The term tête-à-tête comes from the French language, is now internationalized and has several meanings such as secret meeting, face-to-face conversation, private conversation, confidential conversation, but also as a synonym for intimate atmosphere, tea accessories for two people and as a bench or sofa for two.

Studio Sensoria is utilizing this concept for sound art purposes choosing a pairs of artists that previously never met and probably hardly heard for each other.
It was first conceived by Ruzina Frankulin and Janez Križaj (who later faded into virtual realms).

Envisioned as a coproduction between Croatia and Slovenia, pairs are going to be mixed.
First pair, at the preproduction phase was known only as Tête 1 and Tête 2 and they knew absolutely nothing about each other than they would meet somebody to do something with sound.

Just 30min before the session start they finally met.
Ljubica Letinić and Matej Končan Kleemar.

Ljubica, a professional journalist with absolute focus on sound per se with equal attention to spoken word, collaborated with Croatian HR3 radio since 1993.
She published for Deutschlandfunk, Deutsche Welle, RBB / WDR and ORF.
From 2006 to 2018, as an editor at Croatian HR3 radio, she produced original work about radio, exhibited audio installations, performed experimental radio broadcasts and participated in educational projects. Some notable radio productions includes Audio.doc and Transonica in collaboration with Lana Deban with whom she designed Croatian first mobile book & sound listening app book&zvook.

2004 Åke Blomström Memorial Prize
2016 Marija Jurić Zagorka for the original radio release
2017 Migration Media Award
2017 Taktons – first prize in the documentary recording category

Kleemar started flirting with making music as early as high school. He was the co-founder of the music groups Kleemar and Manul and worked for God Bless This Mess, collective. From 2008 to 2013 he was one of the main creative forces in the Slovenian-Croatian band Lollobrigida. Performed on many Slovenian and European stages (five times also at one of the major European festivals, the EXIT festival) and won the MTV Adria Music Award for the best regional music group.

Author of music for dance and theater performances and films and is currently creating sound and music for the Twisted Tales transmedia project produced by the Institute for Transmedia Design.

2020 released an album titled No Love in Modern World on rx: tx which is considered one of the best Slovenian electronic music releases.

Music for performances:
2015 Martin Škof and Blaž Rejec: You know, poet your debt (SLG Celje)
2011 Morris Panych: Seven Floors (SNG Maribor)
2011 Dimitrije Vojnov: sKurt (SNG Nova Gorica)
2010 Conor Mc Pherson: The Shining City (MGL)
2009 Milan Jesih: Triko (SLG Celje)
2008 Carlo Goldoni: The Cunning Widow (Šentjakob Theater Ljubljana)
2007 Gregor Strniša: Driada (AGRFT Ljubljana)
Music for dance performance:
2006 Why would anyone stop me, directed and choreographed by Matjaž Farič
Music for film:
2010 Never Forever, directed by Maja Prettner, produced by MIKK

Ljubica and Kleemar had a session in the old court of Frankulin’s, Kaštel Sućurac, Croatia, on 09.07.2021. in studio Sensoria with producer Tonči Bakotin, art director Ruzina Frankulin and videographer Darko Škrobonja.

By placing two artists outside their comfort zone (or right in the center of their natural aspiration) and outside the zone of concentration – producer wanted to approach practices which were described by Eno and Bowie.
Eno emphasizes that after several hours (boring) period in which the will dominates (to create something concrete) comes a period in which the will is completely relaxed and inactive, and the action is carried by intuition that tends to experiment. Bowie, on the other hand, points out that creation, which is under controlled, well known and “safe” conditions, is counterproductive.
When the artist feels how he/she is slowly “losing ground” under feet – that’s the right situation to do something exciting.

Ljubica and Kleemar passed some 30 min of adaptation to each other, to new studio were they never been and to setup they could not imagine prior to session. And they did really well. After several tryouts, the sound compositions were coming in waves, as miniatures with special quality and emotion that were directly tied and governed by the fact that they were willingly pushed from the airplane without parachute.

Producing original compositions on-the-fly using car rims, carburetor, pills inside the tube, prepared piano, string driven MIDI modules, Nintendo game boy console, Ludwig supraphonic snare, CasioMT65, 1970’s telephone apparatus, radio transistors and many more. After some time all objects seemed  as an old acquaintances of Ljubica and Kleemar.

Videographer Darko Škrobonja took care of the lighting and videography while Ruzina Frankulin jumped around, watched the microphone setup and hosted his guests.

Tête-à-tête sessions are supported by Ministry of Culture, City of Kastela, Kultura Nova foundation, Zavod za ENO glasbo (Slovenia) and IKS Festival.

Bellow you can watch complete session divided in four parts. It is mostly raw recording because the purpose was to show the process gradation (with just some short parts not included).

tête-à-tête part  01

tête-à-tête part  02

tête-à-tête part  03

tête-à-tête part  04