——— Billy Bultheel (A Short History of Decay) (BE-DE)
Billy Bultheel lives and works between Berlin and Brussels. His experimental compositions merge contemporary music with Medieval and Renaissance polyphony, creating site-specific performances where musicians interact dynamically with architecture, sculpture, and custom-built instruments.
A Short History of Decay draws inspiration from Romanian existentialist Emil M. Cioran’s 1949 book of the same title, a collection of bleak yet poignant aphorisms on topics like fanaticism, religion, music, and the nature of progress. Written in the grim aftermath of WWII, Cioran’s work resonates as a critique of fascism, idolization, and the chaotic potentials of human nature.
A Short History of Decay divides the audience into two unequal groups, each with a different vantage point on the performance. A small group is invited to take a seat at the table close to the musicians, while the larger group is guided to seats surrounding a towering instrument that resonates and amplifies the organ tones of the performance. Throughout the performance, the musicians act as mediators, navigating the space between these two groups. By interacting with both the people at the privileged table and the instrument, which serves as a beacon amidst a sea of people, the musicians create a poetic interplay between sound, space, and audience.
The performance is punctuated by three monologues displayed on a screen on stage. Like speeches at demonstrations or sermons, these anonymous talking heads share found texts, anecdotes, and poetry reflecting on Berlin's current political climate. The texts are inspired by Emil Cioran, Henri Michaux, and Constantine P. Cavafy, writers who were active in the early 20th century, around the rise of fascism. Written in collaboration with Edwin Nasr, a Lebanese writer and curator recently disenfranchised by the German system for speaking out against the Israeli onslaught on Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, the texts will be rewritten and re-recorded for future performances to address the geo-political context of the venue.
Bultheel’s title also nods to his historic instrument-building practice, which examines resonators found in the walls of medieval Orthodox churches. These historical psycho-acoustical relics, originally used to regulate and harmonize church reverb in resonance with Gregorian church modes, are re-appropriated to create a unique auditory experience. Gaia Heichal assisted Bultheel in the instrument research and construction for A
Short History of Decay. The scenography was developed in collaboration with Andrea Belosi.
Bultheel’s compositions feel like relics themselves—soothing and alarming at the same time. On one hand, they reinterpret ancient Gregorian melodies, re-adapted for strings to resonate in full brightness within the ancient resonators of the instrument. On the other hand, driving blast beats and screaming distortion introduce dissonance, as the complex isometric canons create palpable tension among the instrumentalists. This duality encapsulates Bultheel’s signature style. A Short History of Decay is performed by an ensemble of five musicians, combining strings, piano, flute, voice, and electronic elements. Collaborators include Caleb Salgado on bass, Adam Sinclaire on flute, soprano Hannah Endrulat, and cellist Chloe Lula. Andrea D’Arsie supports Bultheel with electronics.
Billy Bultheel’s previous works include The Thief’s Journal at Atonal Berlin (2023), Workers in Song at WIELS, Brussels (2023), and Mt. Analogue at the Pinault Collection in Paris (2023). His ongoing explorations have brought his music to diverse platforms, including collaborations with artists like Anne Imhof, for whom he composed for Faust (2017) and Sex (2019). Additionally, he has created music for choreographers and theatre productions across Europe. A compilation of pieces created between 2016 and 2023 was released on PAN Records under the album title Two Cycles in 2024.
//Une création exclusive en ouverture des Nuits Botanique 2025, avec le soutien de SABAM For Culture.
——— INFOS
• Rotonde (Botanique) / Doors 19:30
• Bota'Carte 16.5€ (
https://bit.ly/Bota_Carte)
• Ticket 19.5€
• Day of show 22.5€
(costs included)
——— TICKETS
FR:
https://botanique.be/fr/concert/billy-bultheel-short-history-decay-2025
NL:
https://botanique.be/nl/concert/billy-bultheel-short-history-decay-2025
EN:
https://botanique.be/en/concert/billy-bultheel-short-history-decay-2025
——— TAKE THE CONCERT TRAIN
With the SNCB code on your concert ticket you can buy a nominative Bravo! Ticket Bota at a very budget friendly fare. These E-train tickets are available exclusively on bit.ly/BravoTicketBota
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