A Parallel Planets piece by Unknown
Parallel Planets presents Teaadora Nikolova
in Deliver Us to the Otherworldly
Story by Nicole Lane
* * *
“Via Fausse” meaning “False Life” in French, is the genre in which Teaadora, a Illinois musician categorizes her sound; hushed yet lamentable, subdued yet powerful, and an audacious outpour of emotion. What this genre means exactly is up to the words and theory of Teaadora, however, her fluidity, her balance of Mark Grieff and Alex Kim on cello and guitar/bass create a world unknown, a series of narratives that leave the audience in a state of hypnosis and never-ending remorse and awe.
I first saw and heard of Teaadora Nikolova while volunteering at a art performance gallery in Chicago called Defibrillator. I was the photographer for the show and I wanted so badly to capture Teaadora during her performance as she lightly tapped her foot and closed her eyes. However, her silent child-like voice not only captivated me, but hindered my ability to press the shutter. My few attempts disrupted the mesmeric audience as they watched; half-smiling, eyes shut, mostly standing still with placid faces.
During the performance of “Mergers and Acquisitions” at Defibrillator, I was able to see Teaadora perform live before hearing her recordings. Her act was filled with an immense amount of emotion, abstraction, and minimalist vibration created by the cello, guitar and bass. The opening of her performance was child-like, haunting and ethereal in every sense; the lights were dim as Teaadora slowly made her presence known. This performance in comparison to her album, “A Jamais Vierge/ Virgin Forever” which was released in the Spring of 2013 is vastly different for me as a listener. Her album features orgasmic wails, one poppy song entitled, “Following the Sound”, monophonic distortions which are featured in “Don’t Expect a Stradivarius” and light instrumentals which lay low behind Teaadora’s twisting and writhing tongue.
I typically enjoy music live--always disappointed with the recordings which are easily tossed aside until I can save enough money to see a live performance. However, Teaadora playing live in comparison to her recordings are both artistic performances even if they differ greatly. She does not seem to stick by her recordings and perform each song the way the crowd may recall it on tape or vinyl. She is not simply a musician but a performance artist who alters the sound, the melody, and the instruments at each live show. Teaadora allows for her set to remain mysterious even for those who have seen her play several times.
I am incredibly drawn to Teaadora due to the ethereal ambience and boundlessness within her songs. Her live set and her album both play on innocence and melancholy. Together, they orchestrate modernity with folk and low-fi with melodic noise.
This album and this performer are highly recommended for those who are ready to truly engage in what it means to be somber and lively all at the same time. Teaadora and her bandmates invent an emotion that doesn’t seem to exist yet.
More from Teaadora Nikolova
I've been watching Teaadora develop into something awesome
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDelete