Ibrasotope is an experimental music organization in São Paulo, Brazil that began in December 2007 under the direction of Henrique Iwao and Mário del Nunzio. The aim of Ibrasotope is to foster the scene of Brazilian experimental and contemporary music. They organize a variety of events, including concerts, lectures and workshops, creating opportunities for musicians and composers from different locations to show their work to other audiences, and to share information and experiences.

Some events are held in Ibrasotope itself, which functions as an intimate concert space, lab, housing for the members of the organization, and crash pad for people from all over the world who are involved with the events. Other events organized by Ibrasotope are held in various cultural centers around the city.

Below: Ibrasotope’s garden

I visited Ibrasotope my first and last weekends in Brazil, once in July and once in December. The first time I visited, it was during the 2nd Festival of Experimental Music, and there was an intensive week of workshops and concerts.

Below: Natacha participating in Panetone Circuit Bending Workshop during II Ibrasotope Festival of Experimental Music. The kids stopped by because they were curious about what we were doing and it turned out they learned faster than everyone else.

The second time I visited, I was in town for a concert and a party for the 3rd anniversary of the organization.

Serge Baghdassarians and Boris Baltschun from Berlin put up a sound installation entitled brownout that included balloons, syringes and water. The sound of air escaping slowly created a lovely, subtly shifting texture.

Aum Sohan and Jorge Peña performed an improvisation with percussion and voice surrounded by Ibrasotope’s plush mascots.

The party began the next day with a Brazilian-style barbecue all afternoon.

(Natacha’s mom teaching me how to make farofa, a Brazilian side dish, and Mario preparing meat and potatoes)

Henrique Iwao and Marcelo Muniz performed an improvisation on Tábua Mobile, which is a board with a variety of pickups played by manipulating a variety of objects on the surface.

Mulher Gostosa Macaco by Jean-Pierre Caron and Alexandre Fenerich featured delightfully screechy live electronics accompanied by a video montage of several horror films, including one by Dario Argento.

The night concluded with a performance by the genre-crossing Rio de Janeiro-based band Chinese Cookie Poets.