SPELLING, The Unknown Exalted at UCLA Nimoy Theater

The Unknown Exalted is an intimate live composition by SPELLLING, the moniker of the Bay Area experimental pop artist Chrystia Cabral. Built from new and unreleased material in its earliest form, the performance offers a rare glimpse into the moment when songs are born. With piano, synthesizer and a small ensemble of musicians responding in real time, without prior knowledge of the material, The Unknown Exalted unfolds through instinct, chance and synchronicity.

The work draws from Cabral’s recent practice as a creative instructor, where she developed methods to help artists access intuition through personalized prompt systems inspired by Brian Eno's oblique strategies, which encourage risk, spontaneity and new ways of thinking. This performance brings that philosophy into a live setting, inviting audiences into the process itself: a space where songs emerge, transform and reveal themselves in the moment.