Alma Laprida

Wednesday, October 23rd at 8pm, ISSUE and AvanTokyo are pleased to present esteemed Japanese band ASA-CHANG & Junray for their debut U.S. performance. Drawing on material from the project’s entire discography, they perform as a trio: ASA-CHANG (percussion), Yoshihiro Goseki (saxophone, flute), Sena Oshima (violin), and the “Junray Tronics” soundsystem. The evening will take place at The Invisible Dog Art Center, and will also feature Argentinian experimental artist Alma Laprida whose creative pursuits encompass composition, improvisation, performance, installation, and radiophonic pieces.

Deriving from a similar vein of experimentation as ASA-CHANG, Alma Laprida weaves complex processing techniques into her line of improvised work. The multidisciplinary artist relocated to the U.S. in 2021 from her home in Buenos Aires with her tromba marina or “marine trumpet.” This unique medieval European string instrument was used until the baroque era, and then practically abandoned. Through improvisation, using a custom made two-string marine trumpet, voice, and electronic processing, Laprida focuses on repetitive gestures that unfold out of minimal changes and allow audiences to discover the timbres and overtones of this largely unknown instrument. For her solo set, the tromba marina will be amplified by a self-made contact mic and then processed by pedals. The evening will also feature elements from her work “Japan,” an electronic piece created for BICHA (analogic sounding circuit by Jorge Crowe), which was commissioned by The Toy Lab. 

Born in San Miguel, Argentina, Alma Laprida is a multidisciplinary artist. Armed with unconventional instruments and objects such as the tromba marina, field recordings, synthesizers, megaphones and lyre, her explorations traverse diverse realms in the pursuit of creating captivating sonic experiences. She has played, performed, and exhibited installations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. Alma has released three solo albums and two collaboration albums, and contributed to various compilations. In 2021, after a decade of creative work and life in Buenos Aires, Alma relocated to Maryland, USA, and is part of the creative music scene of Washington, DC. Besides her solo work, she’s part of Hypnotized Chickens and the Bureau of Sensory Affairs. Her next album, “Pitch Dark and Trembling”, will be released in October by Outside Time.