The soundtrack for Meat Market 2.0 is a 67-minute composition, specially created for this dance piece by Formen in collaboration with Marc Ugolini and Azusa Nishimura.

Formen was commissioned in spring 2024 to score the reinterpretation of Marcel Leemann's Meat Market. Inspired by the central themes of the work and contemporary experimental music, he took a minimalist approach, blending ambient, drone, noise, and techno.

After an in-depth analysis of the original piece, Formen began sketching timbres and scales. His goal was to craft a coherent sound palette that highlighted the emotional and choreographic nuances of the piece while maintaining its integrity as a standalone work. He aimed to create a score that conveyed the piece's intentions and supported the dancers' performance without overshadowing the work as a whole.

The individual tracks were performed live at the mixing desk. True to Formen's approach, the entire sound design was created without computers. Instead, he used analog instruments, unconventional effects devices, and high-quality sound processors, routing them through a mixing console and exploring their interactions in real time.

This process produced over 19 hours of material, which were then curated and arranged in collaboration with Marc Ugolini and Azusa Nishimura. Smaller segments of these recordings were refined and rearranged continuously to align with the evolving choreography and dramaturgy. The modular nature of this approach enabled seamless adjustments to accommodate the shifting focal points of the piece.

In addition to these musical tasks, Formen curated and collaged interviews conducted with the dancers prior to rehearsals. He not only incorporated these collages into the original soundtrack but also created corresponding sound props used during the performance.

The final mastering was entrusted to Adi Flück of Centraldubs, whose expertise brought the soundtrack to its polished conclusion.

The choreography for Meat Market 2.0 was created by Marc Ugolini and Azusa Nishimura, performed by a cast including Marc Ugolini, Rosine Ponti, Samir Douch, Beatrice Krapf, Romy Lehmann, and Sheang-Li Pung. Marcel Leemann served as Œil extérieur. Lighting design was handled by Daniel Tschanz. All photographs were taken by Maria Cheilopoulou.

Cie Capsule produced Meat Market 2.0, with fOrum culture as co-producer. The project was supported by Pro Helvetia, Migros Aare, the City of Biel/Bienne, the Canton of Bern, and the GVB Cultural Foundation. The performance at NEBIA was realized in collaboration with Évidanse.

Empty Space extends heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for their constructive collaboration and the opportunity to be part of this exciting project.