Terraforma Exo. A decade has passed since the project's inception, and this year we witness a transformation in its name, graphic identity and, above all, its location. For those who remember, the festival's inaugural 2014 edition bore the subtitle “Experimental and sustainable music”, clearly delineating its well-defined project profile from the outset. Foremost among its objectives: rejuvenating Milan's club culture, moving beyond the "nightclub only" experience to create a comprehensive 360-degree musical experience.

What unites all editions is the meticulous selection of artists and lineups, an environmental ethos and the creation of an unmistakable atmosphere. “Terraforming”, from which the title derives, denotes a process to make another planet habitable by altering its atmosphere and synergies. Over the years, the production has cultivated a passionate, engaged community that shares its principles, extending far beyond music alone. Chief among these: leaving a positive impact on the territory. As stated in the press release, the project “was conceived as a platform for artistic research and experimentation, guided by fundamental values of care and respect for both people and the environment”.

Exo is the project's latest evolution. From the ancient Greek ἔξω, the prefix signifies "outside," "external," or "outer." This notion of stepping out, of being outside, is understood as an act born from a process. The focus remains on a new sonic ecology, as originally intended. According to the website, it represents "a curatorial exploration aiming to transcend closed spaces to explore new sonic and human geographies”. Thoughtfully curated, the two-days event occupied the garden and interiors of the Triennale, the library in Parco Sempione, the Teatro Continuo di Burri and for the pure nocturnal clubbing part, the Industrial District 4 on Via Toffetti in collaboration with Gatto Verde. Terraforma has chosen Burri's Teatro (1973) as a stage to extend the notion of performance space into the urban environment, offering a free Sunday open to the public. The curatorial program features live performances, installations, sound walks and lectures with international thinkers, musicians and artists working within the spectrum of sound and ecology.

Threes Productions and the very origins

Threes Production, founded bty Ruggero Pietromarchi, Dario Nepoti and Alberto Brenta, is an independent non-profit cultural association that conceived, created and curated Terraforma.

Since 2012, this creative agency has been committed to cultural sustainability, focusing on the development and promotion of experimental projects in music and art with an ecological approach. Threes has become known as a multidisciplinary and collaborative platform, involved in everything from event design and organization to the creation of editorial and musical content, employing a research-driven and innovative methodology.

It also handles the production of the Nextones festival (coming soon in July), Una Boccata d’Arte and numerous art and music projects in collaboration with institutions such as the MAXXI in Rome, Museo Madre in Naples, Manifattura Tabacchi, Hangar Bicocca, BASE, Teatro Franco Parenti and many others, including Manifesta Palermo (for historical details, see https://www.threesproductions.com/it/projects/).

This year’s edition: Terraforma Exo, a new sonic geography

Sound, whether generated by an electronic device or nature, is a concept, liberation and deep listening. It is a catalyst for personal and collective identity growth, fostering a profound awareness of place, context and community.

From June 15 to 16 in Milan, Terraforma Exo returns, becoming the most vibrant sonic ecosystem of the weekend. Set in the heart of Milan, its new format aims to escape enclosed spaces and explore new sonic and human geographies. This rebranding of the concept that has animated Villa Arconati for eight years changes its graphic identity and aesthetic dimension.

Threes Production promotes a rich program aimed at genuine, participatory, and profound engagement with the artists’ work. Moments of introspection and lectures, evenings of pure dance, and internationally renowned artists stimulate a critical exploration of what it means to listen and to be together. Sound alone can creatively transform a space and those who inhabit it, shaping new relational ecosystems. It is not just about artists performing but reflecting on how their art modifies social dynamics and, consequently, the places where these dynamics occur. This edition represents a possibly more mature dimension compared to previous ones, though it has suffered the usual drawbacks of any "first experiment." As always, the focus is on sonic ecology, a term revived from the movement founded by Schafer in 1977. Schafer published "The Tuning of the World”, presenting his most sustained argument for what he called "acoustic ecology." Inspired by Pythagoras's idea that the cosmos itself is a musical composition, he wrote:

““Both the listener and the composer become architects of sound, which modifies the surrounding natural and human landscape, becoming responsible for giving it shape and beauty. I am going to treat the world soundscape as a macrocosmic musical composition”.”

He described the soundscape as an "ultrasound of the vibrations of nature and its inhabitants, which, with a microphone functioning like a camera, imprints and samples its minutest details".

““The festival emerged from this ethos: a musical project on one side and an environmental regeneration initiative on the other”, remarks Ruggero Pietromarchi. “We take pride in Terraforma Exo’s goal to aid in the protection and enhancement of Italian cultural heritage, reimagining it through contemporary languages. This fosters a synergy between traditional and modern culture, advocating for historic locations as both functional and sustainable”.”

Artists, spaces and collaborations

We experienced a great deal during the two days of EXO.

The first day, Saturday the 15th, animates the interior spaces of the Triennale and its Garden. It kicks off with a lecture and live performance by David Toop, a composer and preeminent sound theorist and philosopher. Since the 1970s, Toop has developed a practice at the intersection of sound, listening, materials, ambient music, and ecology. Alongside John Cage, Pierre Schaeffer, and Brian Eno, he is a key figure in the evolution of contemporary music. Toop’s Ocean of Sound (1995) is a tribute to ambient music and a poetic exploration of contemporary musical life, from Debussy to ambient, techno, and drum 'n' bass. He will present a lecture showcasing the results of his lifelong practice, blending improvisational writing and music, curating exhibitions, and sound art. This event will also introduce the reissue of the "Obscure Records" box set, featuring ten historic records from the 1970s.

In the Teatro dell’Arte at the Triennale, Eraldo Bocca’s monumental AUDIOR Acusmonium (2012) is installed. Bocca, an electroacoustic designer and environmental acoustic consultant, has assembled over 80 speakers, 50 amplifiers, an analog 32-channel spatialization console and two digital 16-channel consoles arranged around the audience. This speaker orchestra is intended for the concert interpretation of electroacoustic music, aiming to spatialize sound "in a manner that organizes the acoustic space according to the hall's characteristics and the psychological space according to the work’s attributes”. The installation featured a curated selection of acousmatic music, including works by Bernardo Parmegiani, François Bayle, and Pierre Schaeffer.

Also installed within the Triennale’s interiors from 6pm is the Odular Organ System (2017), a site-specific and spatially expansive sound installation conceived by Konrad Sprenger and Phillip Sollmann. Previously showcased at the CTM Festival in Berlin this year, it comprises organ pipes and materials such as ceramic, wood, and plastic, blending concert, installation, environment and performance. At times, only the electrical hum of its motors is audible; at others, its compelling low frequencies resonate.

The atrium of the Triennale Milano hosted a luminous and sound installation by the collective Tutto Questo Sentire (TQS), founded in 2014 by experimental soprano Olivia Salvadori, composer and cellist Sandro Mussida and video artist Rebecca Salvadori. The installation will be activated by live acoustic intervals on the Grand Staircase. The collective act Landscapes is conceived as an open construction site that simultaneously builds and documents the collaborative practice and approach of the collective. Among the works are Albe by Sandro Mussida (2023), Messengers by Rebecca Salvadori (2023), a film and live audio/video set soundtracked by Kenichi Iwasa; and a live performance by experimental soprano Olivia Salvadori and drummer Akihide Monna (GAISTER).

As evening descends, we gather in the Triennale garden for Damsel Elysium, whose work delves into the beauty and horror of nature. Based in London, she is a poly-instrumentalist, composer, and experimental artist in sound, visual, and performance realms. Utilizing double bass, violin, piano, and sampled recordings, she transmutes the physical and natural worlds. Her latest release "Whispers From Ancient Vessels" is a collection of narratives, reconnecting with nature's beings and their poignant sounds, traversing experimental ambient and noise.

EXO continues with an installation by Caterina Barbieri (known for collaborating on Due Qui to Haer Italy Pavilion by Bartolini and Cerizza) presenting 'Ultimo Cielo,' a new piece and sound installation set, co-curated with Elevate Festival.

At 22pm Kembra Pfahler takes the stage, the matriarch of East Village counterculture, a pioneering feminist and fashion muse who has pushed the boundaries of performance art through provocative interventions. Her live show "Availabism," conceived with CIRCA for Terraforma Exo as part of her current 12-phase educational program "The Manual of Action”, projected worldwide, explores the maximization of available resources. Founder of the glam punk rock group The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black and co-initiator of Future Feminism, a movement advocating gender equality and ecological awareness, Pfahler critiques theatricality and commercial spectacle, promoting a total and radical approach to femininity and beauty through self-made props, body paintings, absurd costumes, and her unique sonic vocabulary.

The evening concludes with the renowned live set CBM 8032 AV by Robert Henke in collaboration with Anna Tskhovrebov, exploring the aesthetics of simple graphics and sound using computers from the early 1980s, as discussed in depth in our previous article.

Now for the pure clubbing segment. We embark on a journey to Gatto Verde, the Milanese spin-off of Club Adriatico, pulsating in Industrial District 4, Corvetto area. Throughout the night, Ojoo, hailing from Morocco and part of the SHAPE+ artist roster, sets the dance floor alight with groove-infused rhythms, navigating through fun-filled Afro-style dancehall and dub soundscapes, mixtapes echoing chance encounters and chrome. We'll also hear her play within the labyrinth of Lost Music Festival. Next up is Livwutang, a New York-based dj known for an eclectic series of exuberant kinetics, introspective force, and chaotic prowess in any dance flow, always oscillating between dance and dub. "I want to play in a stranger, not harder way": Liv began making a name for herself with fervent and rapid mix productions, showcasing her dj skills and range. Her dedication to music, exploration, and DIY scenes is stronger than ever. Closing the night is Nobuhito Horiuchi aka Dj Nobu, the Japanese techno trance master. In addition to his own productions, Nobu manages the Future Terror club and leads his own label, Bitta. "After seeing Jeff Mills perform in Tokyo, he decided to change his sound with techno": a visionary of alternative electronic music: intense, unexpected and unrestricted by any single style.

Some more, some less fatigued from the previous evening, we convene on Sunday at Parco Sempione's ecosystem, where attention centers on Teatro Continuo di Burri, curated in collaboration with Hundebiss Records, the milanese label championing inclusivity in the music industry.

Morning brings Margarida Mendes, researcher, curator and consultant for environmental NGOs, exploring ecology through sound practices and experimental film. The focus is on probing environmental shifts and their impact on cultural and social frameworks. Mendes will present "Expanded River Listening," co-curated with Semibreve and supported by TIMES, at the park's library. Portuguese scholar Margarida Mendes will guide participants on a journey through the Mississippi and Tejo rivers, sharing her sound methodologies and field studies, alongside visuals from her travels and stories heard in remote sonic landscapes.

Milan's all-female collective Slipmode and research agency Hyperscapes Research Office lead a workshop exploring the park's sonic landscapes (supported by Shape+). Both initiatives offer an auditory voyage through Milan's urban tapestries, capturing subterranean frequencies and vibrations.

The stage ignites with Plethor X's work, a duo featuring Italian sound designer Giovanni Isgò and Jermay Michael Gabriel, a transdisciplinary artist and curator of eriopian-ethiopian origin. Critically engaging with colonial drama and East Africa's colonial history, they envision anti-hegemonic horizons for a region deeply marked by European exploitation. Their debut album, "What U Mean”, freshly unveils: fragmented remnants of traumatized memory resurface involuntarily from the subconscious.

Subsequently, Nídia takes the stage, internationally acclaimed afro-portuguese electronic producer. Through Príncipe Disco label and artistic collective, she brings a progressive aesthetic and ethical stance to contemporary alternative dance worldwide.

Valentina Magaletti, a festival fixture, is a drummer-composer and multi-instrumentalist. Her versatile technique, employing drums, percussion and Marimba, explores microphone contact and found objects. Behind a delicate ceramic kit, she hammers motorik rhythms, redefining percussion's role in contemporary music. Both DJs showcased their talent last year at Ortigia Sound System, viewing music as a safe haven and essential discourse: "In music and other creative realms, one must sense the energy emitted by people".

Following, Kelman Duran, a key figure in L.A.'s recent underground scene, Dominican producer, composer, and visual artist known for expansive soundscapes merging Dembow and Reggaeton. His artistic and academic pursuits focus on racism, police brutality, and the interaction between non-private groups and civil architecture. He'll perform live at Terraforma Exo, in collaboration with Utrecht's famed festival Le Guess Who?, enhancing his global profile.

Closing Terraforma Exo, Chima Isaaro from Lisbon, dancer and digger fresh from Sònar 2024, guides melodic journeys rooted in Black rhythmic origins. Specializing in uplifting, soulful Black dance music—from techno and house to disco, soul, jazz, and locally-sourced batida—her sets celebrate groove, identity, and community.

Terraforma: the genesis of an intention, The genesis of a statement

Threes Production intention, from the early days in the Assab One space in the Cimiano area, north Milan, has been to intertwine the musical dimension – never mainstream – with the artistic and ecological dimensions. Therefore, the festival should be understood not merely as a moment of celebration or a large gathering of friends, but as an entry into a sensitive atmosphere, dedicated to deep listening and reflection on one's place, purpose, and how better coexistence with the environment can be achieved. It is crucial to highlight that everything has been independently self-financed through ticket sales, bar revenues, and sponsorship partnerships.

The initial seeds from which the festival would grow are found in an old project called Techno Portraits at Assab One: a conversation with the artist, a live performance moment and then the actual music evening. Techno Portraits was a series of three events that explored "subtracting electronic music from the 'dance' aspect, thus extracting it from the classic club context, changes its approach and the usual point of view, leading the audience to a different and more conscious listening experience”. The three artists were Rabih Beani (a historical resident of the event), Paul Randolph & Isoul8 and Jaki Liebezeit & Burnt Friedman.

In the words of the founder Ruggero Pietromarchi, the original inspiration looked at projects like Labyrinth (held in Japan near Niigata in a nature reserve, which combined the sonic dimension with the natural one), the reggae festival in Veneto Rototom Sunsplash and Dissonanze.

Everything began at Villa Arconati, where Terraforma managed to attract a broad international audience (a rarity in Italy), establishing itself as a festival of excellence and high quality. The production has implemented a process of requalification and maintenance of Parco delle Groane and the gardens of the majestic 18th-century villa at the outskirts of Milan (Bollate), four hectares of 18th-century italian gardens, in collaboration with the Fondazione Augusto Rancilio and a series of partnerships with companies and brands focused on sustainability. In the vast forest, the festival erected architectures and stages for performances, workshops, and markets. The first edition, attended by about a hundred people, was described as immersive, exciting, and unprecedented for the Italian landscape.

The festival's core philosophy focuses on the radical and original essence of Threes Production: linking the sense of rhythm to the natural frequencies of the environment. The commitment to sustainability is reflected in its carefully curated, zero-waste programming and approach, promoting policies such as "one stage at a time," ensuring a fluid and engaging musical experience for the audience without overlapping shows.

During and after the pandemic, the event reinterpreted itself and its dynamics, expanding into a constellation of projects and processes scattered throughout the city, including the Terraforming Protocols workshop, the new Terraforma Symposium format focusing on sustainable architecture, the international semi-annual publication Terraforma Journal, dedicated to the theoretical exploration of the relationship between sound, art, ecology and contemporary culture; "The Planet as a Festival" is a new itinerant and mutable project curated by Threes, inspired by Ettore Sottsass's iconic series "The Planet as a Festival" published in Casabella in 1972. The project aims to reinterpret Sottsass's vision through a series of visual, installation, and performance interventions in Milan, Rome and Paris.

Over the years, Terraforma has hosted true talents of the international electronic scene, including Laurie Anderson, Charlemagne Palestine, Suzanne Ciani, Biosphere, Wolfgang Voigt, Donato Dozzy, Caterina Barbieri, Laraaji, Sir Richard Bishop, Andrew Weatherall, Mica Levi, Rabih Beaini, Lorenzo Senni, Beatrice Dillon, Mark Fell, Paquita Gordon, Objekt, Lee Gamble, Helena Hauff, and DJ Stingray.

Terraforma Exo has creatively reshaped and interpreted space and sound, and despite everything, it has brought the community together once again. Until next year!

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words by MATILDE CRUCITTI

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photography ARIA RUFFINI

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