Basaltic Void Dervishes
A three-hour durational work for cymbals, field recording, and improvised movement performed in near darkness.
First Presentation:
December 4, 2021, Chapel Performance Space, Seattle, United States
Credits:
- Joey Largent — cymbals, field recording, composition
- Katrina Wolfe — movement
- Kawtee Wolfe — movement
Basaltic Void Dervishes was a three-hour durational performance presented at Chapel Performance Space in Seattle on December 4, 2021. The work was performed live using ten closely mic’d cymbals played with mallets in a semi-improvisatory format, relying on memory and pre-determined cymbal combinations rather than fixed notation. The sonic foundation was paired with an unending field recording of cave dripping captured in Falls Creek Cave.
Movement artists and mother–daughter duo Katrina Wolfe and Kawtee Wolfe performed continuous, delicately shifting improvised movement for the full duration of the work. The performance took place in near darkness, illuminated only by five candles placed around the dancers.
The audience was seated on a large installation of rugs and floor pillows, with chairs available at the back of the room for those who needed them. Audience members were free to enter and exit the space at any time during the performance, emphasizing duration as an open, non-demanding experience rather than a fixed event.
