Formed in NYC in 1993, the improvising collective No-Neck Blues Band (NNCK) favors anonymity, autonomy, and obfuscation. Alongside founding member Keith Connolly (2016 AIR), they return to open ISSUE’s Fall season at First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn.
ISSUE presents the first commission from Eden Girma (2026 AIR). Part dreamscape and part summoning circle, an intimate diasporic familial archive is pieced together through the eyes of a five-year-old child.
In partnership with Franklin Furnace as part of their 50th anniversary commemoration and November release of "Back to the Present: 50 Years of Free Expression with Franklin Furnace" ISSUE presents an evening of performance and conversation.
Incorporating elements of noise, trance and minimalism, Sergei Tcherepnin (2012 AIR) presents new work for Serge Modular synthesizer.
As part of the "Voices and Echoes" tour, curated by Aki Onda and presented by ISSUE Project Room, Anthology Film Archives screens four films by Gozo Yoshimasu, with a performance by the filmmaker. This is the first time Yoshimasu has presented his films in the US.
Yarn/Wire, a unique instrumental combination of two percussionists and two pianists, completes its residency with new works from three extraordinary American composers: Andrew McIntosh, Elizabeth Adams and Christopher Burns.
Voices and Echoes
The second evening of “Voices and Echoes” presents a series of unique collaborations including Otomo Yoshihide + Marina Rosenfeld duo, Gozo Yoshimasu + Tamio Shiraishi + Cammisa Buerhaus trio, and Akio Suzuki + Jason Lescalleet duo.
Voices and Echoes
The first evening of “Voices and Echoes” brings together pioneering Japanese artists Akio Suzuki, performing on a range of unique instruments including an ancient stone flute, and experimental poet Gozo Yoshimasu in collaboration with guitarist/turntablist Otomo Yoshide.
Mariel Roberts premieres new works for solo cello from her debut album nonextraneous sounds, including compositions by Andy Akiho, Sean Friar, Alex Mincek, Tristan Perich, and Daniel Wohl.
Littoral
Stephen Ruddy, director of Upright Citizens Brigade’s “Gravid Water” directs a dramatic reading of Brooklyn author Raymond Kennedy’s darkly comic 1991 novel "Ride a Cockhorse", recently reprinted by NYRB Classics.
Littoral
Joseph Keckler is a musician, writer, raconteur, and performance artist known both for his musical output as well as for creating narrative monologues and collage-like performance and video works, often musical, that involve transformation through multiple characters. Playwright, author, and poet Mac Wellman joins.
Two of the most exciting innovators of the trumpet Nate Wooley and Mazen Kerbaj will present an evening of solos and duos. This will be Mazen Kerbaj’s first performance at ISSUE.