Cymph is the new audiovisual project by duo SpOp&Bruinsma. The title Cymph refers to the film genre ‘City Symphonies’, which portrays a day in the life of a specific city. As a variation on this idea, Cymph offers a live collage combining different cities while focusing on working-class neighbourhoods and their often repetitive, functional architecture.

Upcoming first dates: April 9- Annelen Käferstein’s studio, Berlin DE ; Begin Sept. , Weggeefwilnkel, Rotterdam NL

Cymph is linked to another project which is currently in its development phase: Friendly Architecture. Both projects focus on social architecture, marveled for its monotony and silent presence, for the often good intentions behind its building projects and mainly for the tiny but remarkable details contained in these daily residential life.

Cymph offers a parallel approach and presentation format along that ongoing, longer-processed research of Friendly Architecture. Both gather their sources in the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany and France. It portrays those chosen architectural locations with a non-judgmental view and makes jolly leaps between enthusiastic utopian ideas, social plans, beautiful sketch designs, archival-material and statements from both residents and observers. The latter as sound recordings or as projected (font-) text quotations or terms.

The sound consists of instrumentally written parts, but also field recordings, recordings of text fragments stemming from the research, interviews and edited sound passages from archives. On the one hand, the raw and direct nature of large-scale architecture will be reflected in sound, and on the other hand, the utopian idea of early urban planning and with it social progress will be reflected in fragile and optimistic sounds.
The instrumentation includes percussion, saxophone, bass guitar, synthesiser and sampler. We use a modular system of compositional elements, designed in such a way that a unique piece can be created ‘on the fly’ each time. We connect the software used for images and sound to create optimal synchronisation. This allows a live performance to provide a cinematic experience.

Expect Cymph to be a performance of an improvised composition that draws connectivities and binds between fragmentation and fluidity, structures and textures, quotations, in-between spaces, skies, vermin as well as pets, transparencies, playful light beams, monumentality along with the fascinating processes of decay, not to forget the presence of humans inside and outside these flats, stairwells and paths.

All of the above for a lasting 30-40 minutes of whimsical harmony.