Mem1 | Biography

Mem1
Mem1 seamlessly blends the sounds of cello and electronics to create a limitless palette of sonic possibilities. In their improvisation-based performances, Mark and Laura Cetilia's use of custom hardware and software, in conjunction with a uniquely subtle approach to extended cello technique and realtime modular synthesis patching, results in the creation of a single voice rather than a duet between two individuals. Their music moves beyond melody, lyricism and traditional structural confines, revealing an organic evolution of sound that has been called "a perfect blend of harmony and cacophony" (Forced Exposure).

Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, Mem1 has traveled extensively, performing at Issue Project Room, Roulette, REDCAT / Disney Hall, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Electronic Church (Berlin), the Laptopia Festival (Tel-Aviv), the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, and the Borealis Festival (Bergen). They have taken part in residencies at Harvestworks in New York, STEIM and Kunstenaarslogies in the Netherlands and USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway. In 2009, they created Visiting Hours, a site-specific installation for the Museums of Bat Yam (Israel); in Winter 2012, they will travel to London to create Visting Hours II, a site-specific installation for the Sonic Arts gallery SoundFjord. Their collaborative works with media artists Liora Belford and Kadet Kuhne have been screened and installed at venues including the Institute for Contemporary Art (London), the Hordaland Kunstsenter (Bergen), the Sundance Film Festival, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco). Throughout their career, they have collaborated with a variety of artists including the Penderecki String Quartet, Steve Roden, Jan Jelinek, Frank Bretschneider, and Stephen Vitiello. Age of Insects, a full-length album with Vitiello, is now available through Dragon's Eye Recordings. Together, Mem1 curates the experimental music series Ctrl+Alt+Repeat and the record label Estuary Ltd.

Laura Cetilia
Born and raised on the east side of Los Angeles, Laura Cetilia leads the life of a cellist riding the line between performer, composer, and sound artist. Classically trained, Laura graduated with distinction from the School of Music at Indiana University and received her Master�s degree in cello performance from Wichita State University where she was awarded a position with the Graduate String Quartet. She has traveled extensively, performing and attending artist residencies in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Peru, Italy, and Norway. In Spring 2011, she worked with composer David Behrman during a residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts . During this time, she also collaborated with video artist Naho Taruishi on the audiovisual piece Corner Projection No. 6, which will be installed at RK Projects in Providence, RI in Fall 2011. In addition to her solo performance and installation work, she is a member of the electroacoustic ensemble Mem1 with partner Mark Cetilia, and performs experimental chamber music with violist Robin Streb in their duo Suna No Onna. Suna No Onna has premiered works in Los Angeles and New York by composers such as Andr� Cormier and J�rg Frey from the Wandelweiser Group. In January 2012, the group will make its European debut, premiering a work composed specifically for them by Antoine Beuger. Laura is the Executive Director of Community String Project in Bristol, RI and a Media Lab Teaching Artist and Associate Resident Musician at Community MusicWorks, a non-profit organization that provides free after-school music education programs for children in urban neighborhoods of Providence, RI. More at: laura.cetilia.org

Mark Cetilia
Mark Cetilia is a sound / media artist working at the nexus of analogue and digital technologies. Exploring the possibilities of generative systems in art, design, and sound creation, Cetilia�s work is an exercise in carefully controlled chaos. Over the past decade, he has worked to develop idiomatic performance systems utilizing custom hardware and software, manifesting in a rich tapestry of sound and image. Mark is a member of the electroacoustic ensemble Mem1 and the experimental media art group Redux, recipients of a 2006 Creative Capital grant for their Callspace project, a monumental sound installation utilizing cell phone technology to network ambient sound from inaccessible spaces. He received his MFA with honors from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2008, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D in computer music and multimedia at Brown University. He has taught classes and workshops on programming, sound and video art at the Rhode Island School of Design, TELIC Arts Exchange (Los Angeles), and Spullenmannen (Amersfoort, the Netherlands). In August 2008,he was selected to work with a collaborative group led by Camille Utterback as part of an artist residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. During this time, he also collaborated with video artist Deborah Johnson, sound artist Cory Allen, and media artist Blake Carrington on a night of screenings and performances curated by Carsten Nicolai. Cetilia�s work has been screened and installed at such galleries and festivals as Laptopia (Tel-Aviv), the Sol Koffler Gallery (Providence, RI), the 1912 Gallery (Emory, VA) and SoundWalk (Long Beach, CA). He has performed at venues such as St. Patrick�s Cathedral (NYC), Spectacle (Boston), Issue Project Room (NYC) and the Knitting Factory (Los Angeles). His solo sound works have been published by Iynges, Anarchymoon and Quiet Design. More at: mark.cetilia.org