Hemiboreal recordings and artifacts

KRAMPUSNACHT 2026

 

Catie's Krampusnacht is coming back to the Empty Bottle on Dec. 3, and I myself will be conducting Hemiboreal as an appendage to her event, and sort of a phase of Botanical Readiness.

The Krampusnacht series started as an art exhibition in 2013, and exploded in size at the Co-Prosperity sphere for several years, and then moved to music venus. Hemiboreal, originally conceived as a art+music label project, was meant to restore the exhibition aspect in limited spaces.

This year, I will continue to produce the headwear handed out to guests, and I would like to distribute booklets of drawings as well. Both will lead folks to the Hemiboreal site and the full array of artistic meditations.

 

Mycorrhizal

I've long been imagining Krampus as something out of psychedelic sci-fi or horror: an entity that is partially realized or in the process of becoming observable, as an intrusion into our corporeal plane from without. Lately, I have been thinking about fungal mycorrhizae systems as a connective biological necessity that permeates the secluded spaces of living individuals, and putting the latter notion into question. Krampus would be a social and psychological phenomenon — a mass conjuration or hallucination, dependent on collective insurrectionary energy.

The devilish Krampus is simply the occasional and appropriate fruiting body, as an adversary to similar socially/psychologically connective systems that can erupt into the most spiritually-invasive political figures of our day. But, the boundaries of these opposing mycorrhizae systems may be messier than expected.

 

What I'd like to include from others

Audio
Deadline: Dec. 2

I myself am aiming to make more formless noise, and finding myself listening to more late-stage Merzbow, whose CDs I sold off about 20 years ago. His Bardo Thodol collaboration from this past summer is quite pleasant.

In any case: chaos and indeterminacy tend to fit the bill for Krampus. But I suppose gentle drones and patterns could be a nice approach as well.

 

 

Drawings — for print matter, and this site
Deadline: Nov. 28

I would black-and-white drawings/versions for a booklet for the event, and to showcase them in their original form here (with color, if present).

Pages will be 4.25"w, 5.5"h. Or spreads: 8.5"x5.5".

But ultimately, anything goes in terms of drawings. Traditional visions of Krampus are certainly welcome.

 

Other materials for the printed booklet
Deadline: Nov. 28

This can be writing, b&w photography, etc.

Pages will be 4.25"w, 5.5"h. Or spreads: 8.5"x5.5".

 

Other materials for this site
Deadline: Dec. 2

Anything goes, honestly. Whatever tickles your fancy for this Krampusnacht season. Autumnal photography can be quite nice.