Open Frame Festival is about as far removed from the traditional concept of an Australian music festival as one can get. Forget the sweat, the mud, the overpriced drinks and the horrendous portable toilets, Open Frame is more of an idea than a festival and an extension of the philosophy of its founder and curator, Lawrence English of Room 40. As opposed to catering to current musical fads and trends, Open Frame exists as an invitation to listeners to broaden their horizons and open their minds to unfamiliar —and often challenging— music that exists outside the realm of the mainstream. Tonight’s performance featured Dutch pianist and composer Joep Beving, performing his Hermetism show, with support from Peter Knight and Aviva Endean, two experimental composers from Melbourne.

Tonight was far and above Open Frame 2024’s mellowest night, with other shows featuring Keiji Haino, Carl Stone and Kim Gordon, to name but a few. Densely packed with a decidedly mixed demographic, cushions were provided so that attendees could make themselves more comfortable, relax and lose themselves in the serenity of the performances.

Opening the show was Aviva Endean, a clarinettist who utilises both a bass and soprano clarinet, plus a small selection of homemade instruments filtered through an array of electronics. Her soothing, ambient drones evoked the experience of standing on the shore of a windswept beach. Unsurprisingly, Aviva has previously stated that she draws influence from the natural world and that one intention of her work is to encourage listeners to explore their connection with the environment.

Peter Knight weaves a similar musical magic. His primary instrument is the trumpet, but he processes its signal through a laptop and a collection of electronics and other devices. Despite this manipulation and obfuscation, air —or the human breath— which is the essence and origin of the trumpet, remains the central focus of the dense layers of sound he creates.

Knight and Endean both create music that is easy to get lost in, with each curating a deeply absorbing and immersive atmosphere. Many people scoff at the concept of sound art, electronic or laptop music and noise, similar to how many individuals deride the simplicity of minimalist or abstract art. Listening tonight, however, it is impossible to deny the artistry involved in creating these pieces and the heightened sense of intuition required to realise their musical visions.

Joep Beving named tonight’s performance Hermetism, a reference not just to his 2022 album of the same name, but a reflection of his deep reverence for the philosophy of Hermetics, something he reflects on midway through the show. Beving reminds the audiences of the seven principles of Hermetics, choosing to focus on the principle of parity and, in turn, the duality of existence. Quietly spoken and deeply reflective, Beving’s personality reflects his playing; minimalist and deceptively simple, but charged with quiet emotion and a deep understanding of space and restraint.

Expanding upon the sparseness of his playing, Beving’s stage setup echoes a similar philosophy. Seated at a battered-looking upright piano, he spends much of the show in darkness, illuminated from behind by a lamp that allows him to see the keyboard. Boris Acket’s incredible light installation is the show’s only extravagance. Beving informs the audience that it took two men thirty hours to drive it up from Adelaide. Acket’s installation revolves above Beving, alternately illuminating and shadowing him as he performs his starkly beautiful songs.

Performing a mix of music pulled from most of his eight albums, including his newest, Vision of Contentment, released this past Friday, the setlist contains many of Beving’s most well-known songs. Opening with Last Dance off Hermetism, he then meanders back to The Gift from Prehension and Ala from Trilogy. He takes a short break every five or so songs to address the audience, before turning back to the piano to draw from his extensive back-catalogue, eventually ending the night with one of his more acrobatic and dramatic pieces, the incredible, Hanging D.

Two of the night’s most moving moments came via song introductions which provide a small window into Beving’s private world. For Mark, dedicated to his manager Mark Brounen, who succumbed to cancer last year, took on an added weight given tonight’s performance took place on the first anniversary of his passing. While Sleeping Lotus, a song written about his daughter, was introduced with a somewhat measured, but optimistic tone. Beving recalled watching his daughter sleep, pondering everything in life she is yet to experience; both good and bad.

There was an aura of tranquility that hung over tonight’s proceedings, with each performer imparting a calmness and quiet beauty to the confines of the Powerhouse Theatre. Music can make one feel many things - joy, grief, rage and catharsis - but it can also allow pause for reflection and a respite from the outside world and its myriad distractions. Tonight’s peaceful performances, a reflection of the multifaceted nature of Open Frame, serve as a reminder of the importance of all types of music, also that “experimental” is not necessarily always difficult.

 

Words by Nick Stephan

Photo by Wouter Vellekoop