In the right hands – controlled by the right thoughts – an electronic system is an extremely delicate instrument. You can use it to explore what happens around you, record that, manipulate it and then reintroduce it so that the original sound source and the sound produced form asymbiotic relationship – in this way creating a new being. As you can make sounds circulate through a room using electronics, you can similarly make accordions run rings around a centrally positioned audience.

This is what happens in Air Sensible, a spatial musical experience full of contrast, mood variations, to sounds of a fragile beauty, but also with overwhelming power.

Chen Qiangbin | artistic director Electronic Music Week Shanghai:  “Both of the works composed by Strijbos and Van Rijswijk that were performed, showed Chinese and international audiences enormous diversity and a unique personal style of artistic creativity. Air Sensible for duo accordion and live-electronics was performed by the composers themselves. It is, as it were, an unconfined performance in a space not bound by walls. The romantic musical language of accordions together with interesting live-electronic manipulation and novel visual design built a hybrid sound. This succeeded in keeping the attention of the audience, something difficult for most contemporary music.”

Air Sensible is produced by festival November Music, Muzieklab Brabant and Strijbos & Van Rijswijk. Air Sensible is funded by Dutch Performing Arts NL and BKKC.