Orchid Mantis, by Michelle Helene Mackenzie and Stefan Maier, is a work that draws its inspiration from the history of the Sanzhi Pod City, in northern Taiwan. Sanzhi Pod City was built from 1978 onwards, made up of buildings constructed from assemblages of ‘pods’ inspired by the futuro houses of Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. The project was abandoned in 1980, following a number of accidents during construction and persistent rumours that the site was haunted. However, this wasteland of a city has allowed insects to proliferate, in particular five species of orchid mantis. It is this strange environment, made up of utopian buildings, proliferating insects and vegetation reclaiming the site, that serves as the imaginary space for Michelle Helene Mackenzie and Stefan Maier’s music, a music of carefully designed pace and progression, drawing, through resonance and stridulation, subtle sonic materials that guide and accompany us into multiple worlds with admirable ease and grace.
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Orchid Mantis, de Michelle Helene Mackenzie et Stefan Maier, est une œuvre qui puise sa genèse dans l’histoire de la ville de Sanzhi Pod, au Nord de Taiwan. Sanzhi Pod est une ville érigée à partir de 1978 et constituée d’immeubles construits en assemblages de « pods » inspirés des maisons futuro de l’architecte finlandais Matti Suuronen. En 1980, le projet est abandonné, suite à de nombreux accidents lors du chantier ainsi qu’à la montée tenace de rumeurs consacrant l’endroit comme hanté. Cette ville en friche a pourtant permis la prolifération d’insectes et notamment de cinq espèces de mantes orchidées. C’est cet environnement étrange, composé d’immeubles utopiques, d’insectes proliférant et de végétation se réappropriant les lieux, qui sert d’espace imaginaire à la musique de Michelle Helene Mackenzie et Stefan Maier, une musique à l’allure et aux progression soigneusement dessinées, puisant, au travers des résonances et des stridulations, des matières sonores subtiles qui nous guident et nous accompagnent dans des mondes multiples avec une aisance et une grâce admirable.
credits
released May 16, 2025
Michelle Helene MACKENZIE & Stefan MAIER « Orchid Mantis » (2020)
Composed and produced by Michelle Helene Mackenzie and Stefan Maier
Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi
Cut by Andreas Kauffelt at Schnittstelle, Berlin, August 2024
Photo by Ryan Ermacora
Sleeve design by Stephen O’Malley
Thanks to Jean Brazeau and Robin Selk at Deep Blue Studios, and to Scott Gailey for additional recording assistance
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