Disasterpiece (2026)

Disasterpiece is an audio work by Shervine Sheikh Rezaei and Victor Gybels. It explores the collision of pain and pleasure, both as concepts and, more importantly, through vocal expression. It follows a performer attempting to make her screams of agony "musical," as though she is compelled to sing while in pain.

The work incorporates Orchidea, software developed at IRCAM that generates orchestral accompaniments based on datasets of orchestral recordings. Orchidea is typically designed to accompany conventionally played, in-tune musical instruments. Here, however, it is tasked with accompanying screams and strained vocalizations, causing it to struggle to produce a coherent orchestral score.

The resulting score is at times musical, but often dissonant, reflecting the pressure placed upon us to remain polished, perfect, and presentable, even in moments of vulnerability and distress. More broadly, Disasterpiece meditates on the possibility of finding art and musicality within pain, suffering, and illness.

Vocals by Shervin/e Sheikh Rezaei. Recording, production & mixing by Victor Gybels.