Echo Mapping | Azzam Mohamed and Jack Prest

Echo Mapping is a multi-art duet by electronic musician/composer Jack Prest and street dancer/choreographer Azzam Mohamed. Raw creativity and unpretentious process are the backbone of Echo Mapping, stripped back to the simplest elements, no sets, no costumes and minimal production; the sole focus is on the sound and movement.

Jack performs the music, moving from transcendent textures to thundering beats to ethereal trumpet. Azzam performs both voice and body, singing traditional Sudanese melodies while maintaining a commanding stillness. He builds with sporadic vocalisations and fluid yet intense choreography. His vocalisations are recorded, looped and manipulated by Jack, becoming a part of the sonic atmosphere.

Echo Mapping is about knowing when to listen, when to respond, when to lead, when to follow, when to claim space, when to yield it and most importantly when to share it. This process draws inspiration from club culture, in which the music serves as catalyst for the dancers. In turn, the DJ adapts the music, responding to the energy on the dancefloor.

Echo Mapping goes deeper with these dynamic exchanges, substituting the DJ for composer and party dance for choreography. Vicki Van Hout said of WIP showing “Mohamed’s relationship with Prest was more symbiotic, occurring as an interdisciplinary duet rather than a series of to-and-fro communiqués.” (Form Dance Newsletter 09/23)

Additional video

23 minute excerpt

Production History

2024 Work in progress excerpt as part of sound~body at 107 Redfern