New West Electronic Arts & Music Organization

ENTER

FALL 2007 FESTIVAL

In nine years of NWEAMO no artist has ever put 3 shopping carts on the top of their equipment rider,” says Joe Waters, Artistic director of NWEAMO.  “This posed an ethical dilemma: Should we attempt to acquire the shopping carts in the usual manner?  Luckily Von’s came through with 3 loaners.”

NWEAMO festival seeks ways of connecting new, rebellious, controversial popular music and culture with the most ancient human rituals. This year NWEAMO looks at Greek Myths, notably the myth of Medea, enchantress and wife of Jason, in a live video opera that transplants Medea into the virtual tumult of electronic media saturation, instant global communication, and the intrigues of politics, terrorism and deceit.  The greatest themes are ancient and modern.  Along with this, other artists explore contemporary urban culture:  the irony that makes super computer laptops cheap and available and puts them into the hands of every college student, while the shopping cart, symbol of plenty and homelessness, is the urban vehicle of necessity for the disenfranchised residents of a culture that depends on wheels.  The legend of the promise of technology and the American dream. 

On a parallel path, SWARMIUS makes music that takes the anger, intensity and idealism of speed metal and fuses this with classical chamber music (but a lot louder!).  Is this what Beethoven would be messing around with if he was alive now?

This year NWEAMO expands to 4 cities, on consecutive weekends throughout October.  The festival starts in San Diego, then moves each weekend to Boulder Colorado, Morelia Mexico, and winds up the weekend before Halloween in New York City.  The programs have a bit of overlap, but mostly are unique this year, featuring a broad spectrum of styles and genres in electro-acoustic music from all over the world.