Glimmer by Micro Audio Waves
From an album to a performative and multimedia spectacle
Micro Audio Waves is a Portuguese band that began as a duo in 2000, formed by Flak (guitarist from Rádio Macau) and Carlos Morgado aka C.Morg (electronic instruments). Their early work focused on minimal, experimental electronica, showcased in their debut album Micro Audio Waves in 2002. With the addition of vocalist Cláudia Efe, the band evolved towards electronic pop while retaining their experimental roots. In 2009, they collaborated with renowned choreographer and stage director Rui Horta to create Zoetrope, a unique concert-performance blending live music with video and interactive visuals.
After a long break, the band released their new album in February 2024 named Glimmer. With this latest project, Micro Audio Waves pushes boundaries even further, transforming their album into a breathtaking live performance. We had the chance to watch one of the live performances in the beautiful venue of Teatro São Luiz in Lisbon. This multimedia spectacle combines music, dance, video art, and stunning costumes, all underpinned by themes of ecology and humanity’s connection to nature.
In this interview, we delve into the origins and evolution of Micro Audio Waves, their creative process, and the inspiration behind Glimmer. We’ll explore their collaborations with choreographer Rui Horta, dancer Gaya de Medeiros, and designer Constança Entrudo, as well as the challenges and triumphs of bringing such an ambitious project to life.
Photography Pedro Rosário Nunes
At EGEAC – Teatro São Luiz
Featuring Micro Audio Waves
Choreographer Rui Horta
Dancer Gaya de Medeiros
Stage outfits Constanca Entrudo
Venue Teatro São Luiz
Words and interview by Charlie Chaquet
ZOOT: Can you introduce the members of Micro Audio Waves to our readers?
Micro Audio Waves (MAW): Flak – Guitar; Francisco Rebelo – Bass; C.Morg – Keyboards, Synths; Cláudia Efe – Vocals; and we all are composers, producers and very intuitive.
ZOOT: What were the origins of Micro Audio Waves? How did the band come together, and how has it evolved over the years?
MAW: We started in 2002 with Flak and C.Morg. They were working together on other music projects. At that time was the start of accessible private computers and music software that facilitated music experiments and production. So, the first album, “Micro Audio Waves”, is precisely that, an experimental minimal electronic music, with sound waste at its root and raw material. Cláudia had a small track in it from a jam session made at home with C.Morg.
I [Cláudia] think it went so well with the three of us in our first experiences at the studio, jamming flowed super easily that we made a second album much different from the first and called Francisco Rebelo to add bass tracks in it, “No Waves”. So Francisco was an invited musician since then and someone we always had a special affair with, at the studio and playing live. We toured a lot with this album, played many venues all over Europe.
With the third album, “Odd Size Baggage”, we had an amazing opportunity to open the Sonar Festival in Barcelona live for the BBC Radio for John Peel and that became a huge hit with a Peel Session. He really liked us a lot. This album was a consolidation of the previous, electronic, spoken word, punk cyber rock moments, but always experimenting.
In “Zoetrope”, we decided to work with a contemporary dance choreographer, Rui Horta, and made a full show concept, so this album came out with a DVD at the time. Visually strong, tech defiant, and our sound became more sophisticated with some pop moments that we had been exploring in one or two tracks before “Zoetrope”. It was an amazing tour in Europe and we had the first show in Moscow, which was amazing. The first show in Lisbon was also iconic, there was a film festival happening so we had Sasha Grey, David Cronenberg, David Byrne, Cindy Sherman in the middle of the crowd.
Now there’s “Glimmer” and we had Francisco at all these adventures with us, so we decided that we are four instead of three, and maybe now five instead of four if we count Rui Horta, who came back to choreograph us once again and brought Gaya de Medeiros, an amazing dancer. And this album is optimistic, poetic, luminous, sophisticated and dense and more pop than the previous ones. Had that p’opera feeling that would serve a full show to go with it.
ZOOT: How would you describe your musical identity?
MAW: It’s hard. I [Cláudia] think we have a unique sound, because we are very distinct from anything I hear and, between us, we listen to many different music and have many great references. Also, we are very intuitive, whatever that means, and we get along amazingly. It’s easy for us to get together and do music, it really flows very naturally. Our base is electronic and experimental, but we love pop and spoken word, and rock and punk, and funk… I don’t know, it’s very hard to pin it.
ZOOT: What role does technology play in your creative process? Are there specific tools or devices you always return to?
MAW: Since the beginning, the search for new sounds is very important, so anything that gives that, like synths, modulars, huge sound libraries that can be modified, processed, changed. So yeah. First will come a sound environment that C.Morg or Flak do, then Cláudia comes and gets possessed by what she hears and does her thing, and then comes Francisco to groove it up or down (ahahahah). This is the more usual, but it can be more random. Sometimes, it’s a full improv session and it’s done. When that happens, it’s so, sooo exhilarating.
ZOOT: What are the biggest challenges you face when producing electro/experimental music?
MAW: The main challenges are more promoting it and selling it.. It was always easy for us to make music since technology has been better, smaller and more accessible than ever. The real challenge is to have a strategic investment power to put on a show, promote it and sell it, because creating is an easy, fun and intense rollercoaster ride… Ideas are always popping up!
ZOOT: How did you create your album “Glimmer”, released in February 2024? What themes did you focus on?
MAW: The album has been coming in fruition for a few years, while we were all doing other stuff on our own. During the COVID pandemic, we decided to pick all that material, put it together, decide which songs would make more sense to work on and finish it properly, and that became “Glimmer”, the album. It was quite easy, because there were songs that spoke with each other… Their auras were connected in a non linear way that it had a concept already. Of course, we had to discuss it, guess it was not that easy… C.Morg and Cláudia are very strong minded, sometimes.
ZOOT: “Glimmer” appears to touch on themes of ecology and humanity’s connection to nature. What inspired you to address these themes in your music and performances?
MAW: Well, our band never spoke about romantic love, except for dogs and dreams… But, yeah, we were always connected to our world, politically engaged and aware. The world is super messy, chaotic and not in the good way. We face so many challenges, personal, global and both are connected… So “Glimmer” should hopefully be a space for thought and make good triggers – Glimmers. Invest in kindness, in accepting. We are not emotionally stable, but affection, empathy and care in our small private universe will transboard to the bigger one. It’s not a romantic theme, but it’s an emotional theme that has to do with what it means to be human and to be alive today.
ZOOT: When you released your album, did you already have the idea of turning it into a live show?
MAW: So we released it a few days before the show, but the album was already finished when we started producing the show. We delayed the album for almost a year. We pondered to do a normal concert, but today all art projects are competing in such a small space that it made sense to make a special object for the stage. It’s super rewarding to make it that special… So, when the idea came, we went for it. It has to be special to take people out of their smartphone life.
ZOOT: How did you create this show? Because the music is not the same as on the album, it doesn’t follow the same order.
MAW: Exactly. The album has its own order, it was preconceived before and an audio experience requires a narrative that the show didn’t. “Glimmer”, the show, required another type of narrative, more demanding with more layers. So you have to obey these different meanings and give them what they need in order to function, and communicate what it’s asked. So the show has new tracks that aren’t on the album and it has old ones that have a new sound. Sometime this year, we will release these tracks that were specially made during the show.
ZOOT: How did you develop the collaboration with choreographer Rui Horta? How did he influence your creative process?
MAW: It was good that our previous experience with “Zoetrope” went really well and was very successful. So doing another one wasn’t that random, it helped. This time we were all older, more mature and somehow more ambitious to do something new, with tech and image culture so banalised. We knew that it had to be really special. The process was quite magical, we talked and discussed a lot, made mood boards, storyboards and, by the time we went for the creation, we had a strong concept and aesthetic that we couldn’t astray from. We filmed the videos, made the graphics before and then the song order, the choreography, additional poems, light design. And that’s it. Not easy, super intense, but so much fun and rewarding.
ZOOT: What does the duo of Gaya de Medeiros and Cláudia Efe represent on stage?
MAW: It’s hard to say. It’s a being that sometimes becomes two beings, sometimes three. They are accomplices and represent everyone… But, emotionally, they want to connect, they connect, they fear, they play, they help each other, they fight, they recover, they have fun, they kiss, they party, they elevate and accept life, trying to do their best and our best depends on so many things that we have to take it slow to process and choose and learn better. “Glimmer” is a shimmer of light with no form, a space of potential where everything is new, possible and, above all, hopeful.
ZOOT: How do you hope the audience will interpret and experience the show?
MAW: We never wanted the audience to be too worried with interpretations. We wanted people to have an emotional ride, to feel the underlined, invisible narrative, or concept, but not to be attached to a responsibility of intellectualising what is happening. To let go and accept, enjoy all those feelings, even the ones we’re not so sure about, as part of the process. We wanted the audience to immerse themselves with us, with the emotional sound light bubble of “Glimmer”.
ZOOT: Did the stage outfits designed by Constança Entrudo symbolize specific ideas, how did the collab come together?
MAW: Yes, we really liked the silhouette that she had worked on already in her brand, which is fluid, delicate and messing with proportions and body parts. And the final part of the show was a party and a voguing, so she specially listened to Gaya and Cláudia for that wardrobe exchange and for the fighting sequence with the vests. She was super professional in all the process and with a very clear communication. It was amazing to work and a real pleasure to do this with her. Super smooth.
ZOOT: Were sustainability and eco-friendly materials considered in the creation of the stage outfits, given the environmental themes of “Glimmer”?
MAW: The outfits are from recycled mesh and leftovers from a big company in order to create minimum waste possible. Also, they all can be used outside the show and can live beyond it. Resistant, comfortable and can style it outside its context. Unfortunately the materials are difficult to be eco-friendly… I (Cláudia) think the garment industry is a perfect example of what can be done and with what budget. Which is not much, or enough for now. Actually, to be eco would be to stop producing. There’s enough clothes for everyone. Maybe we tried that already in a parallel universe, because it’s not happening in ours.
ZOOT: Do you intend to extend or adapt “Glimmer” in other forms…book, exhibitions, live recordings?
MAW: Wow! Yeah, we really want to… It’s where we are now, but it’s a secret (ahahahah).
ZOOT: What musicians or artists are you currently listening to, and who is inspiring you at the moment?
MAW – Yves Tumor, Chilli Gonzalez, Jlin, Nala Sinephro and Máximo’s new album, “Pangea”.
Thank you Micro Audio Waves!
To boot …
Micro Audio Waves
@microaudiowaves I open.spotify.com/microaudiowaves I www.youtube.com/@microaudiowaves
Guitar Flak @surreal_flak
Keybord & Synth Carlos Morgado @c.m0rg
Vocals Cláudia Efe @_calhaua___mi_fi
Bass Francisco Rebelo @koochibass
PR @thisisgroundcontrolpt I www.thisisgroundcontrol.pt
Rui Horta — choregrapher
Gaya de Medeiros — dancer
