Electronic duo Darkstar reveal new installation after months of in situ research
After months of in situ research, electronic music duo Darkstar will reveal a new sound installation at Edge Hill train station on 5 September.
The installation is the result of a series of intense workshops, which saw Darkstar embedded in Harthill Youth Centre for 13-19 year olds in Liverpool. In a similar approach to their critically acclaimed Foam Island album released by Warp Records in 2015, the duo worked closely alongside local residents and young adult members of migrant communities to better understand their lives and the issues that impact them.
Harthill Youth Centre is based in Wavertree, Merseyside. A third of children in the area live in poverty and more than 75% of the young people who use the Harthill Youth Centre are from Eastern European communities, including Slovaks, Czechs, and members of the Roma community.
The artists aim to encourage young people to talk about the issues they face; from migration and Brexit, to music, family and community. Darkstar comment on how the unique approach that has informed their work:
“We have managed to create something that is a true reflection of a nuanced landscape that is evolving rapidly.”
A short film by Cieron Magat has also been commissioned alongside the project, and will form part of the installation and live performance. The film captures the vibrant cultural transformations taking place on the streets of Wavertree, Edge Hill and Toxteth, and includes footage from a walking tour of the local area led by young people.
The installation will launch with a special event on 5 September featuring a talk from Darkstar along with a Q+A featuring the duo and the staff of Harthill Community Centre. The installation will then remain open to the public from 6 to 21 September, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 11AM – 7PM.
Darkstar will perform the resulting composition at Different Trains 1947 on 27th September at Edge Hill Station. Tickets for this event are on sale, now.
The Trackbed project has been commissioned by artistic laboratory Metal, located inside Edge Hill station – the oldest active passenger railway station in the world – as part of its young arts programmes and in conjunction with Different Trains 1947, an exploration of the UK and India’s shared history, a story also marked by the themes of migration, home and heritage.
Recent projects from Metal include the Turner Prize winning project Granby Workshop with artist collective Assemble, and a site specific presentation of Different Trains with composer Steve Reich and filmmaker/artist Bill Morrison.