The Metropolitan Museum of Art is doing something quite unconventional at the Met Cloisters this summer. On Thursday, it'll release a recording of its electronic music series at the medieval art center. That's right, techno has come to the Cloisters.
"Sonic Cloisters" is a virtual series of commissioned electronic music concerts filmed in the galleries and courtyards of The Met Cloisters by four venerated producers from the world of techno music: Seth Troxler and Phil Moffa, appearing as Lost Souls of Saturn; Jlin; and Dubfire. MetLiveArts is doing this in collaboration with Shawn Schwartz, founder of the famed Brooklyn electronic music venues Halcyon and Output.
Thursday will feature Conclave, a group rooted in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and a commitment to improvisation.
You might be wondering, "why techno at the Cloisters?" Apparently, according to The Met, there are some parallels between the music genre and the art of the Middle Ages.
"Much like the medieval art that surrounds each performance, modern techno expresses present-day anguish, expectation, and celebration, responding to inequity, suffering, and uncertainty with bright innovation and imagination," the museum says. The genre often encourages a "communal euphoric experience and creates inner space for peace, reflection, and faith," much like art did in the Middle Ages.
It will be available on The Met’s website and online channels, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch, where they will remain free and available to stream indefinitely.