Burnt Friedman & João Pais Filipe^DE+PT

Burnt Friedman (b.1965) is one of Germany’s most long established and highly rated artists in the field of music with a career spanning over 40 years. While studying fine arts Burnt started to focus on music exclusively from the 80s onwards. He began to publish his musical works around the early 1990s. From there he progressed to various notable music collaborations with Jaki Liebezeit (CAN), Atom™ (as Flanger), David Sylvian (as Nine Horses) and Mohammad Reza Mortazavi. In 2000 Friedman launched his own record label, Nonplace, with 58 releases to date. His studio and on-stage partnership with the Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit dated 17 years. Together they consciously distanced the music from the formulas of Western European and Anglo-American culture. Their Secret Rhythms series shed light on the laws of rhythm and addressed mis–conceptions of rhythm in common Western theory.

João Pais Filipe (b. 1980) is a drummer/percussionist and sound sculptor from Porto. Besides working with Friedman on Automatic Music and playing solo percussion, as well, he performs under CZN (with Valentina Magaletti) and HHY & the Macumbas. He has toured internationally in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa visiting festivals such as Nyege Nyege in Jinja, Uganda and with Friedman, Unsound in Krakow, Poland.

In addition to his musical journey, João Pais Filipe develops Gong–Making, Cymbal–Smithing and other metal percussion instruments, through which he explores the acoustic properties of these objects as their potential sculptural dimension and imagery.

This project delves into the fusion of automatic pattern-composition in music, led by João Pais Filipe on drums and Burnt Friedman on electronics. Their collaboration not only explores rhythmic phenomena but also delves into the acoustic properties of metal percussion instruments crafted by João Pais Filipe. By merging expertise in music composition, percussion craftsmanship, and electronic soundscapes, this project aims to push boundaries in rhythmic exploration, offering audiences a unique auditory experience that transcends cultural norms and challenges conventional Western music theories.