Resonanzraum #007 – "Sounds of Black Switzerland"

21 November 2025 • Jessie Cox, Severin Kolb, tracy september

In February 2025, Jessie Cox, a composer, percussionist, sound researcher, and Harvard assistant professor who grew up in Biel, published a book entitled “Sounds of Black Switzerland.” The thought-provoking book relentlessly exposes social and political taboos in Switzerland, which many still consider to be “color-blind,” and shows how composers and musicians such as Charles Uzor, DJ Maïté Chénière, clarinetist Jérémie Jolo, and rapper Nativ tackle the seemingly impossible balancing act of being Black and Swiss – and composing. The work “Black Hole Journeys. The Immortal II”, which Jessie Cox interprets himself in Resonance Room #007, curated by tracy september and Severin Kolb, is based on the deliberate manipulation of his instrument, the drums: the drum and cymbal are connected with a string. When the latter is set into vibration with a bow, the drum — and the body playing it— also vibrates. We learn about the spiritual levels this work brings with it and the role music plays in establishing Black identity in Switzerland in a conversation with the composer.

Who: Jessie Cox performs his work “Black Hole Journeys, The Immortal II” and speaks about his book “Sounds of Black Switzerland.”, tracy september & Severin Kolb – curation
Where: TBA, Zurich 
When: Friday, 21 November 2025, 9 p.m. 
Participation: Donation