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Marta De Pascalis is an Italian musician and sound-designer based in Berlin. Her solo works employ analog, FM synthesis and a tape-loop system, whereby she creates music that shapes a sense of a dense, dynamic and cathartic distance. Her sound touches a wide range of electronic music genres, such as ambient, psychedelic or tape music.

During her residency in Castro Marim (the final artistic residency in the scope of the Particular Universal-project), Marta focused on the problem of drought in this region of the country, immersing herself in the Guadiana ecosystem, in the dams of Odeleite and Beliche, and the tides and their impact on daily life. The work she composed was presented live at the Biblioteca Municipal's lineup, on the 9th of March at 6.00pm, in the scope of the Particular Universal wrap-up festival.

On the 8th and 9th of March, we celebrate the end of the Particular Universal with a festival showcasing works by several of the artists who developed artistic residencies in Castro Marim over the last couple of years, creating new works in dialogue with the region’s identity, traditions, landscapes and soundscapes.

The festival is spread throughout diverse town spaces, such as the Castle, the Municipal Library, the Tourism office and the Velho Cavalinho tavern, as well as in the auditorium of the Castro Marim and VRSA natural marsh reserve, in the Guadiana river estuary. All events are free of charge.

In the programme we can find screenings of works by Knut Olaf Sunde and Odete, the diffusion of an audio piece by Magdaléna Manderlová, the first presentation of the work developed by Marta de Pascalis(the last artist in residency in the scope of the project), and concerts by Adriana João & Polido, Maria Reis and O Morto. Rounding things up, there will also be an open conversation with several artists and member organizations.

Full programme here.

Marta De Pascalis is an Italian musician and sound-designer based in Berlin. Her solo works employ analog, FM synthesis and a tape-loop system, whereby she creates music that shapes a sense of a dense, dynamic and cathartic distance. Her sound touches a wide range of electronic music genres, such as ambient, psychedelic or tape music.

During her residency in Castro Marim (the final artistic residency in the scope of the Particular Universal-project), Marta will focus on the problem of drought in this region of the country, immersing herself in the Guadiana ecosystem, in the dams of Odeleite and Beliche, and the tides and their impact on daily life. The work she will compose will be presented live at the Biblioteca Municipal's lineup, on the 9th of March at 6.00pm, in the scope of the Particular Universal wrap-up festival.

usof is a musician, visual artist, DJ, promoter of events primarily focused on ambient and immersive music, and one of the cofounders of Rotten \ Fresh, a label internationally recognized as a Portuguese reference for contemporary and experimental music of the last half-decade.

During this residency in Castro Marim, for which the artist was selected via the Open Call launched at the beginning of this year, usof produced and presented original compositions inspired by the history, landscape and folklore of the territory, as well as field recordings and sounds found on the terrain. The artist resorted to various techniques common in ambient music, such as granular synthesis and spatialization, to create a multi-channel soundscape in constant change that evokes the feeling of isolation and solitude that characterizes the history of the municipality, as well as the natural beauty of Castro Marim, its architecture and the increasing trend for development and progress in friction with the necessity to preserve its heritage.

These compositions were presented in a multimedia concert with quadraphonic sound, at the auditorium of Castro Marim’s Biblioteca Municipal, on the 20th of July.

We had the chance to talk to usof about the relationship between sound and image in his compositions, the use of quadraphonic sound, and the theme of contraband.