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Past Events
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A record
of past performances at Sound @ The Muse
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Wednesday November
3rd
2010
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BILTONE
Biltone's "Through
the Invisible Landscape" is a unique pocketbook
of haunting minimal melodies, bent lullabies and
catastrophic love songs. The lovechild of
singer-songwriter/producer Biltone, this debut album
offers an irresistibly delicate sound built on
fundamentals of patience, restraint and passion.
Evoking the unforgettable theatrics of voices like
Scott Walker and Antony Heggarty, infused with the
ingenious playfulness of a Van Dyke Parks
production, Through
the Invisible Landscape is a captivating,
meditative, modern pop creation. From the
lost-at-sea expanse of "Humming
Bird",
through the intimacy of "Waiting
for Romeo",
to the pastoral pop of "The
Pyramids of Llangollen" Biltone's
songs, here and onstage, are as memorable as they
are understated; awash with languidity, punctuated
by landmarks of timeless melody, dressed in
tapestries of strings, glinting with piano and
guitar.
A carefully assembled yet beautifully flawed
masterpiece, BIltone's view Through
the Invisible Landscape enraptures and mystifies
without alienation.
"It's gentle genius. Power and menace without
volume, sharp, not bitter, traditionally inventive
and achingly lovely." - Unpeeled
"Through
the Invisible Landscape is a sort of post-rock
meets pastoral soundscapes ... rich melodic passages
vie gently with, and are juxtaposed to stark yet
warm instrumental dynamics and beautifully sensitive
voices – quite breathtaking, massively compelling!
... Pretty much as good as it gets." - Peter J.
Brown
"It seemed as though Boxhead
Ensemble, Talk
Talk, and Harold
Budd came together to remind me of the simple
pleasures of just being here in the wake-up being
gone. Gorgeous." - Ian Doig-Phaneuf, 94.9 Western
Radio, London
"Sounds like great pop to me ... Maybe they're too far
ahead ... soon the world will catch up with their
esoteric brilliance." - Henry Priestman
(producer/songwriter, formerly of The Christians)
www.myspace.com/biltone
MICHAEL HOOPER AND ELLEN WINHALL
Previously performed works by Scelsi, Amber Priestly,
Brendan Cobert
Michael Hooper
is a performer and musicologist. As a mandolinist, he
specializes in the performance of the instrument’s recent
repertoire and is active in commissioning new works. He has
performed with some of Australia’s leading ensembles such as
Opera Australia, Halcyon, The Renaissance Players and The
Sydney Mandolins. He has also recorded extensively for
JADECD. As a musicologist, his current research is seeking
to document the music of the 1960s. He is also interested in
Australian music, its production, composition and reception.
Most recently this has taken the form of a re‑evaluation of
Australian music composed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He is a
research fellow at the Royal Academy of Music.
Soprano Ellen
Winhall gained an MA with distinction from the University of
York in 2008, having received a first class music degree
from the same institution. Her recent work degree focusses
on contemporary and extended vocal techniques. Her interest
in new music lead her to study with Linda Hirst, with whom
she continues to work. Ellen is based in London and works
for Trinity College of Music where she was recently involved
in a multidisciplinary improvisation project.
MAGIC PANDA
Magic Panda is Jamie Robson - an unsigned lo-fi electronic
music producer from the distant and mystic hinterland of
Norfolk. Specialising in melancholic, ethereal soundscapes
and uplifting psychedelic fairy tale anthems, MP's sound
incorporates textured layers of melodic content mangled and
twisted around glitchy drums and an underlying '4 to the
floor' pulse. MP has recently completed his debut EP, 'the
glass mountain' and is looking for a label to release it
with.
www.myspace.com/magicpandamusic
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Wednesday
October
6th
2010
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Sz.Berlin
Sz.Berlin (Schmerzzentrum Berlin) is a London based
industrial 'schmerznoise' project formed in 2007. It draws
inspiration from the history and iconography of the DDR,
plus related German and European historical, cultural &
ideological sources. To date, Sz.Berlin have played several
London live shows, released a strictly limited 3-track test
CDR (a track from which was played on Resonance FM) and are
now supervising the released of limited CDR compilation in
honour of the 60th anniversary of the DDR. Live actions are
backed by authentic found film footage creating an
atmosphere that is simultaneously oppressive, uplifting,
nostalgic and intriguing.
www.virb.com/szberlin
GHOSTHANDFISTER
Ghosthandfister are a four-piece experimental electronic
band based in London.
Alex Deacon plays keyboards/modular synth. Previously he was
a member of death indie band The Tedious and Wiltshire synth
art-rockers The Lucas Patrol.
Gilda Maurice sings and writes lyrics, and occasionally
plays the theremin.
Paul Charlton plays effects and homebrew console
instruments. He is a member of the Milton Park Orchestra.
Sue Ann Harkey plays 12-string guitar and inhabits a musical
world of her own.
www.myspace.com/ghosthandfister
EDGE EFFECT
Edge Effect (Andy Preston) is a self-taught electronic
musician from the wilds of Wiltshire. He has been performing
his dark-ambient music regularly since 2006 in Bristol,
London, Burton-on-Trent and his native Swindon. He seeks to
create atmospheres that are eerie and mysterious using
synthesiser sound-textures and an occasional hint of
tonality. He has had material released on split-CDs and
compilations from Ambientlive, iDrone Park and Invisible Eye
Productions together with a handful of self-released CD-Rs.
He is currently working on his first full CD release.
www.edge-effect.co.uk
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Wednesday
September
1st
2010
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VINCENT OLIVER
Vincent Oliver is an arch electronic artist and influential
around LOAF records offices.
Here’s what others have said:
“...an insanely beautiful sound comparable to Slowdive’s
Alison or
the finest moments of Ulrich Schnauss. A fabulous start for
a strange
series, recommended.” Boomkat.com
“..by all accounts Vincent Oliver is a name you should
remember
and perhaps bandy about if that’s what you like to do -
..For a first
time release this is really on a very accomplished and
thoughtful
level. Well deserving of it’s beautiful packaging, this is a
gentle epic
that will whip up a quiet storm.” Warpmart, UK.
“Vincent Oliver creates kaleidoscopic music with touches of
irony
and full of purity that subtly reference a variety of
inspirations” Trax
Magazine.
“…Vincent Oliver puts forward a fluid intelligent
electronica which
will garner him respect from established artists” Popnews,
France.
"Vincent Oliver a perfect three minutes of pop before
blossoming into a sky-sized shoegaze workout complete with
overdriven guitar and glockenspiel.." Wire, UK
www.vincentoliver.co.uk
REGOLITH
Regolith formed in 2005 for the purpose of creating music on
a geological scale; music of mountains, shifting like
glaciers, slow and relentless processes on grand timescales.
From deep tectonic ambience to explosive volcanic orchestral
noise, this is music of stone, designed to be as
contemplative and beautiful - yet unpredictable and
dangerous - as nature itself.
Regolith are:
G. Ross - Warped Lunar Decay
D. Graham - Sedimentary Subsonics
regolith.bandcamp.com
STILLBORN WITH APPLES
Landscapes, Music Concrete and Atonality.
www.stillbornwithapples.com
Doors open
7.00pm
Tickets £5
Tickets can be bought in advance
here
Facebook Event
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Friday June 4th 2010
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ROBIN STOREY
Robin Storey was born in 1955 in Cumbria, England. While
studying fine arts at Sunderland University, he began
pursuing a long-held interest in sound manipulation by
taking classes in electronic and experimental
composition,additionally joining with friends to perform the
works of Karlheinz Stockhausen (a key influence, as were the
Krautrock bands of the early 1970s).
In 1979 Storey
formed the pioneering industrial group :zoviet*france:,
remaining a member until 1992.
The same year Storey issued the first Rapoon album, Dream
Circle, its entrancing fusion of Indian ragas, African
rhythms and experimental textures anticipating the evocative
soundscapes of the many releases to follow.
Also a noted
visual artist and animator, Storey's work has been exhibited
throughout the world and is in the collections of many major
galleries.
Storey has
collaborated widely and has produced albums with artists
including Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia) Nigel Ayers
(Nocturnal Emissions) Randy Grief and Russian Folk singer
Tatyana Stepchenko aka.Toloka.
He has also
collaborated in live work with numerous other musicians
including Damo Suzuki (Can). As well as producing his own
abstract animated films he has also produced work for
soundtracks for Independent films including Randy Grief's
award winning film “the Three Trials” and award winning film
by NY independent artist Nadine Shamounki with her film
“Effaced”.
Storey has also
produced two best-selling sound loop libraries for Sony
Media and has had his work used for TV advertising.
http://tiny.cc/1dGPX
TIMOTHY C HOLEHOUSE
Powerelectronics
Well, I was born
in Dorchester on the 9th November 1976, I was premature in
birth... we moved to Portsmouth when I was one and a half.
My Dad was a Navy Officer my Mum was in the Wrens. I grew up
with a love of the sea and I guess the sea front in
Portsmouth holds a huge amount of nostalgia. I moved to
Exeter for five years and have spent the last six years or
so in London. I've been in loads of bands over the years.
From the age of 15 with Electric Dissarria to Among The
Missing.
Since then I
have played hundreds of shows and pretty much constantly
toured not only the UK but toured in Hong Kong, Japan,
Australia, USA, Iceland, Austria, switzerland, Germany and
France. Touring with some amazing artist, whom I respect and
admire including Oldseed (Canada/Germany), Octoberman
(Canada), USAISAMONSTER (USA), Veee Dee (Japan) and My
summer as a salvation solider, Pog (UK) and many more
besides from the UK.
I have also
released several split EPs, a 7" and have not ne but 3
upcoming albums as well as a tape cassette series of
releases. I have a new record "from the dawn chorus..." due
out early 2009.
My music varies, I write what I feel like with the skills
and instruments I have available. In a rather schizophrenic
move I split myself up with more more straight up songs and
acoustic material going still under the guise Tim Holehouse
and my more leftfield material going under the Timothy C
Holehouse.
www.myspace.com/timothycholehouse
MICHAEL SANTOS
Michael Santos makes ambient music with a guitar and a
laptop. His latest album, Memory Maker, was released in
April on Home Normal, following albums on Baskaru, U-Cover
and Benbecula over the past few years. He has also appeared
on compilations curated by Audiobulb, Amp Bit If Go and Miso.
His sound has been described as "blustery drones and tactile
crackles" (Boomkat) and "like being drunk in a beehive" (The
Wire).
www.myspace.com/listentomichaelsantos
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Friday May 7th 2010
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SIGNALS
Signals was formed by Chris Gowers (Karina ESP, Evelyn
Records) and Phil Julian (Cheapmachines, Authorised Version)
during summer 2004, initially to work on collaborative
performance for the 2004 London Headphone Festival.
During November 2005, Mark Beazley of Rothko joined Signals
to play live as part of the on-going Evelyn Records evenings
in London, cementing the core line-up.
The trio’s live performance’s consist of 15 to 20 minute
drone and melody explorations, utilizing bowed and effected
guitar, live laptop manipulations and sampling, bowed
ceremonial bowls and effected bass guitar.
www.tracerecordings.com
IRIS
GARRELFS
Iris Garrelfs is a composer/performer intrigued by change,
fascinated with voices and definitely enamoured by
technology. She often uses her voice as raw material, which
she transmuted into machine noises, choral works or
pulverised “into granules of electroacoustic babble and
glitch, generating animated dialogues between innate human
expressiveness and the overt artifice of digital processing”
as the Wire Magzine put it.
Described as
the Diamanda Galas of Glitch, Iris’ training into creating
through voice began very early on. Her parents sang in the
village choir, and would often practice at home with Iris
making up new melodies, 2nd and 3rd voices to whatever was
being sung. She got into the attractions of technology as a
teenager, stumbling across her dad’s pulp si-fi magazines.
Iris is still waiting for an implant that will siphon off
her sonic nerve impulses, fragments of melody, rhythm and
correlation floating around in her body and brain. A vital
part of her work, be it using voice or other sound material,
is improvisation and the use of random elements, the
ephemeral fragility and risk implied in giving up control to
me moment, a sonic singularity.
Iris performs solo as well as in
collaboration with other artists, for example Robert Lippok
(To Rococo Rot), Kaffe Matthews, Scanner, Si-cut.db and
others. She also performs with the improvising group
Symbiosis Orchestra. Recording collaborations include
si-cut.db and Freeform - the latter has been re-released as
part of the Bernt Friedman compiled and remixed compilation
"Condensed" on Nonplace
The recent album Specified Encounters, released on the
French label Bip-Hop, has been moulded from dissected voice
sounds.
www.irisgarrelfs.com
ISNAJ DUI
Standing somewhere between modern classical and electronica,
Isnaj Dui (real name Katie English) conveys a minimal yet
capturing sound using electronically manipulated flutes and
homemade instruments. With three solo releases on her own
FBox Records as well as Amacrine on Smallfish (2007) and
Unstable Equilibrium on Home Normal (2009), English has
gained a solid reputation as both a live performer and
recording artist. She has appeared at venues such as the
National Portrait Gallery and Union Chapel in London and has
been played on Radio 3's Late Junction and Arctic Circle
Radio.
As a classically trained flautist, Katie uses concert and
bass flutes alongside various home made instruments, with
live manipulation using an effects and looping device.
Through studies in electroacoustic music, alternative
tunings and Javanese Gamelan as well as her classical work,
Katie has fused together many styles to create a unique
sound, infusing tranquil melodies with a dark edge. Keith
Moline of Wire writes of 2007s 'Patterns In Rocks'
'...English manages to take the [flute] into darker realms
while maintaining a lovely, sleepy languor.
As well as her solo work Isnaj Dui performs live and on
recordings with various artists including Konntinent and
Orla Wren.
Reviews...
Boomkat (an album of the week) 'Absolutely gorgeous music
and a big recommendation for followers of this excellent
label and good music everywhere.'
Smallfish (recommended) 'Truly a delight to listen to and
something that is both familiar and strangely exotic
sounding. You’re unlikely to hear another album quite like
this in the near future and for that we must be thankful
that Isnaj Dui is out there doing her own thing.'
Textura November 2009 '...an oft-beautiful exercise in
sensuous tone-painting that, in seemingly effortless manner,
not only distinguishes itself from the competition but
establishes Isnaj Dui as a distinctive artistic voice.'
www.myspace.com/isnajdui
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Friday April 2nd 2010
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A WAKE A WEEK
...do we never tire of these endless reruns of our grief?
With the debut release from his new project, Dave
Dando-Moore (Detritus) offers us an intensely composed
symphony of unending sorrow. If Detritus is the debris of
emotion, A Wake A Week is the tar-black residue still
clinging like a parasite, clawing away at old wounds.
www.awakeaweek.co.uk
MYSTERY LIGHTS (Clive Bell & David Ross)
Shakuhachi & electronics woven together – Zen
meets the Moog.
Clive Bell
is Britain’s leading player of the Japanese shakuhachi
flute, and a founder member of Jah Wobble’s Deep Space
project.
David Ross:
electronic improviser/composer and percussionist (Grutronic,
Kenny Process Team, Twinkle3), now perfoming with his
ever-evolving Drosscillator.
Their recordings together include Mystery Lights (on
the Metier label), and Let’s Make A Solar System (on
ini.itu, with Richard Scott).
Clive Bell
www.clivebell.co.uk/news
Metier
www.divine-art.com
ini.itu
www.iniitu.net
SEASONS
(PRE-DIN)
You might not be familiar with the work of Seasons
(pre-din), but the shadowy northerner has been honing his
craft for some time now, covertly issuing a slew of stunning
albums while the world ticked on. He cut his teeth
performing and collaborating with Richard Skelton and Xela,
but over the last couple of years has busied himself
prepping a range of hand-made releases on his own label.
Often gone in a matter of hours, these lovingly crafted
curios caught the attention of astute listeners worldwide.
rtjm.wordpress.com
www.myspace.com/seasonspredin
Visuals by Alex May
www.quadratura.info
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Thursday December 1st
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MARCUS LEADLEY &
MICHAEL KOSMIDES
A performance using hardware stage and studio effect
processors to manipulate loops generated in real time. Key
sources are guitar, theremins, vintage synths and silence.
The work is entirely improvised and each performance quite
unique: visceral and chaotic, often beautiful and at times
sonically invasive - yet never too long or too loud...
www.marcusleadley.com
Photos by Eva Bensasson
TIMOTHÉE HORODYSKI
Timothée Horodyski is a French woman composer. She has
studied classic, jazz and contemporary music. As she liked
to sculpt sounds, she has moved towards electro-acoustic
music she has studied at the University Paris 8 with Horacio
Vaggione and at Ircam. She has a PhD in Music: the subject
of her dissertation is the analysis of Varese’s work. She is
Lecturer at University Paris 8
THE LANGHAM RESEARCH CENTRE
With the clock ticking on quarter-inch tape, the Langham
Research Centre formed in August 2003, with the intention of
keeping alive the processes and spirit of Musique Concrète,
or tape music: sounds from the real world recorded and
transformed on magnetic tape. (It was invented by Pierre
Schaeffer as a new music for a brave new world in the
post-war Paris of the late 1940s). Egg harps, broken hinges,
hungry dogs, executive toys, loose change and chicken
carcasses have all featured in the LRC's work, aided by
three aged reel-to-reel quarter-inch tape decks.
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Thursday October 6th
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JANEK SCHAEFER
Using his custom built 'Twin' turntable to manipulate
especially cut vinyl, Janek's improvised concerts are an
evocatively woven soundscape combining abstract
electro-acoustic source material with long forgotten vinyl
alterations. An evolving dense stream of close focus sound
textures, pulses and frequencies which conjure images of an
architectonic landscape, traversing though Ballard's
'Drowned World'.
www.audiOh.com
SonVer
SonVer tread a post-rock path of layers, loops and
atmospherica, fusing electric cello, guitar and disembodied
samples with abstract visuals. This is music which ploughs
its own furrow, zigging between genres and zagging through
pigeon holes; From opressive to reflective, this is perfect
soundtrack material.
www.sonver.moonfruit.com
TIM BURNESS
An established guitarist and artist who works in a wide
variety of genres, Tim Burness will be performing
atmospheric soundscapes on electric guitar.Guitarists such
as Robert Fripp and Steve Hillage are possible reference
points for the range of sounds covered.
www.timburness.com |
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Thursday August 4th
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SUSAN HAWKINS and
OLIVIA PISANI
'subtle tears'
Susan and Olivia are diehard pianists with a deep seeded
love for the organic sound of the piano. Armed with some
attractive laptops they meld subtle electronic sounds with
the luscious beauty that is the wooden keys.
Visuals: Amanda Kyler
THE BURNELL-HUNT DUO
Paul Burnell and Karen Hunt will create electro-acoustic
landscapes inspired by the mighty oboe, delightful toy
instruments and unexpected percussion. Paul is a
London-based composer, and together with Karen make up one
half of the percussion quartet Brake Drum Assembly.
www.musicalsquares.com
"khmfn"
"Achtung! Future!" is computer music for a laptop
performance and video projection. The music may be described
as a futuristic kind of "musique concrète", generated from
contemporary factory noises, synthesized robot signals and
intensely edited historical machine sounds as well as
everyday traffic sounds. In its full-length version it
comprises a series of sixteen short pieces, none of which
being longer than four minutes. The sonic part of "Achtung!
Future!" is performed by Frank Niehusmann live on a laptop
computer. The video part is compiled and performed by
Karl-Heinz Mauermann and comprises five alternating image
elements: (1) a live recording showing Frank‘s fingers
playing the computer keyboard; (2) a view of the current
audience that may be read as representing tomorrow‘s
audience, (3) transitory movements through familiar utopian
cityscapes, live on stage, (4) close-ups on eyes gazing into
the future. The most important image element, however, shows
nothing. The picture is black. All pieces of "Achtung!
Future!" have titles pointing out single topics, situations
or places pertaining to futurity. In between the individual
pieces Frank Niehusmann will explain the future.
Karl-Heinz Mauermann
www.semantic-error.de
Frank Niehusmann
www.niehusmann.org
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Thursday June 2nd
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DOUGLASS C. BIELMEIER
Slowly Sinking Slower (fall 2003 - spring 2004) ca.10 mins
Unlike photographs and old home movies, which can provide an
objective view of the past, our memory by nature is
subjective. We often remember only our happiest moments and
discard the rest. This short film deals with how memories
often obscure the perception of ones self, and that which is
external.
MR SOUTH
A sound and visual artist based in London, Mr South is
performing using recorded organic and synthesizered sound
bites he has collected from around the world.
The work airs on the side of chill but accessing action,
just like a lazy afternoon in the city.
Collaborating v.j. performance by Mark Easton
Visuals by Mr South and Pixinc.
STONE IDOLS
Stone Idols is the creative work of Rob Jenkins.
The music is electronic, sometimes ambient, based on the use
of synthesizers, guitars and a wide range of other
instruments and selected sound sources.
Stone Idols does not fit neatly into any one musical genre,
nor does it care about genre as clique markets are not good
for reaching wider audiences. And with a crumbling music
market, times call for more diversity.
The aim is for music to be rewarding, functional and
achieving longevity for future listening.
Rob is just about to complete the second Stone Idols album
due for release later this year.
The set will feature tracks from the forthcoming CD.
Instrumentation for the performance will consist of a
Minimoog and a custom made Modular System.
www.mp3ambient.com/stone-idols |
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Wednesday May 4th
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BRETT GOWLETT'S
HeadSpace
A fusion of music poetry and performance art. Music composed
with manipulated found sounds that accompany Brett's
soulfully expressive and joyously ridiculous vocals. All
framed in a world of psychosis, cartoons, sunsets,
plasticine and magic mushrooms.
SMACK MIRANDA
Smack Miranda is a producer, DJ and sound engineer from the
north of England, now living in West London. The founding
member of three-man electro terrorists Liberation Jumpsuit,
when not leading the world's finest Altern-8 tribute band
into battle, he can be found engineering and occasionally
presenting on Resonance 104.4FM, or performing his unique
brand of dyspeptic illbience on his slightly temperamental
laptop in venues all over the capital and beyond. His set at
the Placard Headphone Festival gained him a favourable
review in The Wire, something he hasn't stopped bragging
about since. Current projects include work for several
theatre companies, collaborations with Japanese poetess
Coppe, dominuitive noisenik Spinmaster Plantpot, and a debut
Liberation Jumpsuit EP later on this year.
www.liberationjumpsuit.co.uk
WAJID YASEEN
projects :
2nd Gen with releases on Mute, PIAS, Blast First, Quatermass....
Uniform with first album on Ad Noiseam
Dirthole.....an 8 piece garage rock outfit with members from
tindersticks, headbutt, the membranes.....
Installation/Dance involvement :
Various pieces with the choreographer Gail Sneddon
Various pieces with Athina Valla
Also worked with CandoCo as an off-schedule experiment at
the GDA
Currently working on the new Uniform album with
collaborations from Lydia lunch, Barry Adamson, Sleazy from
Throbbing Gristle/Coil, Dalek, Justin Broadrick from Jesu/Techno
Animal, Germseed and the performance artist Franko B
For the Muse performance, I'll be working with Andreas
Constantinou and a group of performers he's putting
together....and I also might be bringing in Franko B to do
vocals over 1 track....
www.2ndGen.net
www.Dirthole.org |
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Wednesday April 6
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MAP 165
Sound artists working in areas between music and noise,
concentrating on the suspended moments where forms and
patterns stop and texture begins.
www.map165.martinasmith.co.uk
Photos by imax
slow sound system
the slow sound system explores ambient listening and new
electronica. We run irregular listening sessions at The
Foundry in east London, co-host the 'Small Pieces' show on
Resonance FM and co-curate the Placard London Headphones
Festival. We also have material out on the microlabels
kabuki kore, grain of sound and 8bitrecs.
'quality avant chillage' BBCi
'quiet, considered music' The Wire
'... a truly chilled East End space' The Guardian
ENRICO GLEREAN (e.g.ø)
is an Italian musician and artist. His artistic research is
based on two keywords: "code" and "memory". Using sounds and
self-made software, he encodes images and feelings into
sounds and vice versa. He has played and took part in
exhibitions and festivals around Italy and Europe. He also
composes soundtracks for videos, installations and
contemporary dance performances. He is the heart of
[no.signal].
www.egzero.org
Photos by imax
To see more photos by imax please
click here |
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