Sound Switchers present ØY

What happens when you plug a tap dancer into a computer?

In Øy, tap dancer Janne Eraker and electronic musician Kristoffer Lislegaard share a single instrument, his computer setup fed by Janne’s steps. Microphones in the floor and beneath Janne's shoes send the sounds of her tap dancing into the electronics, where each step can trigger, shape and transform the sound.

Janne’s rhythms give Kristoffer something to work with, while the electronics can change how the dance is experienced and how it develops. Improvisation is at the heart of their interaction, and none of them knows exactly what is going to happen. The constant stream of impressions the Sounds Switchers encounters every day becomes part of this already unpredictable system.

It requires trust, curiosity and the ability to respond in the moment. But one thing is certain: you will be swept along.

In connection with the Ultima concert, Øy has met Lydbryterne, a group of four young curators and music enthusiasts aged 16 to 19. Lydbryterne have created and submitted TikTok videos that will be used as material for improvisation, and we are excited to see what they become when transformed through Øy’s machinery.

Want to know more?

• “When I start dancing, I never know what sound or effect I will generate in Kristoffer’s setup. My challenge is to create something with this, and have fun with it. As a dancer, I feel as though Kristoffer gives me a kind of magical power. Suddenly, it can feel as if I can tap dance faster than usual, as if my legs are heavy as lead, or as if I myself become electronic, like a robot.” — Janne Eraker
• Initiated by Ultima, the Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, the outreach programme Sound Switchers gives young people aged 16–19 the opportunity to develop content and events for other young people. Sound Switchers is made possible with support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung and Furestiftelsen.
• Other performances at this year’s Ultima also make the boundary between music and movement difficult to draw. Check out Against Hard Surfaces with tap dancer Anna Gaïotti, and Carte Blanche's collaboration with choreographer Mette Ingvartsen, Unchained Melody.