UMFM 101.5 is proud to present the 2nd annual art-music expo, ArtSonic at the newly re-furbished Ramada Entertainment Centre.

Designed to showcase performers creating Art Music -- ArtSonic brings together a diverse assortment of musicians, filmmakers, video, still, and spoken word artists to one space for one evening of continuous entertainment.

Much has been said about Winnipeg's reputation as a centre of artistic experimentation and expression. Artist Murray Toews was in the audience last year, and so inspired by the vision of ArtSonic he offered up his skills as a video artist/animator/producer to help curate this year's show. ArtSonic is an event that takes a cross section of hidden and general undercurrents existing within Winnipeg's alternative art and music scenes, and respondsby merging them into a general theme and location, says Toews.

"Last year's event forged many new artistic alliances, and ArtSonic features the results," says UMFM's Station Manager and ArtSonic's chief organizer Liz Clayton, "We are also really excited by the additional performers and artists who have agreed to contribute this year.

Winnipeg's renaissance vocal choir Camerata Nova will be performing original compositions by artistic director Andrew Balfour, who is absolutely brilliant. You may also recognize Richard Moody in the line up -- he's the newest member of CN. Videographer Bryan Bessant will be providing an ambient video backdrop to their ArtSonic appearance."

Also on stage:

• Vav Jungle was the featured musical act at the WAG's "Live in the Centre" evening curated by Shawna Dempsey - June '04, which launched the Winnipeg Performance Art Retrospecive.
• The Absent Sound played the international Send + Receive Festival - they have expanded their show with layers of ambient sound, lights, film, and dramatic interactions by stiltwalker Brian Longfield and dancer Freya Olafson.
• artist/filmmaker Robert Pasternak was unable to participate last year, given he was jetting off to the Venice Film Festival to screen "The Affirmation of Jimmy Brown". At ArtSonic, he'll narrate the film, while theramin player Bobby Bilan mixes the live soundscape.
• avant garde art fixture Greg Hanek has evolved his multimedia experiments through the Ideas and Methods series at the Graffiti Gallery (GAP). His newest incarnation "Philia" is a solo act that utilizes samples, clarinet, trumpet, recorder, percussion, violin, film and video to make this act as unpredictable as possible.
• The Antigravity Project amazed audiences last year with a tribal trilogy tightly choreographed to a spectacular video. This prog rock/jazz fusion trio is creating a multimedia piece called Metronomicon for this ArtSonic.
• Dave Streit has grown his tree-planting poetry from one voice and a percussive bicycle to an ensemble of acoustic sound-makers clustered around a sculpted easel hung with an assortment of recycled metals.

Murray Toews will also be performing on stage with his experimental music group Random Interference. Prog rockers Mahogany Frog will wrap up the evening with their retro style several keyboards, and lots of hair. Lots of surprises between the music, too poetry slammers Nico Rogers & Paul Friesen, and spoken word shorts from Kevin Chubey with Unravelled Brown Cassette Lying on a Freeway, and Tristan Norberg-Goodmanson.

Alongside the performers, art will flourish in the lounge-y lobby area. Last year's Gallery of Galleries included Plug-In, Ace Art, Graffiti and others. This year it will return featuring some of these along with The Annex and ArtCity. Individual artists will also be present with installations of recent work. For those who want to forgo the sedentary art experience to schmooze in the lobby, we will provide a live video feed of performances inside the theatre, so you won't miss a single moment.

As one of two annual UMFM fundraising events, ArtSonic also marks the station's 6th anniversary. And with this much colourful culture, ArtSonic promises a sumptuous, sit-back-in-your-seat full sensory experience.

Advance Tickets are $10 and available at Answers (U of M), Into the Music, Urban Bakery, Music Trader (Osborne Village only).