Ahead of their gig at Punctum and Trat Festival, Babau presents a talk in which they showcase their techniques and setups made of simple sampling processes, phone and tablet apps and YouTube links. Diving in this form of digital plunderphonics and organologies simulation alongside concepts that guide such explorations such as the one of acoustemology coined by sound scholar Steven Feld to define the ways audio and sound are used to explore and understand the world around us and the one of digital folklore, or practices and imageries generated by internet users, for internet users.

Babau is an Italian duo formed by Luigi Monteanni and Matteo Pennesi, exploring the intersection of exotica, computer music, and transglobal sonic subcultures in the post-internet age. Emerging from their hometown of Potenza Picena in 2014 with the EP Papalagi, their work unfolds as an ongoing investigation into sound as a vessel for cultural speculation and digital myth-making. Their releases span collaborations with platforms like Discrepant, Impatience, Bamboo Shows, and their own imprint Artetetra, a project devoted to practice-based research on digital folklore in late globalization. Their curatorial and artistic work exploring audiovisual formats, audio essays and installations has garnered attention from the New York Times, Coeval Mag, NTS, BBC, Rai Radio 3, The Quietus, Resident Advisor, Artribune, Rolling Stone, Tiny Mix Tapes, Repeater Books, And Zero.Eu, with The Wire featuring them in its 400th issue through an article by Simon Reynolds and another one by Miloš Hroch in 2025.

They have been selected among the best albums of 2020 by Simon Reynolds and of 2023 by The Quietus and have been chosen as SHAPE+ 2023 artists. They produced installations, collaborated with festivals, venues and institutions such as CRiSAP, Terraforma, Museion Bozen, Café Oto, Una Boccata D’arte, Triennale Museum, Base Mlian, Reference Point, Nextones, Short Theater, Museo Madre Napoli & Venice Biennale of Architecture, MKG Hamburg, CTM, Club To Club, UH Fest, Thalassa Festival, Outernational Days, Saturnalia, Mondo Muzak, Festival Dei Due Mondi, and collaborated with the likes of Heith, Riar Rizaldi, Senyawa, Tarawangsawelas, Shit & Shine And Sun Araw.

https://babau.bandcamp.com/music

⇨ WHEN: WED 15th July 18:30 - 20:00
⇨ WHERE: Synth Library Prague https://mapy.com/s/pagazozome
⇨ SUITABLE FOR: anyone interested in sound and music
⇨ REGISTER: at info@synthlibrary.cz or fill in the form here
⇨ DONATION: voluntary (recommended 150 - 300 CZK)
⇨ LANGUAGE: English


SYNTH LIBRARY
is a space for sharing, creating, discussing, experimenting, learning and unlearning together not only in the field of electronic music. Space full of instruments, books and more sources of sounds and inspiration run by artists and curators with the aim to rehearse together, support each other, collaborate and listen to each other with respect, to reflect context, rebuild modular structures and create welcoming space in which we can test new instruments as well as new ideas and ways of living and organizing. The Synth Library stands thanks to volunteers and donations. Your workshop donations are split between the facilitators of the workshop and the running costs of the library.

MEMBERSHIP
If you wish to become a member and get access to the instruments and books from the Synth Library collection together with other members three times a week, please register. https://synthlibrary.cz/registrace.php

TRIGGER CHANGE
We encourage everyone to think about the systems of power and stereotypes not only in the field of music and music technology but in the learning process in general, to be considerate and respectful and join us in creating a welcoming space for everyone.

photo: Marco P. Valli