Marja Ahti, Manja Ristić

In the ever-expanding constellation of transnational electroacoustic collaboration, Marja Ahti and Manja Ristić present Transference, a profound investigation into the movement and transformation of energy between distant practices and places, arriving August 8, 2025 via Erstwhile Records. Transference emerges as what the artists describe as "a dialogue of sonic gestures and traces of visits to places and the spirit that occupies them." This collaboration transcends geographical boundaries to create what they term "a map of subtle and drastic differences, a space where the contours of sound and silence merge, and where listening becomes a collaborative act of discovery and associative intuition."

Marja Ahti, the Finnish-born, Netherlands-based artist whose work has consistently pushed the boundaries of electroacoustic composition and field recording, contributes recordings, electronics, objects, piano, percussion, and bass harmonica to this cross-continental dialogue. Her approach to sound as both material and metaphor has established her as a crucial voice in contemporary experimental music, with previous releases demonstrating an acute sensitivity to the relationship between acoustic space and electronic manipulation.

Manja Ristić, the Serbian sound artist and composer whose practice spans installation, performance, and recorded work, adds her own recordings, electronics, objects, piano, violin, and cello to the collaborative matrix. Her work has long explored the intersection of field recording, electroacoustic processing, and the politics of place, making her an ideal collaborator for this investigation into sonic "transference."

The album's conceptual framework positions itself within what the artists call "the ongoing metamorphosis of the sounding world as we observe it." This philosophical approach suggests that Transference functions not merely as documentation but as active participation in the transformation of sonic materials across time and space. The work "suggests the movement, transformation and metabolization of energy between two practices," creating a feedback loop between distinct artistic approaches and geographical contexts. The production involves Taku Unami's mastering, whose work with artists like Taku Sugimoto and Manfred Werder brings a crucial understanding of silence and space to the project. Visual elements include photography by Marja Ahti featuring sculptures by Lujo Lozica, with design by Yuko Zama and production by Jon Abbey, creating a comprehensive artistic statement that extends beyond the purely sonic.