For this edition, FAQ Festival invites three special acts to immerse themselves in the now infamous Willem Twee Studios for a few days. Especially for the festival, Colleen, Truus de Groot and duo Mette Rasmussen & Victoria Shen will work with the studios' historic collection for a presentation on the opening evening of FAQ Festival on Friday, November 8.

Over the years, French artist Colleen has proven herself as a solo artist by exploring new sounds and new ways of working. Colleen has now released eight albums and has consistently reinvented herself. For example, she worked with acoustic instruments and various sample and tape techniques for her first albums, after which she combined voice, viola da gamba and dub techniques in otherworldly pop songs. For her most recent and third album on indy label Thrill-Jokey Records, entitled “Le jour et la nuit du réel”, her renewed passion for synthesis can be heard in a number of suites. FAQ Festival invites her to make new interpretations of these suites on the instruments in the studios during a residency at Willem Twee Studios. The result will be announced on November 8.

Electronics pioneer Truus de Groot began her career as a singer and lyricist as a member of the band Nasmak during the punk rock craze in 1976. In 1978 she founded cult favorite Plus Instruments, a project that remains active to this day. Ultimately, it led her to design her own instruments. Her path has been a long and winding one around the world, collaborating with a wide range of artists including Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Jim Duckworth (Gun Club), Jim Sclavunos (The Cramps, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds ) and composer/guitarist Rhys Chatham. During FAQ Festival she will work for a few days in the Willem Twee Studios with her DIY instruments, but of course also with the studio's instruments. The result can be heard on Friday, November 8.

Victoria Shen is a sound artist and experimental instrument maker based in San Francisco. In her confrontational and energetic concerts, various live electronics and acoustic sound sources are used, including modified turntables and a whip!. Victoria Shen (Evicshen) has recorded and performed with The Kronos Quartet, Matmos and Aaron Dilloway, among others. “Watching noise musician Victoria Shen (A.K.A Evicshen) perform is like watching a mad scientist transform into a joyful noisy cyborg”— GRAMMY.COM. This evening she will perform with Mette Rasmussen, a Danish saxophonist from improvised music who draws on a wide range of influences from free jazz to soundscapes. Rasmussen explores the rawness of her instrument and experiments and investigates what the saxophone is capable of in sound and expression. She is in demand and has performed with the likes of Alan Silva, Chris Corsano, Ståle Liavik Solberg and with her Trio Riot group with Sam Andreae and David Meier. At the invitation of FAQ Festival, they will work together in Willem Twee Studios for an explosive duo concert on Friday, November 8.