A term coined by Erik Davis in the late-90s, “TechGnosis” is the idea that modern technology is as much a spiritual and mystical force as the human beliefs and practices with which it intersects. 3hd’s “Technosis” club night at RSO modifies the mentioned portmanteau of “technology” and “gnosis” (i.e. the esoteric knowledge of divine truth) and applies it to its opening takeover of electronic music that speaks to the soul.
Rave transcendence will come in the form of object blue’s liminal wanderings between the club and experimental realms, Emma dj’s hard, gritty and indefinable sounds, and Softmatter’s bass-heavy avant-pop with a dark edge that has long served as a refuge from the struggles and adversity of authoritarianism. There’ll be an explosive live performance from underground cult duo Bassvictim whose particular brand of youthful hedonism comes in a unique form of grunge-y industrial dance they call “basspunk,” as well as performances and DJ sets by XD Erica and Or:la. Also taking part are Evita Manji, MAKOSSIRI, and Lutto Lento, along with Blood of Aza’s gift for purveying extremes that deftly ricochet between dissonant noise and delicate atmospherics and a live set by sound artist and experimental ambient musician NEXCYIA. Based on his recent Exodus album, the performance combines immersive sound design and textural soundscapes to create an otherworldly reflection of his family’s journey from Texas to Los Angeles in the 1970s. The centerpiece of the night comes from Jas Lin 林思穎 and Hearthealer, who premiere their “NEMATOCYST” interactive performance in Berlin in an effort to excavate a potent energetic force of aliveness for their audience to savor. Named after the stinging cells of jellyfish, the collaboration between the respective performance artist/choreographer and writer/producer/DJ is a ritualistic ceremony for facilitating a habitat of spacious freedom and summoning possibility through a collective altered state.
Introduced into the common lexicon by Davis in his famed TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information, the 1998 book’s titular notion proposes a cultural phenomenon where technology is not seen as antithetical to spirituality, but as a tool that can enhance and facilitate spiritual practices. Creamcake’s 3hd 2024: “Technosis” event imagines the potential for such a rave new world.
