Julian Sartorius^CH

Photo credit: Matthias Günter

Based in Bern, Switzerland, drummer, percussionist and artist Julian Sartorius forms sounds into previously unseen shapes. His precise and multi-layered rhythmical patterns are keen excursions into the hidden tones of found objects and prepared instruments, bridging the gap between organic timbres and the vocabulary of experimental electronic music.

His numerous solo albums, audiovisual art works, and collaborations with other musicians, writers and artists have earned him showcases both in intimate venues and on festival stages. His performative practice is characterized by great versatility, which is reflected in concept albums, collaborative formats, and musical experiments, including concerts, installations, and site-specific interventions such as urban and landscape-related sound walks.

Shaped by his interest in finely scaled variations, tension and relaxation, and mass and vibration, his works include the 12-LP box set Beat Diary (Everest Records, 2012), which consisted of 365 rhythmic compositions and a photo book; the daily audiovisual loop series Morphblog (2013–2019); and Depot, an audiovisual installation for 16 speakers and 16 screens for the Kunstmuseum Thun. For his album Hidden Tracks (Everest Records, 2017), Julian hiked over 200 kilometers with his percussion instruments, recording sounds and textures on surfaces and objects along the way.

Julian Sartorius
Live | North American premiere

Using found objects and unconventional sound sources, Julian Sartorius transforms the drumkit into a playground of rhythmic and sonic possibility. This summer, the renowned percussionist and experimental rhythm-maker brings his dynamic live showcase to MUTEK Festival, delivering a mesmerizing flow of unpredictable grooves, off-the-cuff improvisations, and adventurous sonic explorations.