Fort Process

For one day every two years, Newhaven Fort brims with preposterously abundant charm, when experimental music festival Fort Process takes over the whole fort. The location makes for a truly unique arts experience: we caught the tuba doom of ORE in a small underground tunnel for example. The close environs accentuated the encompassing drone, and the high pitched bewailing of a wandering bagpipe player perfectly complemented the bassy rumble.

A stroll around the ramparts reveals a range of innovative installations including drum violins which we were encouraged to bow ourselves, other installations responding to the wind in various ways, e.g. through the wind creating analogue wooshes, or speakers responding to wind speed with higher or lower tones. Max Eastley’s aeolian piece was a fantastic interactive work, wherein string bowing and metal tapping created a fun soundscape for visitors.

There is an astonishing breadth to the music programming: the minimal guitar of Rhys Chatham was a masterclass in how to layer chiming guitars within a certain tuning, New Interpretations Orchestra had melodic fun with John Zorn’s Cobra game, whereas Shatner’s Bassoon delivered a ludicrously tight jazz math rock set that was the musical highlight of the day.

A more electronic leaning this year worked wonders for creating a buoyant atmosphere, with the rave noise of Isn’tses and the distorted screams and beats of Aja providing some of the more raucous and popular moments. On the more contemplative side, renaissance polyphony group Voces Castrum were an a cappella choral change of pace, whereas Bell Lung’s ambient Liz Fraser-ish vocal noodling and pastoral explorations were a contrasting calm to the noise that came before it.

Newhaven Fort, 22 September 2018

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