Perth Voice Interactive

THE environmental impact of deep-sea mining was the catalyst for a fascinating percussion piece by Louise Devenish at this year’s Boom!

Held over three days at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, the percussion festival has performances and workshops from some of the best drummers in Australia and around the world.

A young innovative percussionist, Devenish combines thought-provoking themes with visual flair, engaging audiences on both a toe-tapping and cerebral level.

A big fan of playing new material, she has commissioned more than 50 works and will perform her latest, Preservation Reference Area co-composed with Aaron Wyatt, at Boom!

Featuring bass drum, electronics and a waterphone (a strange looking ‘ocean harp’ made from stainless steel and bronze) the work reflects on deep-sea mining in the ocean twilight zone, which lies just beyond the reach of sunlight.

“2023 was marked as a deadline for establishing international protections for unmined areas, however at the time of composition, only 21 countries had called for a pause or ban on deep-sea mining activities,” Devenish says.

“Underwater noise pollution is a significant by-product of deep-sea mining, as sound travels faster through water than air. 

“This can negatively impact areas up to 500km beyond mining sites, including preservation reference areas legally bound to be protected.”

Devenish will also take part in a group performance with percussionists Michalea Gleave and Amanda Cole, playing their trippy piece Cosmic Time.

An epic meditation on space and the cosmos, eight atmospheric movements showcase resonant percussion including aluminium tubes, singing bowls, gongs, chimes, vibraphone, triangles and crotales (antique cymbals).

“It is very much an exploration of different measures and experiences of time within the cosmos, and connects with histories of cosmology and global ways of thinking that consider humanity as part of a ‘living cosmos’,” Devenish says.

Featuring a diverse range of percussionists, Boom! has everything from Afro Latin and Asian to western orchestral and art house music.

Synergy Percussion, Australia’s oldest music ensemble, will perform four pieces that span nearly six decades, showcasing the evolution of percussion from 1967 to 2024.

On closing night they’ll bash out Le Souvenir, an immersive sonic and visual experience by Fritz Hauser, the composer/performer in residence at this year’s Boom!

If you’re after some more traditional fare with drums, piano and double bass then check out the Daniel Susnjar Trio, which blends modern jazz, folk and world music. A WA drummer, composer and educator, Susnjar is known for his Afro-Peruvian jazz and has performed and recorded with music legends including Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Steve Miller, Terence Blanchard and Dave Grusin.

Or if you fancy getting hands-on, there’s some fascinating workshops covering Afro-Brazillian samba, flowerpot music, taiko and African marimba.

And what better way to close out the festival than a party with DJ Rosie Taylor, who loves to hand drum.

A former graduate of WAAPA, Taylor co-founded the community group Women of Music Production Perth and the award-winning electronic duo Feels.

Her DJ set explores her two passions – hand drumming and ground-breaking electronica.

Boom! is at WAAPA’s Mt Lawley campus in Perth from September 26 to 28. For more info and tix see boomfestival.com.au.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK