Melanie Eden
Latest releases
second album- experimental highlights
second album- pansori
“Mel’s work is completely off the charts- a risk taker who explores everything and anything in voice performance. One of Sydney’s most challenging artists- that she’s studied and performed in South Korea and Iceland is a testament to this.””
“A consummate performer, Melanie Eden is an incredible artist. The intensity and passion of her work turns performances into events. Her command of a room can leave you breathless. Her reputation is well earned, and she earns it again with every show. She’s played at Parliament many times and every time the room is left wanting more.”
Blurb
Melanie Eden infuses stories with sounds courageous and sincere. Eden’s performances inevitably transcend the everyday with a heady blend of spirit- which dances along a high-wire of madness, beauty, for as long as Eden allows the magic to exist. Eden’s performances are given a power made available by an astounding voice, aided and abetted by an accordion, movement and acting skills.
Eden’s debut album ‘Old Friend’ was recorded by notable film and television producer, composer and sound engineer Geir S Brillian. Self-released in August 2019 across multiple digital platforms. It's been described as; beautiful, raw, avant-folk. ‘Old Friend’ has received extensive airplay on East Side Radio and 3CR.
In June, 2021 Eden released 공 空. This album saw a new focus on collaboration. It features two Pansori recordings accompanied by Intangible Asset No.82 Pansori Master; Master Bae Il Dong. And involves an intergenerational Korean community group applying the Verbatim Theatre Technique. Two experimental heavyweights of the Korean improvisation scene play alongside Eden, Sato Yukie and Han Joo Lee. The album has been acclaimed by international music magazine Songlines summing up; ‘Eden has held nothing back on this unique and at times unhinged oddity’. (https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/empty)
November 10th Eden released their first single from forthcoming third album ‘Caught’. The single has been played on community radio both interstate and overseas. Receiving airplay on commercial radio station Double J through Tim Roger’s ‘Liquid Lunch’. The second single 'End of Known' was quickly swept up by New Weird Australia for their compilation Collapse Theories and has been played across Australia.
Short Bio
Melanie Eden felt the pull for creativity early on and at the tender age of 11 was admitted to Australia’s premier Performing Art’s High School, the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. Eden completed a Ba in Musical Theatre and promptly followed countless other Australian artists- she moved to London, UK. Landing ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ theatre performances and a part in the Old Vic New Voices season set the course for Eden's deep involvement in community engagement and participatory arts.
Having concerns that more and more people are recognising that the fundamental necessities to human well-being and survival are at risk of compromise, Eden inserts herself as an activist into the complex matrix of; ecology and her communities, the sub-sets of mental health, domestic violence, the prevailing bio-medical modes of ‘health’ treatment, and, the rights of the child. Eden seeks to engage and empower communities by means of shared play, self and collective inquiry and ultimately personal self-awareness and collectively shared direction.
Eden has trained extensively both in Australia and overseas. Most notably with Pansori Master Bae Il Dong in Seoul, South Korea. And voice and body specialist Jorge Parente at The Grotowski Institute in Poland.
Eden is known across Sydney’s art and music scenes. Her practice spans; improvisation, noise, avant-garde performance, folk and jazz music, spoken-word, songwriting, electronic music and the psychedelic rock and blues genre's.
Notable solo performances include; This is a Voice exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum) Sydney, a coveted solo performance at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) Tasmania and collaborations with experimental musician Garry Bradbury at the spontaneous music festival The Now Now .
Eden’s debut album ‘Old Friend’ was recorded by notable film and television producer, composer and sound engineer Geir S Brillian. Self-released in August 2019 across multiple digital platforms. It's been described as; beautiful, raw, avant-folk. ‘Old Friend’ has received extensive airplay on East Side Radio and 3CR.
In June, 2021 Eden released 공 空. This album saw a new focus on collaboration. It features two Pansori recordings accompanied by Intangible Asset No.82 Pansori Master; Master Bae Il Dong. And involves an intergenerational Korean community group applying the Verbatim Theatre Technique. Two experimental heavyweights of the Korean improvisation scene play alongside Eden, Sato Yukie and Han Joo Lee. The album has been acclaimed by international music magazine Songlines summing up; ‘Eden has held nothing back on this unique and at times unhinged oddity’. (https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/empty)
November 10th Eden released their first single from forthcoming third album ‘Caught’. The single has been played on community radio both interstate and overseas. Receiving airplay on commercial radio station Double J through Tim Roger’s ‘Liquid Lunch’. The second single 'End of Known' was quickly swept up by New Weird Australia for their compilation Collapse Theories and has been played across Australia.
Long Bio
Melanie Eden infuses stories with sounds courageous and sincere. Eden’s performances inevitably transcend the everyday with a heady blend of her spirit- which dances along a high-wire of madness, beauty- which reveals herself as a performance unfolds, and, presence- a powerful and impressive force which holds an audience, for as long as Eden allows the magic to exist in the now. Eden's performances are given a power, a power made available by an astounding voice, aided and abetted by her instrument of choice an accordion, movement and acting skills.
Eden felt the pull for creativity early on and at the tender age of 11 was admitted to Australia’s premier Performing Art’s High School, the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. Eden completed a Ba in Musical Theatre and promptly followed countless other Australian artists- she moved to London, UK. During this sojourn Eden found her place within a field of art practice fostered by her engagements with a production house who produced the notable You Me Bum Bum Train theatre performances and notably with one of London’s most eminent Theatres, the world famous ‘Old Vic’ Eden enthusiastically participated in the Old Vic New Voices program. These events set the course for Eden’s deep involvement in community engagement and participatory arts, a practice which Eden is exploring and refining with a Masters in Social Ecology.
On return to Sydney Eden was introduced to a group of improvisers at 82a Sunday Sessions, this group was headed by artist, performer and musician Benni Seidel. At 82a Eden was introduced to a cohort with whom Eden could explore music and musicianship, poetry/spoken word, performance, as well as recording techniques. Many of Eden’s improvised vocal performances may be heard on https://soundcloud.com/82a-sunday-sessions.
As a member of Sydney’s large scale electro-acoustic improvising orchestra The Splinter Orchestra Eden found herself exploring and expanding her voice techniques. This led to an extensive and rigorous training period in South Korea with Pansori Master Bae Il Dong. Developing a technical discipline, hard-working ethic and focus in voice timing her spiritual and philosophical yearnings to the craft. Training in Poland with Jorge Parente at The Grotwoski Institute, described by its founder as a Laboratory for Cultural and Theatrical Research.The training bought the holistic work Melanie had been doing into an interdisciplinary context. Fusing both physical and vocal improvisation with movement in an educational setting of living and being together. Creative development founded in the ensemble, the relational. Eden too, integrated this technique and approach into her extensive tool box.
Eden’s performance and art practice ranges across; improvisation, noise, avant-garde performance, folk and jazz music, spoken-word, original music, electronic music and the psychedelic rock and blues genre’s. Notable solo performances include; This is a Voice exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum) Sydney, and a coveted solo performance at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) Tasmania.
Eden - as an artist identifies as an outlier. This identity allows a view/overview of people, events, situations, and forces- ecological, political, societal which have profound impacts to be observed from without, but somewhat understood internally. Eden’s art/performance practice is entrenched in the viability of communities. Having concerns that more and more people are recognising that the fundamental necessities to human well-being and survival are at risk of compromise, Eden inserts herself as an activist into the complex matrix of; ecology and her communities, the sub-sets of mental health, domestic violence, the prevailing bio-medical modes of ‘health’ treatment, and, the rights of the child. Eden seeks to engage and empower communities by means of shared play, self and collective inquiry and ultimately personal self-awareness and collectively shared direction.
Albums:
In August, 2019 Eden recorded her debut album ‘Old Friend’. This album is a tribute to friend and mentor Benni Seidel. ‘Old Friend’ was recorded as a live performance in an intimate setting to which friends and family were invited. ‘Old Friend’ was recorded by notable film and television producer, composer and sound engineer Geir S Brillian.
‘Old Friend’ was self-released across multiple digital platforms. ‘Old Friend’ has received extensive airplay on East Side Radio and 3CR. Praise has been fulsome and Eden’s song writing skills and performance have been described as; beautiful and raw, and avant-folk.
In June, 2021 Eden released (공 空). This album saw Eden greatly refine and develop her art practice with a new focus on collaboration. Eden devised ways and means to fully utilise her new found Pansori voice skills. By using the Verbatim Theatre Technique with an intergenerational Korean community group, and incorporating two Korean artists- experimental heavyweights of the Korean improvisation scene Sato Yukie and Han Joo Lee.
공 空 was recorded in Korea at a recording studio specialising in classical and traditional Korean music. And is currently gaining airplay both internationally and locally. The album has been acclaimed by international music magazine Songlines that sums ‘Eden has held nothing back on this unique and at times unhinged oddity’. (https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/empty)
Currently Eden is using the Covid-19 restrictions as an opportunity to work unhindered and with few distractions in an artist run space in Sydney’s inner west. Her new album is composed. Ever cognisant of societal and political forces the album ‘A Sinkless Shore’ hopes to address the impacts on people, communities and the more-than-human which see disenfranchisement from politics, culture and society, and, who are becoming an ‘at risk’ displaced, or plain lost population. Through the power of community Eden hopes to empower, engage and grow the coming together of movements. Caught’ the first single has been released November 10th and played on community radio both interstate and overseas. Picked up by commercial radio station Double J through Tim Roger’s ‘Liquid Lunch’. The second single 'End of Known' was quickly swept up by New Weird Australia for their compilation Collapse Theories and has been played across Australia.
Involving many creatives this album will see Eden’s first love, Song + Theatre, a new Musical Theatre, or a new genre of Musical Theatre- transformed from the usual look at us on stage entertainment, to join us where-ever we/you/me/ be. When we make a circle, we don’t need a stage.