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Abstract turntablist Maria Chávez sits down with Random Sample music programming director Andie Billheimer to discuss sound sculpture, public skateparks, ancient civilizations, as well as the evolution of her practice during and after her recovery from undergoing brain surgery. She also gives a detailed timeline of important moments throughout her career highlighting key figures in her life such as King Britt, Pauline Oliveros, Randal Sanden Jr., and The Turntable Trio featuring Mariam Rezaei and Victoria Shen (EVICSHEN).
*** Maria will be appearing at Random Sample at 3pm on Tueday, March 3rd to lead an Abstract Turntablism Workshop which is to be followed by performances starting at 8pm alongside Nashville artist Jayve Montgomery.
Born in Lima, Peru and based in NYC, Maria Chávez is best known as an abstract turntablist, sound artist and DJ. Coincidence, chance and failures are themes that unite her work across mediums, including improvised performance, sound and marble sculpture, visual art, book objects and an extensive history with multi-channel installation. Her approach is rooted in Deep Listening, a form of embodied listening developed by her late mentor Pauline Oliveros. Maria's relationship with Oliveros was recently covered in a BBC3 radio episode of Afterwords, chronicling the late composers impact on a new generation of artists. She also graced the cover of The Wire in April 2023 with The Turntable Trio.
Maria is the only abstract turntablist in the world who performs with a rare needle known as the RAKE Double Needle. This special device contains two needles on one head, allowing it to read two different segments of a single record at the same time. Paired with her inimitable ability to create unforgettable sonic experiences from shards of broken records, each performance is truly unique.
Maria's practice is profoundly expansive, responsive and curious. Her work has been featured and supported by a myriad of institutions over the past decades including Rewire Festival, Counterflows Festival, Donau Festival, MoMA PS1, The Getty, DOCUMENTA 14, the JUDD Foundation, Cambridge University Press and many, many more. Chavez's 2012 book, Of Technique: Chance Procedures on Turntable has garnered a reputation as both an academic resource on turntablism and a foundational text for a new generation of turntablists.
