'Unsurrounded II'
for 2 humans and 3 robots Lazara Rosell Albear and Kristof Lauwers with <Snar>, <Toypi> and <Ob>

Unsurrounded is a series of solo performances exploring crossmediality, interactivity and media input. Lazara Rosell Albear jams with three interactive musical robots using her voice, movements and drum kit. Kristof Lauwers has developed a special interface and programming to convert Lazara's input into robot sounds.

Born in Havana, Lazara Rosell Albear is a performer, film maker, drummer and poet. She has a Masters in Audiovisual Art from the K.A.S.K. in Ghent and has worked with Victoria and Het Muziek Lod. Shef performed in three projects by Les Ballets C. de la B.: Alain Platel (Iets op Bach '97-2000), Koen Augustijnen (Import-Export 2007-2008) and Lisi Estars (Bolero-2009 & Soup- 2010) She founded the Xmedia org MahaWorks in 2001 together with musician/composer Eli Van de Vondel (CiCliC Records) and curates the DANSCAMDANSE International Dancefilm Festival. Lazara started to drum 11 years ago with lessons from Stephane Galland, Maxime Lenssens, Giovanni Barcella, Eric Thielemans and Marek Patrman (unconsciously she had already started drumming in Cuba) and is currently on drums in her projects with Pak Yan Lau and Luanda Casella (Dark Speeches), Baudouin Dejaer and Bram Stadshouder (Pek Druppel 23), Antoine Prawerman and Jan Pillaert (MIKKELUNGE) and with Mirko Banovic (SMALL METAL GODS). Lazara has also worked with Art Cinema OFFoff, Xavier Lukomsky, Isnelle da Silveira, Dirk Verstockt, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Logos, DJ Grazzhoppa, Ontroerend Goed, Maxime Lenssens and in videos for dEUS and Absynthe Minded.

Kristof Lauwers first studied classical guitar with Ida Polck and then experimental composition with Dr. Godfried-Willem Raes at the Ghent Royal Conservatory. He specialized in electroacoustic music, music with live electronics and algorithmic composition. He currently works at the Logos Foundation as a programmer and composer. The Logos robot orchestra and other new technology such as radar and sonar movement sensors and a polyphonic pitch detection device allow him to experiment with a completely new composition paradigm, abandoning the traditional linear score concept in favour of real-time interactive pieces, computer programs that make musical decisions dependent on the actions of musicians or dancers. Hw also creates electroacoustic / ambient music and chamber music with live electronics, mostly using open source software like Pure Data and < GMT >. Past projects include the audiovisual piece ‘Kitch’n Glitch’ and the installation ‘WhirlWash’(with Laura Maes and Leen Gyselinck) and the multimedia performance ‘C0de’ (with Nan-Ping Chan and Yvan Vander Sanden). He has also worked with Phill Niblock, Champ d’Action, the Medusa ensemble, Anne Faulborn, Jelle Meander, Maja Jantar, Emilie De Vlam, Eli Van de Vondel, Thomas Smetryns, Dirk Moelants, Matthias Troffaes and others.

<Snar>, <Toypi> and <Ob> and are a robotic snare drum, toy piano and oboe developed by the Logos Foundation, a centre for experimental music production in Ghent. They belong to the < M&M > Robot Orchestra, a collection of 47 automated acoustic instruments designed and constructed by Godfried-Willem Raes. The orchestra uses gesture-sensing techologies including sonar and radar systems to capture audio input or to track the movements of a dancer. This allows the robots to make fully interactive music, improvising with the human performer on stage.