Gambletron is a Queer, non-binary, interdisciplinary sound/ performance artist and musician based out of Montréal.
They are known for their noise-electronic improvisation, their multi-tonal “AM Radio Theremin”, roving transmitted “Field Trips”, “Noise Karaoke.” and their performance based media collaborations with artist Johnny Forever Nawracaj.
Gambletron is a musical scavenger collecting technical run off, incorporating old, new and unlikely technology into their art. They work predominantly with radios and take pride in activating projects in unlikely spaces. Gambletron loves interactivity, audience participation and resonant space.
Their solo musical project is loud, heavy, and dance-y using tiny synths and homemade electronics often transmitted through a pile of FM radios. They can be found curated in clubs, galleries and outdoor space often accompanied with visual media by Johnny Forever Nawracaj.
Their art practice functions in both sonic performance, installation and sculpture. It is an extension of their musical practice focusing on the integration of radio, and experimental sound. They explore themes of control, connectivity and communication breakdown using electronic sounds and live radio transmission to infiltrate the waves. Gambletron’s performances function as temporary pirate radio stations evocative of subtle methods of resistance to corporate and state control of communications technology.
Gambletron also works as a composer and musician composing electronic cues and scores for film and theatre. They are also a multi instrumentalist and a member of various music projects on Constellation Records. Gambletron can be found as touring musician with projects such as Hrsta, Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children, Carla Bozulich’s Evangelista.
Gambletron’s art and music has toured internationally and participated in festivals and residencies around the world, such as Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Donau Festival, Austria and Redbull Music Academy’s Drones activity In Progress. Gambletron’s solo music has been released on Fabrica Records.
Gambletron
Education
Concordia University – BA in creative writing- incomplete 1998
Residencies
2022 Robin’s Nest, Witzenhausen, Germany
2021 Toni Onley Project, Island Mountain arts, Wells BC
2020/21 Caetani Centre- Self directed- Vernon, BC
2017 Murmers Residency- BetOnest Aug 21-31, Angermünde, Germany
2016 Oboro Gallery- October 27-Nov 4th, Montreal ,Quebec
Radius Chicago- Sept 4-11, Chicago/ Starved Rock State Park, ILL
Struts Gallery and Faucet media center Artist in Residence- June, Sackville NB
2015 Wave Farm Artist Residency- Sept 11-20th, Hudson NY
2014 If You Got Ears CKUT 90.3 – guest artist programmer- 1 month, Mtl QC
2013 Sophie Gips-Höfe Gallery, Residence Souterrain- one month, Berlin, DE
2009 Etoiles Polaires, Festival Artist in Residence- one week, Vooruit, Ghent BE-
1995 University of Haifa, Project Oren, Kibbutz Kfar Hannasi- 6 month, Rosh Pina, ISR
Awards and Grants (selected)
2022 Canada Council for the arts - Research and Creation
2013/16/18/19 Canada Council for the Arts - Travel
2018/19/20 SOCAN - Various
2016/17/18 Quebec Council for the Arts- Travel
2015/16 Music Action Quebec - Recording
2015/19 GAMIQ Award Winner - Roots Album of the Year - Nomination for the same four years later
2013 Canada Council for the Arts - Relève en concert - Innovations en concert - Featured artist
2012 Objet Inusite, Eastern Bloc- Curation supported by Canada Council for the Arts
Publications, Videos, Curation
Canadian Art Magazine - “Gambletron” Feature by Yaniya Lee, Frequencies spring 2021, print
Sound Method Podcast - Interviewed about soundart by Noah Sniderman Podcast
Radius GROUND - Radius Chicago, art book publication 2018 book
Struts Gallery Catalogue - Struts Gallery residencies 2017, published 2018, Sackville, New Brunswick
Studios Lofts and Jam Spaces, MA tv, Juliet Lammers, tv series episode 6, featuring Johnny Forever and Gambletron, 2017 TV
Cracking the Waves, Lorrie Edmonds, short documentary on transmission arts as alternative media, 2016, Video
Making Waves: Gambletron Artist in Residence, Wavefarm, NY, video about my radio Theremin, posted on their website, 2015,
Eccentric Eclectic- Nika Belianina, Doc about EE Festival, spotlight performance, 2015 film
A City Is An Island- Timothy George Kelly, Interview, documentary about Montreal art/music scene 2014 film
Ride The Tempo-Tiana Feng, Review of the Wavelength performance 14/02/2014
Wavelength Blog- Gambletron: The WL14 Interview 5/42014 article
Blouin Art Info- Altered City Soundscapes at the Darling Foundry, Robyn Fadden, 26/07/13
Discography (selected)
2020 Orkestar Kriminal/ Razlomanye Coax Records
2019 Black Conflux/ soundtrack Independant
2018 Orkestar Kriminal/ Ryobra Coax Records
2017 The Last Walk/ Soundtrack Pipaluk K Jørgensen & Mikisoq H Lynge
2016 Radius Episode 5- Ether Underground Radius Chicago
Gambletron / Transperens Idle Chatter/ Fabrica Records
Nive Nielsen/ Feet First Glitterhouse Records
2015 Orkestar Kriminal/ Tummel Independent/ Sainte Cécile
2013 Orkestar Kriminal/ Zontani! L’bin! Levende! Independent
2014 L’hiver Inconsolable- Soundtrack Shayo Detchema
Carla Bozulich/ Boy Constellation Records
2013 [walnut + locust] 10th Anniversary Compilation [walnut + locust]
2012 Lévitation Compilation Jeunesse Cosmique
Jen Reimer/ Max Stein- recording engineer Noisy Kitchen
Gambletron Noisy Kitchen
2010 Greg Holden with Tony Berg Zeitgeist Records
Matana Roberts/Coin Coin Chapter One Constellation Records
Clues/ Endless Forever 7” Constellation Records
2009 Nive Nielsen/Nive Sings! Tuttu/MTP/Rough Trade Europe/ Glitterhouse
Clues/Self Titled Constellation Records
Evangelista/Prince of Truth Constellation Records
2007 Evangelista/Hello Voyager Constellation Records
Performances, Exhibitions and Festivals (selected)
2022 Principles of Enclosure- Lake Country Gallery- Lake country, BC w/ j.Forever
Via Detour-Uber Umwege- group show for Documenta 22, kassel, Germany
2021 Thin Walls_Bad Internet: Bodies in Resonance- Undefine Radio Montreal, Collaboration online and live performance w/ J.Forever in both Montreal and Spaceless gallery, Vernon, BC
2020 Gambletron/Johnny Forever/ Zev Teifenbach- Caetani Art Center Gallery, art show
Gambletron: Quarentine Concert- Experimental Sound Studio Chicago, live stream
Gambletron: Acoustic Mirron 003- Acoustic Mirror Montreal, broadcast performance
2019 Rabbi Rosenberg’s Poland part 1- w/ J. Forever, Meinblau Projektraum, Berlin, Germany
Talk To Your Legal Limit- Encuentro, Hemispheric institute NYU, Mexico City,
collaboration with Johnny Forever
2018 For Which We Can Not Own- Nocturne Festival Halifax, performance collaboration with Leelee Oluwatoyosi Eko Davis and Dayna Danger, Alderny Landing Theatre, Dartmouth, NS
Unpacking The Living Room- MSVU Halifax, sound design for Julie Hollenbach performance
CIRCLES: “Forest Antenna” Chapter 2- Meinblau Projektraum, Berlin, Germany
Ether Underground- Radius Episode 75- Ny’s Museam of Art and Design, New York
2017 CIRCLES: Eminations - Festival International Music Actual, Victoriaville, Quebec
Truss- Miami Performance Art Festival, Miami Beach Florida 2016 Gambletron- Red Bull Music Academy: Drone Activity in Progress, Mtl, Qc
Spam-Social media fun house- HTMLLES- Oboro/ Studio XX, Montreal, Quebec
Ether Underground- Radius Episode 75- Starved Rock State Park/ Chicago, Illinois
Stirring: Transmission- Encuentro 2016- Hemispheric Institute NY, Santiago, Chile
2015 Siren Drone Oscillation: multi tonal AM radio Theremin- Groundswell, Hudson, NY
40 radio Am multi tonal Theremin with transmission performance, Olana state historic site
Radio Floatilla- Camp Wavelengths, Artscape Gibraltar Point, Toronto, Ontario
Floating FM transmission performance on Lake Ontario with Johnny Forever
Noise Karaoke- Electric Eclectics, Meaford, Ontario
Rusalka - Rhubarb Festival, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Toronto, Ontario
Performance with video projection and radio theremin with Johnny Forever
2014 Rusalka - Electric Eclectics, Meaford Ontario
Rusalka 1- Wavelengths Festival- Polish Combatant Hall, Toronto, Ontario
2013 Radio Foam Machine- Phenomenon Festival, Bain St. Michel, Montreal, Quebec
Performance collaboration with Emily Pelstring, Johnny Nawracaj, Sophia Starosta,
Radio Oscillations- Electric Eclectics Festival, Meaford, Ontario
Outdoor performance with seven radio Theremins and electronic musical saw
Radio Oscillations- Place Public Performance II, Darling Foundry, Montréal, QC
Outdoor installation performance with thirteen oscillating radios, electronic musical saw and circuit bent items
Noise Karaoke- Megapolis Audio Festival, Drom, New York, NY
Interactive experimental noise karaoke performance
2012 Objet Inusité- Eastern Bloc, Montréal, QC
Solo bike wheel performance with FM transmission/ Curator
Field Trip- HTMLLES, Studio XX, Montréal, QC
Roaming mobile radio performance through the Montreal metro system
In Succube- Edgy Woman’s Festival, Studio 303, Sala Rosa, Montréal, QC
New media composition and performance for theatre piece w/ Holly Guathier-Frankel
and Andreane LeClerk
2011 Gambletron- Placard Headphone Festival, Eastern Bloc, Montréal QC
Noise Karaoke- Donau Festival, Krems, Austria
Interactive new media experimental karaoke performance
Soundtracks- Suoni per Il Popolo Festival, Sala Rosa, Montréal QC
Curator and Participant in a night of new visual works paired with live improvised soundtracks
Collaboration Performances and Festivals (selected)
2020 Dawson City Music Festival-w.Orkestar Krimina.
2017 SXSW Festival, Austin Tx—w/ Orkestar Kriminal
2016 Festival Music du Bout du Monde, Sherbrook Quebec- w/ Orkestar Kriminal
2015 Toronto Luminato Festival- w/ Orkestar Kriminal
2014 Festival Soy, Nantes, France- w/ Carla Bozulich
Kexoxen, Tenerife, Canary Islands- w/ Carla Bozulich
2013 Alianait Arts Festival, Iqualuit, NU- w/ Nive Nielsen
2012 28e International Festival de musique Actuelle de Victoriaville- w/ Matana Roberts 2011 Drones/ Revelations by Richard Parry (arcade fire), Montréal QC- Technical director
Roskilde Festival, Copenhagen DE- Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children
SXSW Music Festival, Austin TX- Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children
Tothem, Trois Rivieres QC- Hrsta
2010 Greenland Festival, Tivoli, Copenhagen DE- Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children Dunk Festival, Zottegem BE- Hrsta
Coin Coin, Hotel2Tango Live Recording, Montréal QC- Matana Roberts Coin Coin, La Brique Ample, Montréal QC- Matana Roberts 2009 Festival de Musique Emergent en Abitibi-Temiscamingue, QC- Clues
Etoilles Polaires Festival, Vooruit, Ghent BE- Hrsta
Le Guess Who Festival, Ekko, Utrect NE- Clues & Hrsta
2008 Issue Project Room, NYC NY- Evangelista
Suoni per Il Popolo, La Sala Rosa, Montréal QC- Evangelista & Nels Cline
Teaching/ Workshop Instruction
2016 Struts & Faucet, Sackville NB Am radio Theremin workshop
2015 Arsenal Montreal, In collaboration with Eastern Bloc- Circuit Bending Workshop, leader
Art Space Peterborough/ Eastern Bloc Mtl, Narcissist Redeemed,
Telematic performance curation and workshop
2011 Pop Montréal, Noisy Kitchen, Kids Pop, Instrument making and Circuit bending
Jeunesse 2000, Improvisation, Community and Social Practice (ICASP), Instructor Alberta School Board, Noisy Kitchen, Hanna Elementary School, Hanna AB
2010 Nuit Sonores Festival, Circuit Bending Workshop, Lyon FR
2008-2010 Pop Montréal, Symposium, Circuit Bending
2008 Suoni per Il Popolo, “Kids Rock” workshop, Montreal
Jeanne Mance Street Fair, Kids Improv, Montreal
2003-2006 Camp Kinneret, Improvisation and Creative Instructor, Tremblant, QC 2004 Montréal English School Board, Options 1, Art Class Coordinator/Teacher,
Curation
2013 Geothe Institute- Nuit Blance/ Montréal Soundmap w/ Jen Reimer/ Max Stien
2012 Eastern Bloc - Objet Inusité, International art summit of sonic object performance 2011 Suoni Per Il Popolo, “Soundtracks”- improv music w/ visuals, Montréal
1990-present Gambletron Presents, concert series, Montréal- site specific performance