Dutch Lutenist Jozef Van Wissem is renowned for his experimental approach to Renaissance and Baroque forms of lute music. By cutting-and-pasting classical pieces, constructing palindromic melodies, or adding electronics and processed field recordings, he manages to seamlessly bridge the musical languages of 17th and 21st centuries. If this approach seems coldly academic on paper, the results are anything but: his music is uncluttered and direct, with a viscerally hypnotic and emotional impact, and delivered with an ascetic intensity reflected both in his Biblical titles and his No Wave influences. An incessantly touring musician, Van Wissem's intense live shows have taken him all over the world. He has records out on Important Records, Sacred Bones Records and his own Incunabulum label. He has worked with James Blackshaw, Keiji Haino, Jim Jarmusch and Tllda Swinton. Van Wissem studied lute in New York City with Pat O'Brien and released a classical lute CD " A Rose By Any Other Name" consisting of anonymous lute pieces. He lectures on ' The Liberation of the Lute' ( At Harvard, Wesleyan University, Mills College amongst others) and was commissioned by London's National Gallery to compose a sound piece to Hans Holbein's painting "The Ambassadors". His work is featured more and more in documentaries and feature films, Van Wissem composed and performed lute and voice pieces for the new Sims Medieval video game. Their duo CD/LP ' Concerning The Entrance Into Eternity' is out on Important Records. Their second "The Mystery of Heaven" is out on Sacred Bones in November 2012. Van Wissem lives in New York City.
NOVELLER is the solo project of Brooklyn-based guitarist and filmmaker Sarah Lipstate. She has performed in Rhys Chatham’s Guitar Army, and as a member of Glenn Branca’s 100 guitar ensemble. Noveller has toured the U.S. and internationally, at times supporting acts such as Xiu Xiu, the Jesus Lizard, Man Forever, and Emerald
