Abigail
Toll (UK/DE) is an experimental music artist, researcher and composer based
in Berlin. Her psychoacoustic sound-worlds are
a
“beguiling concoction of abstract minimalism,
pensive drone and thrumming electronics” (Boomkat).
Her artistic research focuses on the
anarchic sonic potential of datasets; ancient landscapes and architectures. Matrices
of Vision is the
title of her debut record which was released in
September
2023 on Shelter Press. 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 is set to release collaborative records on her new label Tranceversal Voices, including: 'Despair Rituals' – long form melancholic improvisations with cellist Helena Espvall; and 'Fractals' – music taken from an installation with visual artist Stina Baudin at ZK/U Berlin, Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik. Additionally, she will release as a duo with drummer-composer Manuel Chittka on Codex.
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 new experimental event series, and at HOLON – an interdisciplinary format exploring the social discourse between art, music, design and emerging technologies. She presented a collaborative exhibition with Stina Baudin for the series Rehearsing Moves on Hazy Paths in 2023. Her work and performances have been shown at: 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
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 new experimental event series, and at HOLON – an interdisciplinary format exploring the social discourse between art, music, design and emerging technologies. She presented a collaborative exhibition with Stina Baudin for the series Rehearsing Moves on Hazy Paths in 2023. Her work and performances have been shown at: 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