This is a drum solo about:
1. Life cycles of make-up (decomposing) and rhythm cycles of drums (decomposing);
2. Documentation of materials from a time (pre- June 2020) when colours of skin (Black and Brown) would be left over barely used within the 'aspirational' image making sector;
3. Discontinued make-up (the updated formulation of this skin make-up contains 3 types of silicone) and the
ethics of ingredients changing with time;
4. Time, drum-time and the changing smell of plant based time-responsive make-up;
5. 4D moved to 3D (party poi movements), collapsed to 2D (skins), painted and then reimagined back to 4D (time).
During the late noughties Crystabel Efemena Riley toured Japan and Europe using drums, electronics and make-up in power-noise trio Maria and the Mirrors. This was the start of her interest in patterns on skins — human and drum. An interest in dimensional patterns existing on (and off) different skin surfaces, exploring the idea of 'care and uncare': layered skins, recycled drum skins, smetled sculptures, other metallics and electronics. Crystabel has been a long-term collaborator with Sue Lynch who welcomed her into the Horse Improvised Music Club and later played in the London Improvisers Orchestra. She is currently working on the multi-format duo project @xcrswx with Seymour Wright, together they created the sounds for Edward George’s Black Atlas film at the Warburg Institute.
