Ikue Mori is a self-taught drummer and former member of the no wave group DNA. In the late ’70s, Mori visited New York City and quickly immersed herself in the downtown music scene, where she met DNA bandmate Arto Lindsay. The cult group created a new brand of radical rhythms and dissonant sounds, forever altering the face of rock music. Since their 1982 split, Mori has remained in New York and continued to produce and record her own music, including _Obelisk_, her debut album with Sylvie Courvoisier, Jim Black and experimental cellist Okkyung Lee. Over the past 30 years, Mori has released dozens of solo and collaborative records, the latter most prolifically with producer John Zorn for the Tzadik label, the most recent of which is _Highsmith_, in collaboration with jazz pianist and electronic composer Craig Taborn. In this Fireside Chat, Ikue Mori talks about the radical rhythms, social spaces and ideas of the Downtown Scene.
