Bio / Resume / Portfolio / Clipping
Website: http://joaobispoarts.blogspot.com
https://elvalsdelconejomedia.blogspot.com
Gallery / dealer: self-represented
Fluent in: Portuguese,
English, Spanish
Bio:
João Bispo is a self-taught composer, sound designer, musician, multidisciplinary artist based in Lisboa, Portugal, whose practice often involves a deconstruction of compositional techniques in music while keeping with the record format. His compositions range from purely acoustic music to the utilizing of layers of distorted and spacious guitars along with abstract vocalizations resembling synth drones, subdued percussion and orchestral undertones, always performed and not sequenced, through the use of digital means of composition and production.
Holds the professional categories of composer, sound designer and production assistant at Inspeção-Geral das Atividades Culturais (IGAC).
The experimentation with the arrhythmic, the erratic, the disharmonious as compositional elements of otherwise harmonious pieces, as symbolic embracing of spontaneity and frailty are part of the experience of music as a form of art and expression.
His first record “Dreaming of Sleeping Angels” had favorable reviews in Portuguese music newspaper Blitz.
He lived in Lima, Peru from 2012 to 2015. There he worked in projects related to visual arts as a production assistant for exhibits and fabric arts workshops and as an illustrator.
He created the online artist community El Vals del Conejo, dedicated to music, hosting and supporting the works of artists from Finland, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.
He composed the soundtrack for documentary ‘MASAS’, for contemporary dance piece ‘Grietas’, among other works.
He attended the course for the management and production of performative arts in Forum Dança, Lisboa (CGPAE2019). He participated as an invited sound artist in contemporary dance improvisation sessions which bore fruit to an informal collective presentation, composed and produced the soundtrack for Ana de Albuquerque’s short film ‘P.S. – Ama-te’ which was premiered in the Dance Short Film Fest at Teatro da Malaposta and recently presented at the Blue Elephant Theater in London.
He participated in Lab#02, six-month online creative and artistic residency, promoted by Das Haus.
Second place in the category of Digital Innovation for the track "Solid Angle of Departure", in the context of EUbyLakes' O(pe)n-Air University Virtual Artistic Residency.
His short film "Sovereign Condition" was premiered at Lisboa Natura 2020 Ecovideo Festival, promoted by Videoteca do Arquivo Municipal da Câmara de Lisboa.
His song “Swell Up, Meet the Sun” was commissioned for the Culture KIrC Fest (by EUbyLakes consortium, co-financed by Europe for Citizens European Union Programme).
His second music short film “Freeform – the unyielding organicity of events” was chosen to premiere as part of the Culture KIrC Fest.
His first music short film “Sovereign Condition” was included in the Art for the Planet platform Empathic Action (project supported by Arts Council England).
Current/Upcoming:
+ artistic research into rhythm, dissonance, intimacy and remote presence
+ creation and production of new record 'Soundtracks for Contemplation and Restlessness II'
+ new media tools specialisation for artistic purposes
Portfolio
Artistic career highlights:
Short film 'Sovereign Condition' included in the Art for the Planet platform Empathic Action.
Audio, Sound and Music — EmpathicAction (artfortheplanet.space)
Short film 'Freeform - the unyielding organicity of events' premiered in the Culture KIrC Fest and currently integrated into the collective exhibition of the initiave.
Culture KIrC Fest (eurolake.eu)
Short film 'Sovereign Condition' selected as part of LISBOA NATURA 2020 Ecovideo Festival Official Selection.
CML Video Archive Official Announcement
catalogo_pt.pdf (cm-lisboa.pt)
Track 'Solid Angle of Departure' placed second in the category of Digital Innovation in the awards of EUbyLakes' O(pe)n-Air University virtual artistic residency.
Currently: Selected participant of cross-disciplinary artistic and career development virtual residency Lab#02, by DasHaus Project.
2020: Participant of virtual artistic residency O(pe)n-Air University promoted by EUbylakes.
Currently (since 2013): Artistic Management and Direction of the netlabel El Vals del Conejo and its artists, physical edition of records, audio design and production.
http://elvalsdelconejomedia.blogspot.com/
Currently (since 2011): Sound artist, composer, author of original music under own name and under the moniker of joaquim barato.
http://joaobispoarts.blogspot.com
2019:
Composition and production of original soundtrack for the short dance
film ‘PS Ama-te’, by Ana de Albuquerque, premiered in Malaposta
Cultural Centre, Lisboa, in July 2019, and shown in Blue Elephant Theater, London, on March 13 2020.
2019: Invited sound artist for a month in sound and movement improvisation in the scope of Contemporary Dance group sessions oriented by Maria Ramos in Forum Dança. A live improvisation performance resulted from this work with eight dancers.
2014 (Peru): Composition and production of original soundtrack for the contemporary dance piece ‘Grietas’, by Colectivo Magnolia, premiered at North American Peruvian Cultural Institute and presented at the Dance Festival Andanzas. Invited sound artist for dance workshop in the scope of the Festival.
2014 (Peru): Composition and production of two original pieces for soundtrack of the dance piece ‘Danza Panza’, by inclusive dance group Kinesfera Danza, premiered at North American Peruvian Cultural Institute.
https://soundcloud.com/jo-o-caldeira-bispo-media/encuentrame-en-el-bosque-con-corazon-galopante
2013 (Peru): Composition and production of original soundtrack for documentary ‘MASAS’, by Centurión Producciones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNjjbxgWPkY&t
Published works as a sound artist:
2020: 'Log Number Six: Fox spirits throb and dance' (El Vals del Conejo Records)
Log Number Six: Fox spirits throb and dance | João Bispo | El Vals del Conejo (bandcamp.com)
2020: 'Log Number Five: Found 1 (way back when)' (El Vals del Conejo Records)
Log Number Five: Found 1 (way back when) | João Bispo | El Vals del Conejo (bandcamp.com)
2020: ‘Signaling the Fey’ (SINGLE) (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/signaling-the-fey-single
2020: ‘Log Number Four: Chosen to unsee’ (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/log-number-four-chosen-to-unsee
2020: ‘Log Number Two: Synth’ (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/log-number-two-synth
2020: ‘Log Number One: Guitar’ (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/log-number-one-guitar
2019: ‘Soundtracks for Contemplation and Restlessness I: Sovereign Condition’ (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/soundtracks-for-contemplation-and-restlessness-i-sovereign-condition-full-uncut
2019: ‘All parts of celestial bodies’ EP (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://open.spotify.com/album/3qXbBn4CxQIxvYO3ia1EtT
2018: ‘Sorrir’ EP,
https://open.spotify.com/album/0LWvSrIJG2XdgNCvqUGMpB
‘A céu aberto quero sonhar-nos recomeços’ EP (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://open.spotify.com/album/4RU9NQZOof76NZmqy52oVO
2016: ‘Todo este Tempo’ LP (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://open.spotify.com/album/2qzujBbyyOEC3iGZYaBJ3d
2015: joaquim barato - ‘heart is a muse’ LP,
https://open.spotify.com/album/3JWRCqJA4aGpz0MVVS6HOJ
‘Was Delirious’ EP,
https://open.spotify.com/album/1rez5bffl4qEBuLwCnkM8t
‘one seven six eight four nine’ LP (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://open.spotify.com/album/1n90zVgs6amoM9njT8Se4D
2014: joaquim barato - ‘8’ Split EP with Finnish duo Flying Cape Experience (Active Listener Records (NZ), El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/8-split-ep
2013: joaquim barato - ‘April to July’ EP,
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/april-to-july-ep
‘Caress Transgress’ LP (El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/caress-transgress
2012: joaquim barato - ‘Rivers’ LP (Patetico Records (USA), El Vals del Conejo Records)
https://elvalsdelconejo.bandcamp.com/album/rivers
2003: Escaping Calypso - ‘Dreaming of Sleeping Angels’ (limited compact disc, self-edited, not online)
Clippings by international press, about works released as a sound artist:
“João Bispo has enviable talent. There are moments of transcendence on ‘Todo este Tempo’, where influences melt into something fresh and immersive.”
– Japanese Sound and Art Review Online Magazine Brown Noise Unit
“This record is, probably, one of the most complete albums in 2013. You can enjoy it, from the folk pop tunes of 'Weeloo' and the intimate ambient guitars of 'Ragdoll', to the dreamgaze of 'Blossom' and the experimental post-rock in the amazing track Riot Moth."
– Music News site Indie Music In Red
"The
album opens with the the sprawling beauty of ‘Useless unless we can
fly over’ which, much like the rest of the record, pulls on your
heartstrings with its patterns and layers build around small and
minor riffs, but it has certainly towards the end, some sense of
optimism."
- 7.8/10 Backseat Mafia Online Music and Art Magazine
(About
“Caress Transgress) "(…) a proeza em o esculpir numa única
peça, incólume, só tem de merecer os nossos louvores."
- Bandcom Online Music Magazine
“Although the (April to July) EP centres around what would probably be described as a mixture of post-rock and dreampop, there is an exotic leaning to some aspects of his sound that we don't find in many North American or European artists who cover similar sonic ground."
- Online Music Magazine The Sound of Confusion
"
“April to July EP” y “Rivers” de Joaquim Barato dos odas a la
tristeza dulce que se dividen entre canciones instrumentales y otras
en la cual la voz de este músico de Lisboa, Portugal, nos recuerda a
lo expansivo de bandas fundamentales en este registro, como Pavement
o American Music Club. "
- Mexican Online Music, Art and Trivia Magazine Cassette Blog
"His
art can be classified as Folk with a Slowcore, Post Rock-ish accent
peppered with bits of Dream Pop, crafting delicate atmospheres
drowned in a dense emotional state, which gives every piece a
dream-like flavor."
- Brazillian Online Music Magazine loverswhoareseekers
"Joaquim
Barato is a great independent alternative ambient/dream pop solo
artist. This artist is able to combine dark and light ambient
melodies with sad, “haunting” vocals with ease. The latest EP
“April to July” goes from a rainy spring to a hot summer with an
unbelievable calmness."
- Elephant Talk Indie Music Magazine
“O álbum “Rivers” é o mais recente produto desta tensão criativa, um conjunto de oito temas a deambular por uma dreampop obviamente ambiental e interessantemente experimental. Um espírito indie em movimento, em busca de um corpo pop."
- Portuguese Online Music Magazine A Trompa
"...os efeitos são os suficientes para descrever o título da música: não há nada a mais a construir um cenário que, a cada música, nunca se desmorona. Há uma beleza de uma simplicidade e objectividade que é cativante e nos agarra."
- Portuguese Online Music Magazine Bandcom
"...a
very impressive collection of songs that parallel with artists like
Red House Painters and Mojave 3. His full length album entitled
"Rivers" is an emotional yet soothing journey through the
subconscious inspired by life and love."
- U.S. Online Music Magazine and Store Solar Underground Music
