Video portrait: Moor Mother on free jazz as a liberation technology and curating at LGW18

Recordings

"I call free jazz a liberation technology, and it’s very essential to anything that I make. It has to have that conductor running through my music for it to be successful, or for me to get across the point that I want to get across.

Philly-based noise artist, activist and wordsmith Moor Mother curates her very own program at Le Guess Who? 2018. We recently caught up with her in London, before a performance at Café OTO, to discuss free jazz, writing political songs, and putting Saul Williams and King Britt together for a special collaboration as part of her curation.

Watch the video portrait below. Moor Mother recently also put together a personal playlist for her curation at Le Guess Who? 2018, highlighting some of her favorite tracks of each artist she invites.

"Musicians really breaking their own pressure point or so-called limitations, and just being authentic. That was the thread that I wanted to have running through the curation."

Moor Mother's curated program at Le Guess Who? features Art Ensemble of Chicago, Saul Williams & King Britt present 'Unanimous Goldmine', Emel Mathlouthi, Nicole Mitchell, Irreversible Entanglements feat. Pat Thomas, RP Boo, GAIKA, Pan Daijing presents: 'Fist Piece', FAKA, LYZZA, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, MAJA S.K. Ratkje, Islam Chipsy & EEK, 700 Bliss, Maria Chavez, Ras_G & The Afrikan Space Program, DJ Haram, and Eartheater.

Created by Nick Helderman
Sound edit by Marc Broer
Art by Nick Liefhebber

Special thanks to Café OTO, Pat Thomas, and Elaine Mitchener.