ABOUT SONIC MUD

In pursuit of activating her sculptures with sound, Julia Elsas started SONIC MUD, a band of professional musicians that showcases her ceramic instruments. She considers her sculptures to be fully realized only when they are being played. In her initial research into creating sonic sculptures, she looked to the shape and sonority of traditional udu drums made by the Igbo women of Nigeria and to the ancient indigenous ceramic water whistles, flutes, and horns from Mexico and South America.

SONIC MUD musicians play a range of ceramic flutes, drums, natural trumpets, shakers, clayrimbas, rain machines, water whistles and more, all hand-built by Julia. The performances are unique and one-of-a-kind. The music is improvisational while they bring to life the richly resonant and earthy sounds of clay. In early 2023 SONIC MUD recorded their first album, Above Ground, which will be released September 1, 2023.

Past performances have taken place at The Jewish Museum of Maryland, Baltimore, Cooler Gallery, Printed Matter, The Drawing Center, The New School, NARS Foundation, Ortega y Gasset, Relationships, BKLYN CLAY, The Shirley Project Space and Pratt.

SONIC MUD musicians include: Kenny Wollesen, Julia Elsas, Madeleine Ventrice, Kirk Knuffke, Mike Irwin, Cyro Baptista, Doug Wieselman, Steven Bernstein, Dalius Naujo, Rich Stein, Pam Fleming, Katie Down, Eléonore Weill, Sae Hashimoto, Aubrey Smith and Jessica Lurie.