“Melusine” is a collaborative project between contralto Helena Sorokina and sound and video artist Patrick Topitschnig.

Musically and thematically, the work draws on the Melusine myth as well as the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. It conjures an eerie, latently threatening sound world, suspended between watery seduction and cosmic dread, between longing and estrangement. The atmosphere is dark, hypnotic and cinematic: moments of quiet, almost fragile beauty tip suddenly into oppressive, physically palpable soundscapes. It is an aesthetic of twilight, something lurking beneath the surface, half-glimpsed, half-revealed, resisting any clear resolution.

The sonic palette of the performance encompasses a spectrum, from “softer,” more classical vocal techniques to the more intense fields of “Extended Vocal Techniques” such as screaming, growling, belting, multiphonics, and other unconventional vocal approaches.

The project explores various pertinent aspects within the realm of extreme forms of human “vocalization.” On one hand, it investigates the concept of a society that has muted itself, following the pragmatic principle of utility. In this context, the focus is not primarily on the voice as a phonetic method of conveying information. The exploration instead delves into the intricacies of the voice as a profound expression of one’s individual essence and identity.