Novi_sad is the guise for Thanasis Kaproulias who holds a degree from the Economic University of Piraeus. He lives and works in Ancient Olympia, Greece. Influenced by the pioneers of audio assault, he began generating sounds in 2005. Amplified environmental recordings, drone manipulations, structured ambient soundscapes, microtones vs overtones, all come together in a hyper structure of iconoclastic form. Novi_sad’s artistic output displays a high level of technical ability, as well as a sensitivity to the nuances of location.
The strength of his soundscapes works in the same elaborateness for the whole creation process, starting from a basis of very strong conceptualism, the intense examination of field recordings over the actual composition work, to the point of performing back the result onto location. Every sound that occurs is treated with a sculptural integrity and his sonic power operates on a level in which the audience participates as transcendental listeners.
His approach is similar to the ‘cinema pour l’oreille’ (cinema for the ear) and in turn would like to ‘donner à voir’ (lead to seeing) by means of sound. Being immersed in his sonic environment offers an absolutely visceral and cerebral experience at once.
Novi_sad explores sound as sensation pulling apart its physical properties to reveal its relationship with human perception. Some of his projects are primarily focused in architectural acoustics and the relationship between architecture and sound, while other projects are based on various methods of audio analysis in extremely unique recordings and the use of quantitative and numerical data from different sources (NASA among others).
His vertiginous structures destruct and reconstruct architectonic, organic and sentimental abstractions with precision and hypnotic beauty, which functions as a gateway into eternity. His music has been described as ‘a complete surrendering of the senses’. Novi_sad’s albums found plenty of receptive ears, receiving glowing reviews in music media around the world. His audio works are available from esteemed labels such as raster [DE], Sedimental [U.S.A.], Touch [U.K.], Staalplaat [NL] and Sub Rosa [BE].
Novi_sad’s projects have been presented in various forms in cinemas, industrial spaces, theatres, concert halls, churches, museums, auditoriums, squats, galleries, in festivals like Venice Biennale Film Festival [Venice], MUTEK [Montreal/Mexico City], Lunchmeat [Prague], Eletronika [Belo Horizonte], FIMAV [Victoriaville], Transient [Paris], Gray Area [San Francisco], L.E.V. [Gijon], PRECTXE [Seoul], Stimul [Prague] and in such spaces as: Roy O. Disney Concert Hall CalArts [Los Angeles], VPRO National Radio [Amsterdam], Cabaret Voltaire [Zurich], Itaú Cultural [São Paulo], among others.
Novi_sad has worked and collaborated with: Lars von Trier, Helge Sten [Deathprod, Supersilent], Francisco López, Mika Vainio [Pan Sonic], Ryoichi Kurokawa , BJ Nilsen, Daniel Menche, Richard Chartier, CM von Hausswolff, Jacob Kirkegaard, Beckie Foon [A Silver Mt. Zion, Set fire to flames], Scott Konzelmann, Irini Kyriakidou, Karl Lemieux, Konstantina Kotzamani, Isaac Niemand and Yorgos Zois.
Thanasis Kaproulias is the General + Artistic director of Hertz Festival.
