Artist Chat Archive

Miguel Ayala is a multimedia artist whose work in film, puppetry, and composition is informed by objects and experiences from everyday life.

In this chat, Miguel talks about the 60-mile commute that inspired his film, how he imitated his commute by layering musical ideas, and what it was like to use a microscope to make parts of his film.

To learn more about Miguel’s film and accompanying postcard by Justin Kim, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer

• Get a peek of Miguel's microscope setup

• See the mail art paired with this sound film

House on Fire (Wells Leng, Richard An, and Andrew Anderson) is a new music trio of pianists, whose multi-instrumentalism allows for an expanded repertoire that includes cello, percussion, toy piano and other keyboard instruments. For this month’s film, they play “melodica bagpipes.”

In this chat, two members of House on Fire talk about gradual process music, being a performer/composer, and, of course, the melodica bagpipes.

To learn more about House on Fire’s film and accompanying postcard by Sheila Pinkel, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for House on Fire's film

• Learn more about House on Fire

• See the Melodica Bagpipes from prototype to camera-ready

• See the mail art paired with this film

Shuwen Zhao and Brian Griffith of Squash & Biscuit “create musical atmospheres for moving images.” Zhao, a pianist, has an ear for detail creating lush soundscapes and intricate melodic lines. Griffith, a bassist, builds deep currents of sound and delicate tonal whispers. Together, they compliment each other’s styles to build pieces that are expertly crafted and surprising.

Mengxi Yang is an experimental animator originally from Nanjing, China, now living in Los Angeles. She has been making moving images since 2013, with an interest in non-fictional storytelling informed by memories and domestic life. Her works incorporate hybrid techniques, including stop motion, archive materials, collages, and hand-drawn animation. In Seven Little Trains, she mirrors the film’s music using playful and surreal animation, collage, and digital manipulation.

In this chat, the three talk about what inspired the kaleidoscope of material in their film, how they use electronic and digital manipulation, and the process of collaborating on a film like Seven Little Trains.

To learn more about their film and accompanying postcard by Jose Guadalupe Sanchez III, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for Seven Little Trains

• Learn More about Mengxi Yang

• See Mengxi's short film, Ai Can

• See Squash & Biscuit's Invisible Sound Films

Roxanne Nesbitt trained as an architect and orchestral contrabassist, and is now a multidisciplinary artist who explores the interaction between sound and design. Her research includes experimental instrument design, composition, improvisation, sound installation, and performance.

In this chat, Roxanne talks about her multi-disciplinary practice of designing and performing on instruments, improvising, and the animation that embellishes her performance film.

To learn more about Roxanne’s film and accompanying postcard by Christine Hou, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See a trailer for As you give and falter

• Learn more about Roxanne

• See Roxanne playing some of her ceramic bells

• See the accompanying mail art by Christine Shan Shan Hou

Nailah Hunter is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and composer whose music for harp, electronics, and voice shimmers with magic, wonder, and spiritual radiance.

Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh is a Taiwanese artist, living in Los Angeles, who works in experimental film, projection art, photography, and video installation. Her work often explores the multicultural identity of the Asian diaspora, with particular interests in land as a source of identity, reminiscence objects, and physical memory.

In this chat, Nailah and Hsuan-Kuang talk about their relationship to nature, making work in celebration of natural environments, and what it was like to make a film for pre-existing music. 

To learn more about Nailah and Hsuan-Kuang’s film and accompanying postcard by Adrian Tenney, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for this film

• Hear the complete audio for Forest Dwelling

• Learn more about Nailah

• Learn more about Hsuan-Kuang

• See the mail art paired with this film

María Alejandra Bulla is a multi-disciplinary music maker whose work lives comfortably at the intersection of music, design, and craft. She often creates small handmade objects that convey a sense of sound through touch and texture

In this chat, María talks about how objects are incorporated into her art and the process behind making her film and mail art.

To learn more about María’s film and accompanying postcard, go here. To see her film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for María's film

Celka Ojakangas is a composer, violist, and animator whose art plays with hybridism and recontextualization, intentionally exploring and blurring the boundaries between techniques and genres to create fun and eclectic palettes of texture, rhythm, and grooves. We love her maximalist, vibrant style and how she channels exuberance and delight to explore more tender experiences like feeling trapped or losing a beloved pet.

In this chat, Celka talks about her story as a composer, how she got into animation, and Lulu (her pet parrot and muse). She also discusses her love of vibrant color, which is present in her music, animation, and wardrobe.

To learn more about Celka’s film and accompanying postcard by Sofie Ramos, go here. To see her film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• Learn more about Celka's work

• See the trailer for Celka's film

• See the mail art paired with Celka's film

• Listen to Birdcage and read Celka's program notes

• Meet Lulu the parrot!

• See a Desert Rain Frog

• See Celka's Fashion Instagram

DesoDuo is a duo of composer/percussionists Kaitie Eikam and Kevin Good. Their practice often uses found objects, percussion instruments, and field recordings — unearthing unique practices into handcrafted performances. 

Katie Eikam is also a visual artist. Using photography and line drawings with natural materials collected on her hikes, Kaitie’s visual work reflects, contradicts, and enhances views of the natural objects while preserving their natural simplicity. This month, Kaitie’s visual art serves as both this month’s postcard and a graphic score for DesoDuo.

In this chat, Katie & Kevin talked about their musical practices, Jen & Cassia’s collaboration with them through film, and Katie’s visual art which served as the score.

To learn more about DeoDuo’s film and accompanying postcard by Katie Eikam, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for DesoDuo's film

• See Katie's mail art

• See more of Katie's graphic scores

• Learn more about Kevin's "The Chords in My Life" project

• Read about Fodor's Recommendation to avoid Eaton Canyon

• See how the film was made

• Learn more about our library partnership

āññā (Anqi Liu and Han Zhang) is an interdisciplinary duo whose creative practice is founded on play, dreaming, and co-creation. Their fluid improvisation and ritualistic processes aim to expand the viewer’s sense of perception and space.

In this chat, āññā duo talked about how friendship is woven into their artistic language, the process of creating their film, and how their work is driven by improvisation, play, dreaming, and co-creation.

To learn more about āññā duo’s film and accompanying postcard by Tori Tinsley, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for āññā duo's film

• Learn more about āññā duo

• Learn more about the I Ching

• See āññā duo's DIY electronics and some film behind-the-scenes

• See āññā duo's fabric installation at Oracle Egg

• See the mail art paired with āññā duo's film

Pure Filth Society is an ongoing experimental collaboration founded by Ashton Phillips and Dylan Ricards. Their work focuses on the liberating power of filth, the precarity and mutability of form (including the human form), and the pursuit of pleasure, play, and connection as forms of queer resistance and faith.

In this chat, Ashton talks about interspecies performance, the ritual and religious symbolism in their performance, and the individual practices of Pure Filth Society’s performers.

To learn more about Ashton’s film and accompanying postcard by Alicia Piller, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for Ashton and Pure Filth Society's film

• Learn more about Ashton

• Learn more about Pure Filth Society

• Read Ashton's article in Antennae Journal (Summer 2024, pg 14)

• See a peek into how the film was made

• See a close up view of the mealworms

• See the mail art paired with this film

haana lee is a producer, sound artist, installation artist and DJ whose work explores the introspective and corporeal possibilities of music and sound. Their productions weave sonic textures built from analog instruments, field recordings, and other found noises, creating a sonic journey that seeks to unite melodic noise with ambient intentions and deconstructed confusion.

In this chat, haana lee talked about the experience of shaving their head and deciding to document it, how they transformed the sounds of the electric razor, and how they chose different imagery to reflect on physical presence and memory. 

To learn more about haana lee’s film and accompanying postcard by Sara Roberts, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for haana lee's film

• Learn more about haana lee

• See some of haana lee's work as a DJ

• Check out BTS from haana lee making their candles

• Listen to haana lee's recent album (and follow there for upcoming releases)

• See the mail art paired with haana lee's film

Nat Evans is a composer and interdisciplinary artist whose practice includes site-specific events and installations, chamber music, scores for dance and film, conceptual works based in ecology and social practice, and meditations on everyday life. He’s also a sustainable farmer.

In this chat, Nat talks about his film and how he drew connections between climate change, family history, the pandemic, and death.

To learn more about Nat’s film and accompanying postcard by Maria Maea, go here. To see his film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for Nat's film

• More about Nat

• Listen to My Old Friend Death as an album

• See a portion of Nat's Flyover Country

• Learn more about Lori Goldston (cello)

• Learn more about Will Hayes (guitar)

• See the visual art by Janelle Iglesias paired with this film

Akari Komura’s artistic exploration is oriented towards heightening awareness and transforming our perception of the sonic environment. Somatic and embodied consciousness practices are central to her creative process, and she is interested in curating a participatory performance space that invites a community of performers and audience to a collective and ritualistic act of listening and sound-making.

Ilana Waniuk is a versatile violinist with interests ranging from classical music and improvisation to visual arts. Drawing on her multidisciplinary experience, her audiovisual practice explores various configurations of digital and analog projection techniques in collaboration with music and sound in a live setting. 

In this chat, Akari and Ilana talk about the interconnected roles of their collaboration, the way visuals, sound, and movement performances are intertwined in the film, and their expansive view of care.

To learn more about Akari and Ilana’s film and accompanying postcard by Lacey McKinney, go here. To see their film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for Akari and Ilana's film

• More about Akari

• More about Ilana

• Behind the scenes of Akari and Ilana making their film

• See the visual art by Lacey McKinney paired with this film

Ian Power and Clint McCallum are both composers, performers, and performance artists who have been working together since 2008, when they met at UC San Diego. Since then, they’ve been pushing the limits of music, rhythm, and theater in their off-the-wall performances.

In this chat, Ian and Clint talk about their history as a duo, the symbolism behind the sounds and objects in their MEP film, and what it was like to make this film with the MEP team.

To learn more about Ian and Clint’s film and accompanying mail art by Ariel Oakley, go here. To see Ian and Clint’s film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• See the trailer for Ian & Clint's film

• More about Ian

• More about Clint

• Check out ensemble THE

• One of Clint, Ian, and Carolyn Chen's early trio pieces

• kmlkmljkl original viral video

• Full News Report that inspired the film

• Work by Natacha Diels & Jessie Marino that uses mirroring similar to Ian and Clint

• Meat Your Mirror by Clint and Bob Pierzak

• See the visual art by Ariel Oakley paired with this film

Matt LeVeque is a percussionist, composer, and improviser based in Los Angeles. His work is rooted in acoustic concert music, but frequently also includes electronic music, video, written text, installation, and intermedia performance. He explores questions of intimacy, queerness, and nostalgia in his work.

In this chat, Matt talks about his filming process, the poem by his partner Justin Dela Cruz that inspired his MEP film, and why Matt was drawn to reflect on the highways of Los Angeles.

To learn more about Matt’s film and accompanying postcard by Yumiko Glover, go here. To see Matt’s film, become a Middle Ear Project member and access our full film catalogue.

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Show Notes

• Link to our Open Call for proposals

• See the trailer for Matt's film

• More about Matt

• Learn about Justin Dela Cruz, the poet who inspired this film

• Learn more about James Benning's film United States of America

• See the visual art by Yumiko Glover paired with this film