Current projects
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SinData 2023 - Present
Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) A duo formed by Will Northlich-Redmond in live Electronics and Nico Arnáez on laptop and Max Patches. The soul of SinData is to explore electronic live generated clouds of free sound, in which there is a strong broken agains-dance aspect that challenges the listener to follow unexpected beats, dressed with the most improvised magical textures. |
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Blackout Over Rio 2018 - Present
Free improv Blackout Over Rio is an Edmonton, Alberta-based instrumental trio consisting of Will Northlich-Redmond – guitar, reeds; Nico Arnáez – bass, laptop; Mark Segger – drums; Allison Balcetis; Saxophones, all of whom met in the doctoral composition program at the University of Alberta. A relatively new group, the trio features complex rhythmic compositions, explosive soloing, and dynamic improvisatory interaction which finds inspiration in the Tony Williams Lifetime, John Coltrane’s free-jazz period, and space-rock groups such as Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles. Each member additionally maintains individual compositional activities in projects which have been featured at many reputable events throughout Edmonton, Alberta – the Edmonton Noise Fest, BEAMS, New Music Edmonton – and throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and the US. |
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Past Projects
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The Disaster Show November 2020 (online) - April 2022 (in Person)
Collaboration A live-stream site-specific and collaborative show directed by Mile Zero Dance with a second live performance. Three dancers in MZD Artistic Director Gerry Morita explores environmental catastrophe through fire, wind, and ice melting in a warehouse setting where the visceral reality of the dancers becomes stark. A continuation of work with Erin Gruber, aAron Munson, Deviani Bonilla, Richard Lee, Justin Calvadores, Nico Arnáez, Farhad Khosravi, and Daniel Stadnicki. |
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Trio alla Distancia August 2016 - 2020
Free improv Trio alla distancia is a non-real time trio based in Argentina and Canada. While gathering together for a session of open improvisation in late August 2016 in Mendoza, Jorge Hernaez (double bass), David Bajda (guitar), and Nicolás Arnáez (live electronics) decided to keep performing altogether, since the cities were they reside are separated by more than 13,000 kilometers they choose to involve themselves into a timeless improvisatory music connection, where the double bass and guitar duo record adlibbing sonic interactions in Argentina, and the live electronics are added later on a concert situation elsewhere in the world… or vice versa. More about us, in the following links: |
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Second-Hand Dances for the Crude, Crude City September 2018 - February 2020
Collaboration As a part of Brian Webb Dance Company 40th anniversary season, Gerry Morita, Nico Arnáez and many other excellent artists created this unique 30 minutes long combination of dance, live music, sound design and video projections. Nico Arnáez produced the Integrated Sound Design by, intervening a ping pong table that reacts to each ping pong ball hit, by ring modulating and panning in real time the sound of the bass, and enhancing the sound of diverse elements that are destroyed at the end of the piece, amongst many other little sonic details. This work is inspired by Chi Pig, the lead vocalist of Edmonton's greatest punk band ever, SNFU. These dances explore what it means to be punk or alternative in today's world, when the meaning behind those terms has become commodified, fashionable, and neutered of political impact. Can art still cause revolution? FIRST PRESENTATION DOCUMENTATION: SECOND PRESENTATION DOCUMENTATION:
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Anything Goes: GWG Dance in 17 parts May 2017
Sound Design and Live Electronics During May 2017 a large collaborative performance with Mile Zero Dance Company, artistic director Gerry Morita and University of Alberta Faculty Lin Snelling and myself was created. The two dancers interacted with denim clothing, sewing tools and 10 other dancers during a installation / performance that lasted three hours per presentation – sonically, an octophonic sound system was set on the ceiling of the hall, which processed sound in real-time, the sound sources where captured by several microphones, used throughout the piece: two for myself where I improvised with percussion instruments, a double bass, and found objects; a set of three contact microphones attached to the a plywood wall where at some point dancers threw jeans creating an interactive wall of sound, where later I rubbed diverse percussion mallets; and finally a wireless microphone attached to a old hand powered sewing machine that I performed in the closing number of the show. Click here to view photos of the presentations and audio set up. More about this project, in the following links: |
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SubArtic January 2016
Live electronics On January 21st, 2016 Kate Stashko and Nicolás Arnáez performed on the SubArtic Improv & Experimental Arts #5. Kate was wearing movement sensors on her two hands, her movements controlled part of the sound produces by Nico on the Bass, transforming this performance into a unique interactive situation where the dancer shapes the music. |
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Jazzinto 2004-2014
Fusion and enxperimental Jazz band Jazzinto is a jazz fusion band, mixing jazz, funk, rock & experimental music. The modern approach to these gender positioned them in the line of most avant-garde jazz performers in Argentina. With two recordings and more than 100 presentations the group still performs in Mendoza and other sites. I was part of this group for more than 10 years, and eventually I am invited to participate in their presentations. More about this group, in the following links: |
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Échale Jazz! 2006-2011
Popular Latin Jazz band. Latin Jazz quintet, characterized by the mixture of Latin rhythms with elaborated arrangements, tango, Argentinian folk music and an eclectic show. The group is not longer performing, but the members are still in contact and planning to release a CD with old recordings. Compositions and arrangements were done by me, sometimes in collaboration with the rest of the group. More about this group, in the following links: |