Colin Self announces Donna Haraway-influenced cyborg opera Siblings

Centered around the narrative of a non-biological family settling on a damaged planet.

Experimental musician and performance artist Colin Self has announced the release of Siblings, the sixth and final segment of the artist’s opera series Elation.

Siblings – which is described by RVNG as a “sound scrapbook” – sees Self combine snatches of conversation with recordings of vocalists from Xhoir, a “non-utilitarian vocal workshop” led by the artist. The opera centres around a loose narrative that challenges gender binaries and explores unconventional familial dynamics.

Inspired by the work of theorist Donna Haraway, author of A Cyborg Manifesto, the opera tells the story of a non-biological family as they “generate ways of collectively coming together on a damaged planet”, featuring a cast that includes experimental musician Michael Beharie, percussionist Greg Fox and The Mivos Quartet.

Colin Self is perhaps best known as one third of Holly Herndon’s live band and has also collaborated with Amnesia Scanner. The Siblings live show which combines experimental theatre and vocal performance, premiered last year at Donaufestival in Austria.

Siblings will be released on November 2 in limited vinyl and digital editions via RVNG Intl. Check out the cover art and tracklist below.

Tracklist:

01. ‘Story’
02. ‘Foresight’
03. ‘Survival’
04. ‘Quorum’ [Feat. Aunt Sister]
05. ‘Ante-Strategy’
06. ‘Stay With The Trouble (For Donna)’
07. ‘Emblem’
08. ‘Transitions’
09. ‘Research Sister’
10. ‘Uncounted’
11. ‘The Great Refusal’