Noise Scavengers Ensemble
Sound Art Band
Noise Scavengers is a sound art band who explore the intersection of rock instruments with sound art, electronic music and art music.
Originally, the group started as a youth sound art program in Corio Geelong. When the youth group artists became adults, they chose to pass the name of the group, it's aesthetic and methodologies on to the access program at JOLT Arts. It was a kind and graceful gesture.
The line-up of the group therefore completely changed in 2021 to a new core of artists:
- Esther Tuddenham
- Astrid Meurer
- Daniel Munnery
- Max Cheevers
- Stuart Flenley
- Michael Siblin
In 2022, the band worked with performance artist legend Stelarc, roboticist Richard Allen, composer James Hullick and fabricator Ben Merrylees to develop a wearable interactive synthesizer. Stelarc performed with the device in the show Stellar Metal Arc (JOLTED June 2022), and the Noise Scavengers have then used the same technology in their own show Augmented Hyeneas (JOLTED Nov 2022).
You can hear examples of the ensemble here:
| AUDIO |
In 2022, the new line-up of the group will release the album Augmented Hyenas. Former members of the group – the grown up kids of Corio – will release a retrospective album that translates material from their former days into a new work.
The Corio version of the Noise Scavengers was highly applauded in the arts world:
“Mainstream music was thrown out the window at the Valley Mill on Saturday. Talented young musicians from Geelong’s northern suburbs showcased some of their own creations in a sonic adventure titled THE DESERT.” Geelong Advertiser
Since their inception, the Noise Scavengers have developed their own take on sound art and experimental music. Industrial, experimental and unpredictable, Noise Scavengers can be electrifying or very Zen. In 2019, Noise Scavengers transformed to become both an interabilities ensemble and a workshops program bringing artists with and without special support needs together.
The Noise Scavengers ensemble has performed several major works over several years including SONIC FLOCK in the Melbourne Festival 2013 alongside a diverse range of professional musicians, and most recently remounted THE DESERT – one of their earlier soundscapes for Geelong After Dark 2015 in a public toilet. In 2016, Noise Scavengers created and performed the show CACOPHONY WOLVES with emerging feminist writer Sarah Smith and sound artist Dave Brown for THE BOOK OF DAUGHTERS – a mini festival at the Meat Market.
SOUND ART WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Having originated in Northern Geelong at Cloverdale Community Centre as a workshop program that sought to engage marginalised young people in contemporary sound arts practice, Noise Scavengers exists as both a sound art workshop program and a performing ensemble in JOLT's Access Program (supporting people with disabilities). As is exemplified by Sarah Smith's work with Noise Scavengers for CACOPHONY WOLVES, artists can engage with the group in a variety of ways and are encouraged deliver their stories and message in quality art contexts. Workshops are structured around specific performance outcomes that actively promote the work of the artists involved.
