Abigail
Toll is an English, Berlin-based sound artist, composer and researcher who makes a beguiling mix of abstract minimalism, pensive drone and thrumming electronics (Boomkat). Her live
shows melt together psychoacoustics, hypnotic vocals and noise to “both divine and terrifying” effect.
Her debut record Matrices of Vision (rel. Shelter Press, 2023) focuses on the sonic and emotional potential of harmonics and data. It was originally premiered as an ensemble performance, featuring Rebecca Lane, Lucy Railton, and Evelyn Saylor at KM28, and Klosterruine with KW Institute of Contemporary Art in Berlin. It was described by Bandcamp as “40 exquisite moments” and GRM: Radio France as “a fascinating record – hyper concentrated on [Toll’s] academic training which loops back to a kind of exorcism.”
Her debut record Matrices of Vision (rel. Shelter Press, 2023) focuses on the sonic and emotional potential of harmonics and data. It was originally premiered as an ensemble performance, featuring Rebecca Lane, Lucy Railton, and Evelyn Saylor at KM28, and Klosterruine with KW Institute of Contemporary Art in Berlin. It was described by Bandcamp as “40 exquisite moments” and GRM: Radio France as “a fascinating record – hyper concentrated on [Toll’s] academic training which loops back to a kind of exorcism.”
Toll’s current installations and artistic research explore the more-than-human connections between pastoral tradition, psychoacoustics and folk music.
New Releases:
OUT NOW: 'Despair Rituals' (Tranceversal Voices) – collaboration with Helena Espvall
UPCOMING: ‘IDOL’ (rel. Superpang, Oct. ‘25)
UPCOMING: ‘IDOL’ (rel. Superpang, Oct. ‘25)
Extended bio
Toll studied English Literature and Art History (BA) at Sussex University (Brighton, UK), Electroacoustic Composition (MA) at KMH–The Royal College of Music in Stockholm (SE) and is the recipient of numerous scholarships. She was an artist in residence for the Amplify Berlin programme in 2018 with Caterina Barbieri and Maya Shenfeld, shortly after which she released her first EP Old World | New Ruins in 2019 under the moniker Ionian Death Robes. She is an artistic programmer for Tranceversal Voices – a multidimentional format for deep listening, drone, hypnotic club music and poetry resonating beyond categories, and at HOLON – an interdisciplinary format exploring the social discourse between art, music, design and emerging technologies. She presented a collaborative exhibition exploring data and co-creation with Stina Baudin for the series Rehearsing Moves on Hazy Paths in 2023. Her work and performances have been shown at: Heart of Noise (Innsbruck, AU); Gibanja, Kontejner (Zagreb, CR); tekhne, GMEA (Albi, FR); Casa del Popolo (Montreal, CA); Klosterruine; KW Institute for Contemporary Art; ZK/U; Kunsthalle Gent; The Lucerne School of Music (Lucerne, CH); LAS – Pawilon (Poznan, PL); Volksbühne (Berlin, DE); Swedish Association of New Music Promoters, (Gävle, SE); l’Ancienne Belgique (Brussels, BEL); The Drone Society (London, UK); Lisa (Lisbon, PT); UT Connewitz, (Leipzig, DE); Arttheater, (Cologne, DE); and with Tiara Roxanne at re:publica (Berlin, DE), Images Festival (Toronto, CA) and AMOQA (Athens, GR) among others.
Bookings: abigail.j.toll(at)gmail.com