Haptic

Known for complex, textured works that can veer from delicate minimalism to dense, overwhelming noise, Haptic combines attention to the nuances of sonic detail with conceptual rigor and restless experimentation. Formed in Chicago in the spring of 2005 by Steven Hess, Joseph Clayton Mills, and Adam Sonderberg, Haptic initially incorporated a different fourth member for each concert, intended to send each performance in unpredictable and challenging directions. Over the course of two decades, the trio’s practice has expanded to include collaborations with dancers and filmmakers, soundtracks, installations, and unique site-specific performances.

Their recorded output has been marked by a similar breadth and eclecticism, ranging from the meticulously assembled intricacies of Scilens (2011) to the almost monochromatic hush of Abeyance (2014). Collaboration has also remained a key element of much of Haptic’s discography. The group’s debut LP, The Medium, consisted of two side-long performances with Tony Buck (The Necks) and composer Olivia Block, respectively; Ten Years Under the Earth, released in 2017, was recorded in a cave in Kentucky as a quartet with percussionist Tim Barnes; and 2022’s Ladder of Shadows once again featured contributions from Olivia Block as well as Salvatore Dellaria (Sonderberg’s frequent collaborator in Dropp Ensemble).