Mariam Rezaei's residency at Cafe Oto in November 2023 was all about new music, new partnerships, new dynamics. "I admire all the musicians, and they are all very different from each other. Above all, they are all composers, performers and improvisers working in multidisciplinary contexts. I always joke about Limp Bizkit and being the DJ in a big band. So forming a group with Lukas Koenig, Mette Rasmussen and Gabriele Mitelli is both a dream and a joke come true. I have a cheeky sense of humor, but I'm dead serious about making music and finding a fun and interesting dynamic with other musicians. Turntablism is a series of constantly evolving continuities. I know and understand this, not only in my being, but in my music. Through its sensitivity and nuance, the turntable creates new timbres and unusual techniques (...) We won't rehearse, we won't talk about it, we'll just turn it up and play." (Mariam Rezaei)

The Ensemble Kurdophone is a cultural melting pot from Vienna and consists of five musicians from Iran and Austria. With their unique fusion of old Kurdish-Iranian melodies and Western influences, they have established themselves as winners of the Creole 2 competition. They draw their musical ideas from a wide range of styles, including traditional Kurdish folk music, jazz and contemporary music. The ensemble's instrumentation is as diverse as their cultural background: tanbur (Kurdish long-necked lute), kamanche (Iranian spiked violin), vocals, violin, piano, double bass as well as drums and percussion. Kurdophone has succeeded in developing a unique artistic voice that connects and inspires people of all backgrounds. (press release)