Header Photo Credit: Robin Rimbaud
Over the last year, Stephen Vitiello, Professor and Chair of Kinetic Imaging, has maintained an exceptionally prolific schedule. His recent high-profile collaborations include the LP Second on the Spanish label Balmat. A collaboration with Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Hahn Rowe (Hugo Largo), and Geologist (Animal Collective), the album has garnered widespread international acclaim. Named one of the “Best New Albums of the Month” by NPR Music, the record represents a masterful intersection of sound art and post-punk, described by Hearing Things as a “post-rock tasting menu prepared by three James Beard award-winning chefs.”
Additional music releases include the collaborative albums Trinity (with Australian sound artist Lawrence English) and Sublingual Infinities (with poet Edwin Torres), alongside the EP Brush (with Taylor Deupree). These projects continue to draw significant critical attention, including a recent spotlight in Foxy Digitalis and a new feature on the Tonearm podcast.
Vitiello also composed the score for Every Contact Leaves a Trace, a new film by internationally renowned filmmaker Lynne Sachs, which premiered at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
In addition to his sonic work, Vitiello recently authored an essay for The Kitchen, one of New York City’s most historic and influential venues for experimental art. The piece, “Steve Roden: An Archive, An Unreliable Narrator,” offers a poignant reflection on the life and legacy of the late Steve Roden—a pioneering Los Angeles sound artist, whose awards include a Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) fellowship. Drawing on their long-standing professional collaboration and deep personal friendship, Vitiello explores the complexities of Roden’s creative archive, honoring a figure who found profound beauty in the subtle and the microscopic.
Vitiello’s international presence continues to expand with a series of high-profile live engagements. In January, he performed at the Fridman Gallery as part of the New Ear Festival in New York, a premiere showcase for experimental sound and intermediate performance. This momentum continues later this month in Spain, where he will perform at CaixaForum Barcelona. Presented in collaboration with the record label Balmat, this performance features his trio with Brendan Canty and Hahn Rowe alongside the Barcelona-based duo Espacio Vacio, further bridging the global experimental music communities he has participated in and arguably, helped to shape.
