Untitled in Cof Minor
Coined by critics a sound alchemist (Le Monde) for his music and performance work, Mikhail Karikis has developed a vocabulary which fuses the avant-garde, Balkan folk and pop influences. With studies in music in his native country Greece, in Architecture and Fine Art in London, Karikis’s interdisciplinary work is embraced equally by art galleries and concert halls and focuses particularly on the voice as a sculptural material confronting notions of identity. His collaborators range from visual artists - Sonia Boyce, Zineb Sedira, Oreet Ashery - to classical choirs - Hilliard Ensemble, Alamire, Cantamus - pop-musicians - Björk, DJ Spooky - and fashion houses - Prada, Rozalb de Mura. Karikis’s work has been shown widely, including at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Purcell Room, BAFTA, Nederlands Dans Theater, Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (Switzerland), Colston Hall, Synch Festival (Greece), De La Warr Pavilion, Milton Keynes Gallery, Whitstable Biennale and elsewhere. His music has been released world-wide by Sub Rosa records, the MIT Press, One Little Indian label and the University of Oxford.
Untitled in CoF Minor is a work which began when Mikhail Karikis was still in his mid twenties and expresses the composer?s fascination with the Baroque and London?s club scene. Wedding Karikis?s extended vocal techniques with his inherited Middle Eastern style and fusing orchestral sounds with harpsichord, baroque violin and minimalist electronica, this composition broke into the mainstream when pop artist Björk released it on her album Army of Me, subsequently launching Karikis?s international career. The piece was later reworked and released on his debut solo album Orphica on the Sub Rosa label.