predecessor of Exorcism, with vapourwave influences.