Underground is a musical performance unlike any other.

Two percussionists perform with sculptural miniature percussionist instruments on tables. Audiences of four per percussionist are seated at the tables, close enough to reach out and touch the performance. This very special, and yet strangely familiar setting invites the audience to listen to subtle and intricate sounds in a completely different way.

Underground combines the intimacy of a small concert, with the beauty and intrigue of Rosemary Joy's hand-crafted miniature percussion instrument/sculptures. Composer David Young has created a system of photographic and animated musical notation that both guides and liberates the performers, while sharing this visual score with the audience.

Underground can be performed in a range of settings. It is suitable for a white-walled gallery space, darkened theatre, or non-traditional spaces.

Aphids
Founded in 1994, Aphids is based in Melbourne and specialises in cross-artform projects usually involving contemporary music; international residencies and collaborations. Aphids has a long history of international touring, collaboration and exchange, most recently with Europe and Japan. Aphids' Autumn 2007 program included the Val Camonica Pieces, a chamber music and multimedia production with the Libra Ensemble, inspired by rock-carvings in Italy's Camonica Valley, presented as part of Full Tilt at the Arts Centre; Music at Mt Egerton, a music theatre collaboration in an old clay mine in regional Victoria; Small Quiet Gestures, including exhibition and performances of miniature percussion at Linden St Kilda Centre for Contemporary Arts; A Quarreling Pair puppet production at the Castlemaine State Festival, and the CD release of the song cycle Thousands of Bundled Straw.

In June/July 2007, Aphids toured the miniature percussion work, Underground, to The Hague, Holland, with the Slagwerkgroep Den Haag at the Filmhuis Den Haag at part of Festival Classique; Bains: Connective, Brussels, Belgium; Castel Burio, Piemonte, Italy; Lake Shinji, Shimane, Japan.

In 2006/07, Aphids was inaugural company-in-residence at Federation Square. This culminated in the Schallmachine collaboration with Swiss percussionist Fritz Hauser and Speak Percussion presented as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, 2006. The project was presented in Basel, Switzerland in January 2007.

Contact:
David Young
david@aphids.net
www.aphids.net