The Archives of the Natural World in the Illuminated Forest

Special Event by Odessa Chen featuring sound artist [ruidobello] and visual artist Samuel Leshnick

Singer-songwriter Odessa Chen explores our role in the extinction and displacement of animals as well as our increasingly disconnected relationship to nature. The Archives of the Natural World investigates what we lose, and what we have already lost, by forcing species into extinction. Her music seeks to move the listener to act on the belief that species have an inherent right to exist, regardless of human ambition.

With majestic and unique creatures from previous generations hunted out of existence, many have been largely forgotten. The arrogance of one generation to assume what is important to subsequent generations, robs everyone from being able to interact and experience these creatures for themselves.

Collaborating with sound artist [ruidobello] and visual artist Samuel Leshnick, Odessa mounts a special event combining artist renderings and aural textures at what these creatures might have sounded, highlighting what we have lost in the world.

Featuring music from her third album release, The Archives, Odessa explores these issues with songs about the extinct Carolina Parakeet, extinct wolves, moths, and endangered Key Deer and wild horses.

Odessa Chen’s singular musical vision is not easily categorized. She approaches songs of love, longing, and displacement with accomplished lyrics, and unusual song structures. Aspects of folk, classical, and indie rock converge to make music that requires quiet attention. Described as intelligent, subtle, and haunting, Odessa’s pure, ethereal voice and finger-picking guitar style has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros, Nina Nastasia, and Cat Power. She has collaborated with Wilco’s Nels Cline, Xiu Xiu’s Devin Hoff, Matt Brubeck and shared stages with Joile Holland, Damien Jurado and Vienna Teng. MTV U calls her “an unstoppable force” and has been featured on NPR, MTV Chi and Pacific Fusion TV. Her debut One Room Palace (2003) attracted international attention and its followup Ballad of Paper Ships (2006) increased her cult following. She is set to release her third album The Archives in 2010.
http://odessachen.com/
http://www.myspace.com/odessachen

Soundwave’s resident artist [ruidobello] aka Jorge Bachmann conjures sound textures for The Archives of the Natural World. Since the early 1980’s, has collected field recordings exploring the strange, unique and microcosmic sounds of everyday life. He creates sound atmospheres meant for deep listening and often composed in symbiosis with the sculptural installations exploring social and sensual constructs and experiences. [ruidobello] has exhibited and performed in North America, Europe, Japan and South America for the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, MoBu Dance Group, and Soundwave Festival, amongst others. He has been Soundwave’s Technical Director and Resident Artist since 2005.
http://ruidobello.ch/

Samuel Leshnick is a San Francisco based freelance designer and illustrator. He grew up in Santa Monica and received degrees from Bates College and the Art Center College of Design. He also attended the London School of Economics where he was the editorial cartoonist for the university newspaper. He works in a wide range of traditional and digital mediums and has been recognized by the New York Society of Illustrators and other organizations. He lives in the Outer Sunset with his son Elijah, daughter Jasmine and wife Sen. When he was in elementary school he grew a sample of bread mold in his closet for three years. No reason why.
www.samuelleshnickdesign.com