Through WITXES, Maxime Vavasseur (b. 1985, France) crashes popular music into singular music since 2010. Based in the Rhône-Alpes region (France), his project finds its way in the balance between improvisation, sound research and composition. Focus is laid on creating abstract yet often tonal pieces, blurring lines between acoustic and electronic sources, playing with various definitions of sound and inviting other artists to join the recording process. Witxes live performances usually offer a much more physical and hypnotic take on the studio works by building walls of sound then focusing on the cracks and interstices.
Since its inception, the project has released two albums, Sorcery/Geography (2012) and A Fabric of Beliefs (2013) - both mastered by australian sound artist Lawrence English - as well as a couple EPs. At the end of 2014, a new electronic 20-min piece (Pisces Analogue) was released on a split with Dale Cooper Quartet & the Dictaphones. A third full length recording will be released early 2018.
Witxes has performed on european stages with the likes of Tim Hecker, The Haxan Cloak, Bj Nilsen, Chelsea Wolfe, Barn Owl, Julianna Barwick, Bohren & der Club of Gore, Duane Pitre, Christina Vantzou, Stephen O'Malley, Forest Swords, Shackleton, Colin Potter (NurseWithWound), AUN, Psychic TV, Emptyset, Julia Kent, Lubomyr Melnyk, Noveller, Aki Onda, Blanck Mass, Anna von Hausswolff, thisquietarmy, Alberto Boccardi, Puzzle Muteson, John Chantler, Fawkes, Saffronkeira, etc.
Maxime Vavasseur also wrote pieces and installations that were commissioned by the Contemporary Music Biennale in Lyon, Sonar Collective, Mikrokosm for Extra Nuits Sonores Festival, etc. and has ties with the architecture, theater and dance worlds.
(Pic credit Markus Werner)