Magic Lantern vol. 133 – Isa Leal, Iriamu, Jeff Albert with Alexandria Smith and Majid Araim
Saturday 12/20/25
Magic Lantern vol. 133
doors – 8pm
showtime – 8:30pm
$15
2171 star mist dr sw
Isa Leal (they/isa) is a Puerto Rican somatic researcher, performing artist and PhD candidate in Performance Studies with a designated emphasis in Practice as Research (UC Davis) raised in Richmond, Virginia and hailing from Baltimore, MD. Their dissertation project explores their performance research practice: Dialoguing the Unconscious and the site of their white-passing body as a transmedia activist tool for co-ontological agency. Their participatory performance inventions are practical tools that are inherently accessible and occultist. They are interested in the connection between movement experimentation and the experience of being human. Their work is often viscerally engaging and invites audiences to examine perception.
Through their developing methodology, they are investigating the question: How do we share/acknowledge knowledge that can’t (in a “regular” way) be seen? They are deeply invested in pre-colonized ways of knowing.
Isa has facilitated various large scale immersive events as an organizer and/or director, and worked interdisplinarliy as an artist- scholar in residencies and labs ( SEEDS, Kenedy Krieger Center for Nuerodevelopemental and Imaging Research, Group Improvisation Lab Labs ). Internationally, Isa has been recognized as a leading somatic and performance researcher as a member of Figure Space (a group selected by Steve Paxton and Lisa Nelson). They feel honored to have had the privilege of performing, studying, and co-inventing with living legends in the field of somatic research while working to invite connection and co-education between communities.
https://www.isaleal.org/wproot/
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Local support from:
Jeff Albert(on computer) will perform two compositions and an improvisation in collaboration with Alexandria Smith (on trumpet) and Majid Araim (on mandolin and violin). “Three Poems (by Victoria Chang)” explores how the semantic and sonic meanings of the words of the poems interact with Alexandria’s trumpet music. “Words from Otherwhere” is a collaboration with Majid Araim that uses computer algorithms to put Majid in musical and verbal conversation with himself. The set will close with an improvisation featuring Alexandria on trumpet, Majid on mandolin, and Jeff playing his own trombone sounds but through the computer interface.
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Iriamu is the multi-disciplined art project of Will Hamilton. In his music, Iriamu uses found sounds, everyday noises, synths, percussion, guitars, and his primary instrument, bass. He melds the “noises” creating sonic soundscapes to express emotions, and tell his story. A modern day Griot. Iriamu is the founder of the community driven, socio-political party, the Freak Flag Freedom Party for Exploratory Creativity & Freedom of One’s Mind. Iriamu is a co-curator of Monday Night Creative Music Series, a weekly series hosted at Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery in Atlanta, GA. He is also a partner in the instrumental music festival, based in Atlanta, NoWordsATL. Born in Yokosuka, Japan into a military family, Iriamu moved living locations a lot as a child until his family settled in Slidell, Louisiana. Iriamu calls Louisiana, specifically Slidell and New Orleans, home. Later in life, Iriamu made more moves and is currently in Metro Atlanta. Iriamu had the opportunity to spend time with his grandfather at a young, impressionable age. It was the Elder that showed Iriamu the love and joy that music can gift. In an interview conducted by bass legend Mike Watt on his radio show titled, The Watt from Pedro Show, Iriamu stated, “My Grandpa would have his jazz records on. He’d close his eyes and you could tell he was really feeling it. Each note, the rhythm. His legs would be crossed and one leg would be bouncing in time. He’d hum his favorite parts, the melody, he was in a trance.” Between his grandfather and his parents always having music in the home, Iriamu was destined to have the need for sound. When Iriamu went off to college, he found more people like him. In the 80’s, there were a lot of bands on popular TV and radio that seemed bigger than life, but Iriamu met other people in school who were doing interesting things on stage, and he was ready to create alongside them. Iriamu joined three other friends to start his first band. Pfrogdog was a post punk band that was heavily influenced by artists like the Pixies, and the Cure. Next, was a short-lived stint as the bass player for Lean. Iriamu then had the opportunity to perform with another great friend, helping express his ideas. After a 10 year hiatus, Iriamu returned with another project with him on guitar. Noise for My Muse was formed because of the need to create again. This band was the first time Iriamu was a main contributor to the writing process.Another musical hiatus occurred as Iriamu was searching to free the ideas in his head. Time went by and with the difficulty of dedicating time in a band structure, Iriamu decided to try to work his ideas out himself. As Iriamu studied different types of music, he fell for free improvisation and experimental artists. The freedom they expressed was inspiring to him. “They are telling their story in such a different way. It’s spiritual, tribal in a way.” Iriamu has shared his ideas on numerous EPs that are free form and not structured, along with four full-length albums, Toulon, a Travel Journal, The Shape of Iriamu to Come, Reflections: Pieces of a Man, and The Freak Flag Freedom Party for Exploratory Creativity & Freedom of One’s Mind. The latter serving as a springboard to a community driven, soci-political party founded by Iriamu. The FFFP promotes community, promotion and support for all creative people.