À l’ombre des ondes

The French duo Kristoff K.Roll (Jean-Christophe Camps and Carole Rieussec) will be making its debut at the Holland Festival with the performance À l'ombre des ondes (In the Shadows of the Waves). A dream-like experience: a combination of site-specific theatre, sound

art, documentary and concert. Or, in the words of the duo: an 'audio-speaking siesta'. The audience sit deckchairs, put on a pair of headphones and are transported on an associative dream journey. This 'cinema for the ears' is mixed and performed live by Kristoff K.Roll (the two musicians present themselves as a single character). À l'ombre des ondes was created in 2007. It's an ongoing improvisation project that continues to grow with the addition of new, local dreams each time it is performed. 

The audio-speaking siesta is a dream journey in three parts. The first part consists of a live recording and razor-sharp amplification of the ambient noises. Then, in the second part, numerous sounds and voices are introduced, which refer to the character and identity of the location. In this case: Amsterdam and its residents. In the third part, the visitor hears Dutch people talking about their dreams. These fragments are supplemented by dreams from La bibliothèque de récits de rêves – a huge soundbank of dream stories that Kristoff K.Roll has been collecting since the very beginning of the project. These stories have been reworked and marked with a musical imprint. This library is in constant movement and recently saw the addition of dream stories from migrants living in terrible conditions in the chaotic 'jungle' camp near the Channel Tunnel in Calais. The producers explain that all of these voices are stored in the library 'as hidden shadows that risk being suppressed by the hatred and fear that are prevalent in present-day Europe'. À l'ombre des ondes gives shape to the nightmare in which these individuals find themselves, as well as their visions for the future. Their stories carry with them the beauty of all cultures. These wandering voices are all that is left of their dreams. 

The performance takes place at the crossroads between internal and external worlds, the no man's land between listening and watching, where fantasy has free rein. This is all supplemented with an improvised soundscape that slowly turns into an electro-acoustic concert. The result is a labyrinth of sounds at the intersection of theatre, improvisation and composition, installation and performance art. The headphones create an effect that is isolating and communal in equal measure. Dreams come to life.