Silent Chaos is an experimental audiovisual project established in Rome, Italy, in 2016 by Marta NoOne and Ugo Vantini. Marta contributes modular synth, vocals, effects, and video programming, while Ugo handles electronic and acoustic drums, percussions, loops, samplers, field recordings manipulation, and graphics. In 2018, they relocated to Scotland in pursuit of new inspirations and challenges.
Their music is characterized by a non-linear approach to time and a circularity in both concept and performance. Ancient and futuristic sounds intertwine, creating a spiral-like progression. The structured yet unpredictable nature of their sound emerges from spontaneous improvisation, merging past, present, and future through a blend of traditional sonorities and electronic manipulation. Silent Chaos released their debut album "micro" through Eclectic Productions in 2017 and was featured in four international compilations. Their second album, "Osclltr 012," followed in 2018 under Berlin’s Osclltr Records. They are currently finalizing their third studio album, "Macro," set for release on the Spring Equinox of 2020 via We Don't Give A Fuck.
The duo has provided soundscapes for various art exhibitions, participated in theatrical and radio performances, and showcased their audiovisual work at venues such as the Italian contemporary art museum MAAM and several locations across Italy and the UK. Now based in the northeast of Scotland, Silent Chaos presented their piece "Schizophrenia in Schizophonia" during a live performance at the SERG Sonic Realities International Postgraduate Research Conference 2018 in Aberdeen, and they performed at King’s College Chapel for The University of Aberdeen Music Department. They also showcased the A/V site-specific work "Permutations" at the Kirk of St Nicholas in Aberdeen for sonADA inTransit III in Autumn 2018, and performed "Origins" at Glasgow’s CCA during the 25th anniversary of Cryptic Glasgow and the 10th anniversary of Cryptic Nights in March 2019. Additionally, they presented "Origins" at Anatomy Rooms in Aberdeen for the Listen Again Festival 2019, the fringe of Look Again Festival. The radio edit of "Origins" was broadcast by Radiophrenia 2019. They performed "The Secret Music of Plants," an electroacoustic piece involving a plant connected to a modular synthesizer with biofeedback sensors, for WAGON in the Japanese Garden of Duthie Park. In October 2019, they featured "Origins" at the Sound Festival in Aberdeen.
In Summer 2019, Silent Chaos received the Alt-W Fund from New Media Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts to create a generative art piece for the giant LED screen at Aberdeen’s Music Hall. Titled "Human AutomatArt," the project will utilize a bespoke network of sensors to drive live digital painting on the screen.
Marta NoOne is an Italian sound and visual artist currently based in northeast Scotland. Her interests lie in the interplay between chaos and order, as well as the connections between humans and machines. She engages in aesthetic-philosophical research that employs sounds and images to explore contemporary society. Marta has organized unconventional electronic music and contemporary art events, including the "Electric Cirkus" festival in Rome, which featured over 30 artists and drew an audience of more than 2,000 people. She has collaborated with various artists in live and theatrical performances and produced original soundtracks for independent short films. Alongside Ugo Vantini, she co-founded Silent Chaos, with whom she has released two albums and several singles for compilations worldwide, performing at diverse venues including the SERG 2018 conference in Aberdeen, the Kirk of St. Nicholas in Aberdeen for sonADA inTransit III, and Glasgow’s CCA for Cryptic Nights in 2019. Marta holds a diploma in Sound Engineering and an Ableton Live Producer diploma, and she recently completed her Master’s in Sonic Arts at the University of Aberdeen with a Carlaw-Ogston Music Scholarship, showcasing her interactive audiovisual work "Aletheia." She also works as a sound engineer in both live and studio settings, collaborating with notable composers, including Pippa Murphy, and contributing to the Sound Festival.
Ugo Vantini, a musician, graphic artist, and producer, was born in Rome, Italy, and is now based in Scotland. He has experience in theatrical and cinematographic productions, taking on roles such as sound engineer, assistant director, editor, and cameraman. His primary instrument, the drums, serves as a medium for expressing his unique musical vision through unconventional sonorities, phrasing, and exploratory expressive languages. Ugo has been involved in various musical groups, often self-formed, that focus on innovative music characterized by improvisation and complex polyrhythms. Recently, his integration of electronics—utilizing pads, samples, field recordings, loops, and effects—has allowed him to explore new sonic possibilities with the drums. His collaboration with Marta NoOne marked a significant turning point in both his personal and professional life, culminating in the formation of Silent Chaos, which represents a realization of shared artistic intent and a new phase in his musical journey.
Ugo has composed soundtracks for art exhibitions, theater performances, and contemporary dance, performing live music at numerous festivals alongside international artists such as Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos, Calcatronica, Risonanza, and many others. He has produced and played with bands like Movie, Divae, VU Meters, and Entropia Techno Department, and has collaborated with notable groups and artists including Balletto Di Bronzo, Ezra Winston, Gary Green, and others.
