Dear Reader,
Press play!
Welcome to the first-ever Performance Art showcase of The Salal Review. For 24 years, our magazine has existed in print form, and for only a handful of those, we have lived here, too, at www.salalreview.com. It is with immense excitement that we have the opportunity to share the works of performance art on this page, and to plant this dream within you so that, together, we might help it grow.
Enjoy!
Amber Lemiere & The Editors
"October Kinda Sucked"
Original electronic music and production by Avenir
Mix by Matt Jefferson
"I wrote and produced this piece as a way to better digest my feelings. Eventually, I worked up the courage to share it with others. I used a music DAW called Fruity Loop Studio to create this piece, and also did the signing. All of the instruments (with exception to the electric guitar) were electronically produced. The songwriting process began with the creation of the chorus using the synth you hear at the start of the song. Then came the drums, bass, vocals, etc."
"Dear Mom"
Musical performance by Halie Carter
Recorded by Avenir
"This is an original song that I wrote based on the letters that I write to my mom after losing her to cancer on November 21, 2023. Each verse has a little bit of each letter that I have written her so far, and the song ends with 'sincerely haliebear' because that is what she used to call me and that is how I sign off on all of my letters."
"Rules of Beauty"
Vocals & original song by Olivia Higgins
Produced by Tyler Higgins & Eric Lemiere (instruments)
"The song is about beauty standards in society, and how to look past them and focus on what matters most."
"My Spirit"
Spoken word poem by Max Smith
"I wrote this to a friend in an attempt to describe my life experience. I was repressed and numb to myself and the world around me."
"Aeolian Disposition"
Ambient electronic by Shmoaf
"This is an original improvisation using an analogue synthesizer; recorded in one-take onto a 4-track cassette recorder, which was then slowed down. The video is all original footage taken by the artist and was created using a basic video editor. The essence of this piece is about the artist embracing their transition to the Pacific Northwest from the Southwest (US)."
"Bells DnB"
Electronic music by Shmoaf
"This is an original piece created by Shmoaf. The audio portion was performed in one-take by Shmoaf (featuring Josh Kellar), using analogue synthesizers and a Pikocore. The video was created by Shmoaf using Kdenlive editing software, with original footage captured by the artist."