Cut and Splice

Iris Garrelfs is known for her emotive, improvised sound performances based around electronically manipulated and digitally warped voice sounds. UK magazine Magic Feet described the effect of her project BitTonic as "... a chaotic Tom Waits-style junkyard orchestra gridlocked into a rigid techno matrix."

Classically trained, Iris employs various vocal techniques to achieve her stunning tapestry of voice, which is used in many layers, in its natural state and as a source sound. She performs solo as well as in collaboration with other soundartists, most recently with Robert Lippok (To Rococo Rot). Further collaborations include Kaffe Matthews and Si-cut.db. A recent live performance at Glasgow's CCA will be released as part of the live 3" series by the Consume label, which also contains live sets by Kim Cascone and Toshimaru Nakamura. Two of her tracks have been released on Bip_Hop Generation vs 6.whilst a remix for Tennis appears on the recent album Furlines on the same label.

Together with Kaffe Matthews, Iris is working on sound pieces for a Dfuse instigated DVD project. Other recording collaborations include Scanner and Freeform, which is currently being re-released as part of the Bernt Friedman compiled and remixed Freeform compilation "Condensed" on Nonplace.

Iris is also active creating installations, even though she prefers to term them "environments". Commissions have included multi-channel, site-specific sound pieces for the CCA Glasgow and Art at the Centre Reading. She has recently been commissioned to create work around recycling issues for the Waterman's Artcentre in Brentford.

As co-organiser of Sprawl, Iris has been advocating electronic and digital music. Since 1996 Sprawl has brought together uncompromising artists from the UK and abroad for live sound events and "imaginative compilations" (The Wire). Sprawl has featured artists such as Talvin Singh, Scanner, Jem Finer, David Toop, Christian Fennesz, Hayley Newman, and, Vladislav Delay and many more. Sprawl has organised events in conjunction Tate Modern, the Goethe Institure and Body Shop amongst others.

Together with Kaffe Matthews, Iris is involved with Field 61, most recently hosting a monthly radio show on London's soundart station Resonance FM.

As an outspoken person, Iris gets invited as a speaker and on panels at events In the UK and abroad. Iris has appeared on TV, for example and ARTE TV with Stockhausen in "Well Tempered Computer - Are Computers able to compose" and most recently on ITV's Mixmasters TV. This project has recently been released by Moonshine in the US and has received a nomination for Best Music DVD at the Dancestar Awards.

In her other incarnations Iris has been abusing her extensive record collection in one of her radical mix-fests, for example at the ICA, Turnmills, 93 Feet East. As a photographer, Iris has been published by magazines such as The Wire, The Face, Muzik, Marie Claire, Spex, Keyboard Japan and others.