Sound

Underwater

Underwater is inspired by the afrofuturistic Detroit techno duo Drexciya. In the Drexcyen mythology enslaved African women gave birth to children in the Atlantic who could breathe underwater, building their own utopic and innovative society under the sea.

The performance blends this mythology and extends it, by drawing on gender expansive West African water deities and revolutionary Black feminist thought. The soundscape mixes electronic music with hydrophone field recordings and whale calls on vinyl, creating a layered sonic experience.

It’s a reflection on resilience, transformation, and the ways in which myth can inspire imagination beyond the known.

Abeni is interested in acoustic ecology and plant frequencies and the way sound can reveal different aspects of the environment. For an upcoming art residency in 2026, they will work with field recordings in the forests and botanical gardens around Kumasi, Ghana. The project will also involve a collaboration with WISEA (Women in Sound Ecology Africa), an initiative focused on women in the field of sound ecology.

More info here soon!

Hydrophone recordings at Spree river with Laborneunzehn