I’ve started renting a studio space this year to focus on my printmaking work, which I’m happy to say has been leading to a lot of inky experiments. Up on the Sloth Racket Bandcamp site now are some fresh 2023 covers for a couple of our albums. Both are editions of 10.
May I introduce the Shapeshifters 2023 rhubarb and custard edition…
…and the blue eyed monster edition of A Glorious Monster!
More print experiments to follow.
A fresh crop of improv gigs at the beer shop coming at you! Looking forward to duo sets with Dee Byrne, Isidora Edwards and Phil Durrant. Info on the BRÅK website.
Cr-ow-tr-io rides again! Otto, Tullis and I are playing at the inaugural Two Ship Festival in Hastings on Saturday 20th May. More info and tickets from the Two Ship Eventbrite page, and the lineup is below…
Another gig for the duo of Graham Dunning and me is coming up this month, at the squelchily-named TREAD INTO MULCH series, run by Paul Margree. The gig is happening at Hundred Years Gallery on Friday 26th May; we’re sharing the bill with two solo sets from Paul (as Ivy Nostrum) and John Macedo. I’m really enjoying the way the duo is developing, and looking forward to another outing!
The early part of this year so far has brought a few new things for me, and one of them is an exciting new role as leader of City University Experimental Ensemble (CUEE). I’m running the student group for this Spring term, exploring group improvisation alongside Sharon Gal’s Études. This deck of cards is a ‘set of scores and propositions’ for performance, and is full of provocations, instructions, statements and suggestions (not to mention beautiful colours) that are forming a basis for us to create some new music together.
The first time I worked with CUEE was as a guest artist in 2016, shortly after it was set up by my long-time collaborator Tullis Rennie. The ensemble performed my pieces Off-World and March Of The Egos (I can’t remember who that title refers to…) at IKLECTIK, and the recording was released on vinyl by multi.modal. CUEE have returned to the venue many times since then, and this year’s end of term concert is happening there, at IKLECTIK, on Wednesday 12th April. It should be a great evening of brand new improvised music, alongside the City University Field Recording Ensemble – and you can now reserve a free place at the concert.
I haven’t been online very much recently as project work is taking up most of my time, but I’m jumping back on today as I have two nice gigs coming up this weekend!
Firstly on Friday 17th February at Lewisham Arthouse it’s the first outing of Creatures of Tooth. This is a brand new duo project with Tom Ward on clarinets and me on live electronics! Doors are 7.30pm, it’s £5 on the door and byob, and we’re sharing the bill with LOFE…
Then the next night, Saturday 18th February, BRÅK is back at waterintobeer with a great lineup. I’m on electronics again, this time in a duo with Bill Thompson – the second gig of this collaboration. My plan is to plan lyra-8 synth only, and Bill will bring his new laptop setup.
Looking forward to both of these!
Graham has put together this video of our set at IKLECTIK last week. It was great to play together and we’re already making more plans….
A new season of BRÅK is upon us once again! This month I’ll be collaborating with Khabat Abas (cello) for the first time, on baritone. In February it’s the return of my long-running duo with Benedict Taylor, but we’re going to try it out with me on live electronics. And then I’ll be taking the electronics back there again for the April gig, with Graham Dunning. Should be a nice cluster of gigs: lots of lovely guests. Join us in the shop…
2023 is here and my first gig of the year is a duo set with Graham Dunning. It will be our inaugural gig together, and I’ll be on electronics (despite the saxophone hand on the flyer).The gig is being organised by Phil Durrant, and you can read more about it on the IKLECTIK venue website. Should be a really nice evening…
It’s here…