Artist from Linz:

Plastic Waste Is Transformed Into Rhythmic Beats

Crystn Hunt Akron during the performance(Bild: Roland von der Aist)

Plastic waste becomes club music: In her project “Plasticphonia,” Linz-based artist Crystn Hunt Akron combines performance, sound, and environmental protection. She’s performing at Ars Electronica. In this interview, she talks about her inspirations and how she trains for her performances. 

Plastic waste becomes danceable sound: Linz-based artist Crystn Hunt Akron combines electronic sounds, performance art, and environmental awareness. She gained recognition with her project “Plasticphonia – Music from the Ocean.” She creates electroacoustic compositions—essentially club music—from bottles and plastic waste, drawing attention to environmental pollution. She most recently toured with the performance in the U.S., Egypt, and Canada.

This fall, Crystn Hunt Akron will perform in Linz: On September 9, she will present her new song “Rise” live at the opening of the Ars Electronica Festival; on September 26, the dance piece “Worship” will premiere at the Musiktheater. She created both the sound design and the composition. The choreography is by Drew Jacoby, the choreographer of the dance piece.

“OÖ-Krone”: Your real name is Christine Hinterkörner; your stage name is Crystn Hunt Akron. What’s the difference?
Crystn Hunt Akron: Christine Hinterkörner is the person with a biography, everyday life, and context. Crystn Hunt Akron is an artistic projection—a kind of medium. The difference lies less in attitude than in freedom: As Crystn, I can exaggerate, I can over-the-top, I can be uncomfortable. This separation helps me address personal and social issues in a way that is both accessible and abstract.

Your project “Plasticphonia” addresses ocean pollution. You use plastic waste washed ashore from the oceans, but also from the Danube.
Specifically, it’s about taking plastic waste seriously. The material that we normally throw away becomes a source of music for me—and thus also a vehicle for a new way of perceiving things.

That’s very unusual. Can you tell us how you come up with ideas for your projects?
My projects often emerge from materials or from unusual sound elements that I happen to come across in my everyday life or while traveling. Sounds literally “jump out” at me, or “materials” fascinate me.

Is it just about music and dancing? Or what do you hope to convey to the audience?
I want them to pause and hear or see things in a new light—and in the process, move as well—both physically and mentally.

How physically demanding are your performances? Do you have to train a lot for them?
It’s physically intense, especially traveling with equipment. I meditate, do strength training, and regularly hike up the Pöstlingberg to practice deep breathing, oxygenate my lungs, and give my cells a refreshing boost.

Info & Concerts

Crystn Hunt Akron New album “Plasticphonia – a Club Hymn against Climate Change.”

Dates: September 9: Live performance of the song “Rise,” Ars Electronica Festival opening at Mariendom, Linz;
September 10: “Rise” – Performance Night, Ars Electronica Festival, Linz
September 26: Dance piece “Worship” – premiere at the Musiktheater, Linz
November 15: Sound installation & performance “Bauernkriege,” Eferding

You’ll be performing at Ars Electronica. What are you preparing?
My new music video “Rise,” which was recently filmed in a forest in Hellmonsödt. The costumes were designed by Maryana Steshenko. For me, the video is also a tribute to nature—I feel very connected to nature. And “Rise” means renewal, resurrection, a new beginning, and pure joy to me: “My fire will burn again.”