When ΩHM Festival of Other Music unveiled its inaugural program in the final months of 2022, it was immediately regarded as one of the most singular collections of outsider art, music and performance assembled in recent memory. With its 2024 iteration, ΩHM curators Brad Spolding (arts program director at Brisbane Powerhouse) and celebrated composer Lawrence English are pushing the boundaries even further. Next year, Brisbane audiences will be treated to a diverse cross-section of music, art, dance and performance, with cult icons from the fringes of the mainstream sharing program space with genre-defining luminaries and new-wave creators.
Leading ΩHM’s line-up of musical performances is Yothu Yindi, a legendary Yolngu collective responsible for crafting resonant and timeless hits like ‘Treaty’ and ‘Tribal Voice’. A revamped roster featuring original members and fresh talent will be taking the stage at Powerhouse Theatre on Saturday March 2 to perform a set list of the North East Arnhem Land legends’ stirring fusion of electronica-laced rock ‘n’ roll, which is underpinned by rousing political messages. Also performing at ΩHM is Michael Rother, founding member of the influential German band NEU!, who will be joined on stage by long-time collaborators Hans Lampe, Franz Bargmann, and Vittoria Maccabruni to celebrate 50 years of the Krautrock band’s legacy. Legendary Japanese noisemakers Boris will rattle ribcages with its mix of metal, drone, punk and shoegaze on Thursday March 7, while LA neo-goth duo Drab Majesty fuse post-punk with sci-fi by performing to 1980’s science fiction film The Arrival on Thursday March 14. Enigmatic post-genre trio The Necks will deliver a one-of-a-kind performance on Thursday February 29, revered electronic producer Tim Hecker will showcase his experimental soundscapes on Friday March 15, while 70s no wave icon Lydia Lunch and operatic vagabond Joseph Keckler come together for an intimate evening of provocative musical poetry on Friday March 8.
On the art front, Kim Gordon – founding member of Sonic Youth – will showcase two distinct projects at ΩHM. The first, Object Of Projection, is a series of video installations showing Kim as a performer and an object in her own home, offering thought-provoking commentary on surveillance and urban life. On Saturday March 9, the Powerhouse Theatre will host Proposal For A Dance, a cleverly satirical and disorienting video work that plays gestures of the stereotypical male rock guitarist, with two female rockers in Rodarte dresses creating sound through movement. The third component of ΩHM’s 2024 line-up is centred around movement. Renowned choreographer Stephanie Lake is bringing her acclaimed work Colossus to Brisbane Powerhouse for a four-night run in April, where 50 black-clad dancers will shape their bodies into living architecture to a soundtrack composed by Robin Fox. Retro-futurism will meet contemporary nihilism in Chunky Move’s Universal Estate, a work that questions our throw-away society and obsession with the latest thing. Finally, Australasian Dance Collective will showcase THREE – a new triple bill showcasing new creations from choreographers Alisdair Macindoe, Jenni Large and Amber McCartney.
Tickets to ΩHM Festival of Other Music go on sale to the general public at 10:00 am on Friday November 10. Check out the full program on the Brisbane Powerhouse website before bookmarking this ticketing link.