Bio / presentation

Carlos Martorell is a Barcelona-based sound and visual artist known for his exploration of the intricate relationships between humans and technology, as well as the interplay between motion and sound. His diverse body of work encompasses a wide range of research topics, including instruments and interfaces, gesture and biometric data, biomusicology, videogames, and nature. One of Carlos's notable achievements is the development of his own instruments, primarily utilizing motion sensors and non-traditional MIDI equipment. By incorporating these elements into his live shows, he adds a compelling physical dimension to his performances. In addition to his musical endeavors, Carlos's visual work showcases his proficiency in experimenting with various media languages, game engines, and 3D acquisition techniques such as photogrammetry or scanning. Recently, he has also delved into the realms of immersive shows and artificial intelligence, further expanding his creative horizons. His main solo project, Shoeg, focuses on exploring the relationship between motion and sound. Over the past years, he has presented live performances and released albums on labels like Orange Milk (Hard Fork, 2022 / Container, 2018), Arkestra Discos (Cross Section, 2024), 901 Editions (The Swarm, 2018), Third Kind Records (Milk, 2022) or Nyapster (Faith Exotica, 2018). The project began as a (spiritual) sound collage project that quickly branched off in other directions, but it retains its essence: the juxtaposition of materials and everything that appears in between, not only in collision but also in coexistence and transition, in the change. Furthermore, he has lent his visual expertise to artur m puga's live AV shows and has been actively exploring immersive spaces in his recent collaborations with Ana Drucker on projects such as EXO (2022) and Decay (2023), as well as fulldome shows for MMMAD Festival and MUTEK Montréal. Carlos has showcased his artistic ventures at other renowned festivals, including Sónar+D, MIRA Festival, SONICA Glasgow, LEV Festival, MUTEK Mexico, Eufònic, and Keroxen, among others. Notably, he embarked on a series of captivating performances titled ACTE DE FE ('Act Of Faith') between 2020 and 2022, combining real-time AI assistance in a liturgical performance that interrogates our relationship with machines. Additionally, he has collaborated with dancer Anna Hierro since 2013 under the moniker Ensemble Topogràfic, utilizing motion capture techniques in their last project, Two Islands ('Dues Illes') and in VOID, with the drummer David Viñolas. He also collaborated with other artists, like Xavi Lloses, Adrià Grandia, Andreu Garcia, Marc Vilajuana, Estel Juvanteny, Lorenzo Balloni, Marcel·lí Bayer, Ricard Parera, or Jordi Cabestany. Carlos has also produced commissioned works for dance companies as a music composer and live performer, collaborating with artists such as Laia Santanach, Miquel Barcelona, Kernel Dance Theater, La Taimada, and Nuria Guiu. He’s also running the experimental label/framework Corda.