Diego Q. Alexandre | SUNK
A hybrid instrument: an acoustic drum kit fused with live electronics and "junk percussion" amplified by contact microphones. A kitchen pot transforms into a 50-inch gong; everyday objects take on massive sonic dimensions, as if the listener's ears were inside the instruments themselves. Following the acclaimed Pipe Tree (cited by jazz.pt as one of the best albums of 2022), Diogo Q. Alexandre presents his first solo project—unpredictable, intimate, and meticulous. Rhythm, gesture, and improvisation spark a boxing match between human and machine in real time; at a moment when technology is harnessed for control, oppression, and corporate profit, SUNK transforms it into a vehicle for resistance, awareness, and collective clarity.

Diego has been solidifying his career between Belgium and Portugal, appearing here as a bandleader for the second time. Following Pipe Tree—hailed by jazz.pt as one of the best albums of 2022—this solo project marks his next step. Presented in a raw, vulnerable, and stripped-down format, it is the result of an unrelenting quest to develop an instrument that aligns with his vision.
At the heart of the performance lies a hybrid instrument fusing acoustic drums with live electronics and "junk percussion," all amplified via contact microphones. The timbre and pickup techniques create the illusion of an acoustic microscope, bringing the spectral content of everyday objects to the foreground—as if our ears were placed inside the instruments themselves. While sound dictates the performance's weight, rhythm serves as its engine. A pugilistic struggle unfolds between the human and the system, demanding continuous, real-time adaptation as sound is processed and returned in the form of polyrhythms and latent glitches. The electronics refuse to remain mere sound effects; they act as an active compositional tool intertwined with improvisation. In an era where technology is often harnessed for control and homogenization, this solo performance places it at the service of human vulnerability, intimacy, and collective consciousness.
The machine transforms into a vehicle for expression and—used in this context—a symbol of resistance.

Invites: João Pedro Brandão
A saxophonist, flautist, composer, and improviser, he is a leading figure in the improvised music scene in Porto, having founded Porta-Jazz, an organization he has directed since its inception.