This radical Melbourne gig – featuring a cyborg art pioneer – will make you question what it means to be human
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05.02.2025

This radical Melbourne gig – featuring a cyborg art pioneer – will make you question what it means to be human

Stelarc
Words by Staff Writer

Pioneering performance artist Stelarc is bringing his latest technological innovations to Australian stages this March.

The Cyprus-born Australian artist, renowned for his boundary-pushing work at the intersection of body and machine, will showcase new wearable machines developed with JOLT Arts engineers. These wrist synthesizers, created in collaboration with Richie Allen, James Hullick and the Noise Scavengers collective, represent Stelarc’s continued exploration of human-machine interfaces.

The performances will feature Stelarc alongside members of the BOLT Ensemble, launching their new album Stellar Metal Arc. The shows will also feature Japanese avant-garde duo HUH and composer James Hullick.

Stelarc tour dates

  • 13 March: Northcote Social Club, Northcote
  • 15 March: The Factory, Merrickville

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For over four decades, Stelarc has used his body as a canvas for experimental art, incorporating robotic appendages, voluntary surgeries, and prosthetic enhancements. His latest wearable machines continue this tradition of merging biological and technological elements in performance. Working alongside engineers from JOLT Arts, Stelarc has developed synthesizers that respond to the body’s movements, creating a symbiotic relationship between performer and technology.

The collaboration with the Noise Scavengers, a collective of neurodiverse artists, brings an additional dimension to the project. Their input has helped shape the accessibility and creative potential of these wearable instruments, demonstrating how technology can bridge different ways of experiencing and creating art.

A night of experimental sounds

The performances will feature three distinct acts, each pushing the boundaries of conventional music in their own way. Opening the evening, James Hullick and BOLT Ensemble will launch their album Strange is the New Normal. Hullick’s experimental approach combines electric guitar with electronics and vocal performances that challenge traditional musical structures. Fresh from an acclaimed performance at the Sydney Opera House, Hullick’s work continues to evolve, incorporating elements of performance art with avant-garde sound design.

Japanese duo HUH will bring their distinctive free-form noise rock to Australian audiences. Comprising Kyosuke Terada on electric guitar and Takuma Mori on drums, HUH has established themselves as a leading force in Japan’s avant-garde scene, known for putting the unfettered scream back into punk.

The duo bring over 15 years of boundary-demolishing sound exploration to Australian stages; expect a unique fusion of groove, noise, junk, no wave, punk, and free jazz through their improvised performances delivered with a fierce intensity.

This is not your average collab

With support from the Australia Japan Foundation, the tour brings together some of the most boundary-pushing artists from both sides of the equator. JOLT Arts has managed to create a lineup that reads like an experimental music fan’s fever dream – pairing Stelarc’s cybernetic innovations with HUH’s raw, unfettered noise assault, all backed by the chameleonic BOLT Ensemble.

When Stelarc straps on those custom-built wrist synthesizers, he’s not just making music – he’s blurring the lines between flesh and frequency. The whole show is dropping alongside two massive album releases: Stellar Metal Arc, which captures Stelarc and BOLT Ensemble’s machine-meets-human soundscapes, and Strange is the New Normal, where James Hullick and BOLT Ensemble push the boundaries of what we call music.

Each night promises to be a rollercoaster ride through the outer limits of performance art and sound, where traditional instruments meet cutting-edge tech, and Japanese noise rock crashes into Australian avant-garde. It’s the kind of show that’ll have you questioning what music can be – and maybe what it means to be human.

Tickets are $36 (including booking fees) and available at www.jolted.art.