Presented by The Substation and Room40, The Substation will hold two massive shows in July, both featuring three contemporary international artists.
Housed in a meticulously restored neoclassical brick building, originally constructed in 1915 to power Melbourne’s suburban rail system, The Substation has transformed from its industrial origins into a vibrant arts destination.
Embracing its rich history and community-driven restoration efforts, The Substation champions ambitious and inclusive works that inspire transformative conversations among audiences. With a strong local character and an international reputation, The Substation continues to celebrate innovative artistic expressions in Melbourne’s inner west.
The incredible Room40 series at The Substation
- Package tickets available for both nights
- The Substation, 1 Market Street, Newport, Victoria
- Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, Chihei Hatakeyama on July 11
- Keiji Haino, Carl Stone, Nyokabi Kariuki on July 20
- More tickets and information here
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Room40 on July 11: Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, Chihei Hatakeyama
Eiko Ishibashi
- Eiko Ishibashi will play at The Substation on July 11th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- Ishibashi worked on the film scores for the 2021 acclaimed film Drive My Car and the 2023 film Evil Does Not Exist, and composed the music for the 2019 anime Blade of the Immortal.
- Tickets available now HERE.
Eiko Ishibashi is a versatile artist known for her compelling work across various musical genres and film scores.
Frequently collaborating with Jim O’Rourke, who has produced several of her albums, and playing on his album Simple Songs, Ishibashi also formed the band Kafka’s Ibiki with O’Rourke and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto.
Her 2016 album Kouen Kyoudai, a collaboration with noise musician Masami Akita (Merzbow), showcases her ability to blend electronic and acoustic elements. Renowned for her film scores, Ishibashi’s solo works create buoyant zones where melody and texture are intricately explored.
Jim O’Rourke
- Jim O’Rourke will play at The Substation on July 11th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- O’Rourke was awarded with a Grammy for his work on Wilco’s 2004 album, A Ghost Is Born, which he produced.
- Tickets available now HERE.
Long-time Japanese resident Jim O’Rourke is an acclaimed American musician, instrumentalist, composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer with a career spanning three decades. Known for his solo and collaborative projects across a wide range of genres, including ambient, noise, minimalism, indie rock, and post-rock, O’Rourke has significantly influenced the music landscape.
Associated with the Chicago experimental and improv scene, he later joined Sonic Youth upon moving to New York City in 2000. O’Rourke has since relocated to Japan, where he continues to create innovative music. His first Australian solo performance features a dynamic and spatial concert of his trademark electronic music, utilising an octophonic speaker setup for a wholly immersive experience.
Chihei Hatakeyama
- Chihei Hatakeyama will play at The Substation on July 11th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- Since the release of his debut album in 2006, Hatakeyama has released over 70 albums.
- Tickets available now HERE.
Chihei Hatakeyama is an electronic music artist from Tokyo, Japan. He creates some of today’s most immersive ambient music. His work, deeply rooted in his interest in using the guitar as a primary sound source along with environmental sound fields, produces a harmonious and oceanic soundscape.
Hatakeyama’s compositions are characteristically slow, featuring droning chords and sparse instrumentation processed through a laptop. His music, which can be classified as ambient, experimental, or new-age, continues to resonate with listeners worldwide.
Room40 on July 20: Keiji Haino, Carl Stone, Nyokabi Kariuki
Keiji Haino
- Keiji Haino will play at The Substation on July 20th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- Haino has been part of many bands and projects, most notably 70s duo Fushitsusha.
- Tickets available now HERE
Keiji Haino is an iconic musician with a career spanning five decades and continues to redefine the boundaries of sound and song through his profound and effectual performances.
His artistic journey began in theatre, inspired by Antonin Artaud’s radical writings, before a pivotal encounter with The Doors’ When The Music’s Over steered him towards music. After early experiments in blues and avant-garde groups, Haino formed the improvisational rock band Lost Aaraaf in 1970.
In the late 1970s, he founded the rock duo Fushitsusha, known for its evolving lineup and Haino’s unique blend of guitar, vocals, and experimental soundscapes. Haino’s versatile career further expanded with Aihiyo in 1998, where he reimagined classic tracks from The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, and Jimi Hendrix into his distinctive garage psychedelia. His work spans improvisation, dark blues, noise, and psychedelic music, solidifying his status as a legendary figure in modern music.
Carl Stone
- Carl Stone will play at The Substation on July 20th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- Stone has collaborated frequently with Asian performers, dividing his time between California and Japan.
- Tickets available now HERE.
From 1966 to 1969, Carl Stone performed jazz rock with Z’EV and James Stewart before studying composition at CalArts with Morton Subotnick and James Tenney. Since 1972, Stone has composed electro-acoustic music, utilising a laptop to create slowly evolving manipulations of acoustic music samples, aligning his work with the minimalist movement.
In the 1980s, he produced notable electronic and collage works like Dong Il Jang and Shibucho, incorporating diverse musical materials. Stone’s first residency in Japan in 1988 profoundly influenced his work, leading to extensive collaborations with Asian performers. Stone has made significant contributions to electronic music and received a 1999 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant.
Nyokabi Kariuki
- Nyokabi Kariũki will play at The Substation on July 20th, with the event kicking off at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
- Kariũki’s debut album FEELING BODY (2023) received critical acclaim and her 2022 EP peace places: kenyan memories was listed in The Guardian’s 10 Best Contemporary Albums 2022.
- Tickets available now HERE.
Kenyan composer and sound artist Nyokabi Kariũki is at the forefront of contemporary and experimental music, known for her innovative use of voice, electronics, and diverse instruments including kalimbas and mbira.
Her eclectic body of work spans classical contemporary, experimental electronic music, sound art, pop, film scores, and East African musical traditions. Described as “deft” by The Quietus and “transcendent” by The Guardian, Kariũki’s art is deeply rooted in preserving African thought, language, and stories, making her a crucial voice in modern composition and sound exploration. Bandcamp recognises her as an emerging influence in the field, with her ever-evolving sonic imagination setting new pathways for the future of sound art.
Find out more information and get tickets to these incredible performances here.
