In the world of postmodern dance, the Italian-born Simone Forti is unanimously revered for her groundbreaking work in choreography, her early contributions to the Fluxus movement, and her extensive collaborations with artists of all trades — including composers La Monte Young, Jon Gibson, and Charlemagne Palestine. What’s considerably less known is that Forti, now based in Los Angeles, has also dabbled in music herself. On May 4, Al Di Là, the first-ever collection of Forti’s recordings, will see the light of the day.
The album will be released by Saltern, a record label founded by composer Tashi Wada (the son of another prominent Fluxus artist, Yoshi Wada). Featuring previously-unreleased pieces from the 1960s through the 80s — and including guest appearances by Young and Marian Zazeela — the collection highlights “Forti’s use of her voice, folk songs, handmade instruments, and physical space.”
Al Di Là can be pre-ordered here, and will come out on a single CD in an edition of 550. The disc’s 27-page booklet will exhibit a selection from Forti’s innumerable writings, drawings, and photos. No pieces from the album have been made available yet, but check out a video of Forti explaining a recent performance she staged in New York down below, followed by the album’s (stark but fitting) cover art:
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