Photo Credit: Ambient Church / Facebook
Ambient Church is expanding its long-running deep-listening series into a full-scale festival this September, announcing the inaugural edition of MEZAME, taking place from September 25 to 27, 2026.
The festival will occupy three historic religious spaces: St. Francis Xavier Church and St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan, alongside the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn. The name MEZAME is inspired by the Japanese concept of “awakening”, a fitting description for an event built around immersive listening and altered states of perception.
The first wave of artists reflects Ambient Church’s broad interpretation of contemporary ambient and experimental music. Laraaji, James Ferraro, Purelink, james K and Jessy Lanza are among those confirmed, with live performances also coming from Kelman Duran, Juliana Huxtable, Crystallmess, Loidis and Yu Su.
The programme extends further into experimental and avant-garde territory with Charlemagne Palestine, Carl Stone, Robert Turman, Dedekind Cut, Huerco S., Rabit and Terekke. More artists are expected to be announced ahead of the festival.
One particularly striking element of the programme will move outside contemporary electronic music altogether. A choir will perform works by Hildegard von Bingen, the 11th-century composer, mystic and writer, placing medieval sacred music alongside contemporary electronic experimentation.
Founded in Brooklyn in 2016, Ambient Church describes its work as creating collective listening experiences through “modern contemplative” music, using non-traditional spaces and audiovisual installations to explore the relationship between sound, architecture and spirituality.
The approach has previously attracted artists including William Basinski, Steve Roach, Carlos Niño, Lucy Liyou and Spacetime Continuum. Ambient Church has also repeatedly worked with Laraaji, including a 2024 performance celebrating the 40th anniversary of his Vision Songs, Vol. 1. Earlier this year, the organisation presented Laraaji performing material connected to his landmark collaboration with Brian Eno, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance.
