The artist Rolf Julius has died. The Western Vinyl label, which is due to release a number of Julius’s sound works in the coming months, stated: “A beautiful human being and an extraordinary talent, Rolf Julius left the world on 21 January, 2011.”

Julius was born in Germany in 1939 and studied fine art in Bremen. In the mid 1970s he began using sound alongside his visual practice. Later he moved to Berlin and became an important figure in that city’s budding sound art scene – participating in Für Augen Und Ohren (1980), one of Europe’s first major sound art exhibitions. Over the course of a 30 year career Julius’s performances and low-volume, minimal sonic sculptures and installations developed an approach highly influential on a younger generation of sound artists.

Sonic Youth have compiled a virtual mixtape for their website. You can stream tracks from their score to the French film Simon Werner a Disparu, along with demos from Daydream Nation, an acoustic version of “Star Power” and more.

The Oberhausen short film festival hits the road on 19 January with a debut screening in Hanover, Germany. The selection of 50 films from the past two festivals will be shown at 27 venues across Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Austria, Romania and Switzerland. Highlights include winners of the Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen, Magnus Bärtås's Madame & Little Boy, and the best entry award in the German Competition, Gesang der Jünglinge by Andree Korpys and Markus Löffler. 19 January–June

Warp Records have announced the sad news that Trish Keenan of Broadcast has died. In a short statement released today, the record company said that Keenan passed away this morning from complications with pneumonia after battling the illness for two weeks in intensive care.

Association Presque Rien are calling for composers to rework a number of compositions from Luc Ferrari’s sound archives into their own projects. The winner will be awarded a cash prize and their piece will appear on the musique concrete maestro's website. More information is available from Ferrari's website (click through on "proposal to composers"). Contact proposal@lucferrari.org to get the recordings to use. There is no stated deadline.

The Broadway Digital Innovation Project is calling out for proposals for four digital research commissions. The project is open to artists, designers and organisations based in the East Midlands and seeks proposals in areas of digital culture and emerging artistic practices that engage technology. Deadline for submissions is 17 January. Go here for more information.

German arts radio station WDR3 will broadcast two shows featuring recordings of a gasometer in Oberhausen, Germany. The first show Das Gasometer Experiment (7 January), curated and mixed by Knut Aufermann, listens to the gasometer’s echo and reverb response to sound pulses. The second show 100 Words Per Metre (14) plays Sarah Washington and DinahBird’s investigation into the resilience of language under extreme conditions. The shows are produced in conjunction with the Radia network and ORF Kunstradio. WDR3, 7 & 14 January, 11.05pm (CET).

The Oberhausen International Short Film Festival is calling out for submissions to its 13th MuVi award for the best German music video. The festival is looking for work produced in Germany. The winning film will be screened during the festival in Oberhausen, 5-10 May 2011. Prize money €5500, deadline for submission 21 February. Click here for full details.

According to the Throbbing Gristle website and his fellow TG cohorts Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, Sleazy Peter Christopherson died last night at his home in Bangkok, Thailand. There's no further information at this point, but we'll update as soon as we learn more.

Portishead have been announced as curators of ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror event in London next year. In addition, they will headline the weekender on both 23 and 24 July. According to their official website, Portishead currently have no plans to play any other UK show in 2011. Supporting acts include Beak>, MF Doom, Company Flow, The Books, Liars, The Mighty Swans and Grinderman, with more to be confirmed. London Alexandra Palace, 23–24 July, £59 per day/£100 weekend pass.