Jednota and Atrium present:
The mixture of genres, approaches and media in M Lamar’s “black gothic” is fascinating. In his quest to convey historical and contemporary African American experience in the United States, the New York pianist and singer combines traditional black genres, such as gospel and soul, with more modern gothic and extreme metal, which emphasize the darkness of human existence to help capture the tragedy more adequately. the racial situation in the USA.
Related to this is the influence of avant-garde singer Diamanda Galás and experimental jazz in the format of Cecil Taylor or Sun Ra. On this basis, Lamar creates compositions dominated by opera countertenor and colorful piano arrangements, distinctive and at the same time accessible, enabling to follow the narratives of oppression in the lyrics.
At the same time, his work is rooted in cultural theory, visual media and the performing arts. Lamar originally studied sculpture, is still involved in installations and engages in dialogues on issues of race and sexual minorities. This is subsequently reflected in the strong visuals of his performance. Theatrical presentations and stylizations are a deconstruction of the classic character Wonder, which in this sense is represented by a black queer man adapting to the visual tropes of metal and gothic rock.
In the originally sacred space of the Atrium in Žižkov, funeral doom spirituals with names like Negro Antichrist will be heard. We welcome all contradictions and inconsistencies.
“He plays death soul. Or maybe blues metal. Or perhaps an apocalyptic lieder gospel. ” – New York Times
