Lisa Butel and Brent Cross are sound artists living in Vancouver, B.C. situated on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. They create experimental music using live improvised vocal looping and vocal sound manipulation, improvised and live sound synthesis and sample collage. Their music bends and drifts, rages and diminishes, layers and undulates and is original in each performance.
HIGHLIGHTS:
2023 – release of Last Mountain on Elektramusic-Berlin label; 2022 preparation for new album; 2021 Somewherecold Records releases double album; Coexisdance Transcontinentale; 2020 Vancouver Electronic Ensemble and Vancouver New Music – One Page Scores; Lisa Butel/Lisa Walker and Brent Cross/ Jessie Luo + Jordan Robertson.
2019 – Co-exisDance Western Edition 2 with dancer, Julia Carr; Fake Jazz with dancer, Iris Stewart-Bosch; Vines Arts Festival with installation artist Glen Andersen (Beaver Cinema project); Mixed Input Series with videographer Emma Tomic; and Quiet City #54 .
Their live performances are energized and directed by their love of improvisational aesthetics that they have absorbed and crafted over years of taking part in the Vancouver’s NOW Society’s Improvisational workshop series.
Cross Brent is exploring the relationship between digital and analog sound and is striving to develop a more compassionate use for his music through real time improvisations and composition, community and artist collaboration and developing heightened physical awareness to sound and it’s presentation in space.
Butel delivers vocals from operatic to guttural and machine-like to demonic growls through complex and multiple loop cycles and raw emotions.
photo by Carol Sawyer
Lisa Butel and Brent Cross 