bela + 33EMYBW & Joey Holder

Bela is one of the most internationally acclaimed non-binary artists on the South-East Asian scene. Born in Paju, South Korea, they are currently based in Berlin. Their vibrant performances combine the latest electronic trends with pungmul, a Korean folk act rooted in farming traditions and linked to past social movements, with voices inspired by the most extreme metal. bela transforms pungmul into a ritual of anger and pain through a show packed with distortion, cries and dramatic intensity.

Since they relocated to Berlin in autumn 2022, bela has taken part in the SHAPE+ Platform, presented their work at different settings in Europe, including Berghain, Trauma Bar und Kino, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Cafe OTO and A4 Bratislava, and has performed at experimental electronic music festivals like CTM Festival, Unsound Kraków, Rewire Festival and Intonal. They also co-direct the Sorrow Club sound project. This performance at She Makes Noise is their debut in Spain.

The Shanghai-based producer and visual artist 33EMYBW has been an active member and leading light of China’s indie music scene for more than a decade. For the close of this tenth edition of She Makes Noise, she presents the première in Madrid of her collaboration with the producer and visual artist Joey Holder. Symbolising evolution from a non-human perspective, their joint set revolves around extinct species while transferring the habitats of all resilient creatures to sound parameters.

33EMYBW draws inspiration from electronic club music, which she blends with South-East Asian folk music and traditions to create dark, rhythmic ambiences. Her 2018 album Golem, released on the acclaimed Chinese label SVBKVLT, was praised by international critics and voted one of the best electronic albums of the year. Since then, she has released Arthropods, Trans-Aeon Express with the visual artist Gooooose, which generates post-human and 3D environments. Her fourth studio album, Holes of Sinian, features collaborations with Marian Herlop, Batu, Forrest Gander and Oxi peng. 33EMYBW has presented her work at the Nyege Nyege Festival, Unsound Festival, SXSW, MIRA Festival and the CTM.