Iklectik Horse Festival

I am performing in The Paradise Yard Ensemble at this festival in SE1 January 26-28th 2018

Also I will be gathering material for the Improvisor Podcast

The Improvisor Podcast

New Episode with Adrian Northover out in The Podcast Section or To subscribe on itunes click here. You can also listen directly either on SoundCloud or at the Improvisor website.

To mark the occasion of his 60th birthday – Improvisor releases a podcast talking to Adrian Northover, an inimitable presence on the improvised and experimental music scene in London UK for many years and in my view, an effortless master of the saxophone.

Discussing his playing with electronic players we discuss tonality and the combination of ‘ freedom and restriction’ in this environment- which Adrian summed up as “ having handcuffs on but still being able to jump out of the window’……

We talk about the function of playing improvised music live – the collaboration & interaction between players and ‘providing the meat and grist for the audience…. either successfully or unsuccessfully’.

He talks of his interest in ‘Sufi’ music and the idea of ‘the ecstasy’ behind the music and how he likes to know ‘the function of music’ .The difference between processed and produced or un-produced music ‘a document versus a treated document.’

Improvised music has become ‘more acceptable and less weird…’……people in the past would say it ‘was just noise’ not music…..it was ‘really out there in terms of public awareness… now you can do anything and it is not so outrageous’….. ‘it has moved more centre stage………’

Podcast_ Episode 3

This is a conversation with Adam Bohman who has been operating on the outer fringes of underground music for decades. Working with home-built instruments, found objects, tape cut-ups, collages, ink drawings and graphic scores. Favouring acoustic sounds over electronics, he explores the minute tendrils of sounds coaxed from any number of non-musical instruments and objects. He is a member of British experimental groups, Morphogenesis, The Bohman Brothers, Secluded Bronte, and The London Improvisers Orchestra. Adam’s music is unique and experimental, incorporating Fluxus japery, musique concrete, sound poetry and free improvisation.

Show Notes:

Podcast Episode 2

Caroline Kraabel grew up in Seattle USA, and came to London as a teenager. She discovered saxophone and expressed her love for it via indie music and street performance.

I talked to Caroline about how she began to play her instrument, her inspirations, collaborations and her experiences of the experimental music scene in London.

“It’s possible for somebody like me….in a state of complete ignorance about music to make sounds and put them together in a way that worked for me… & other people seemed to think it worked too..…”

Show notes and mentions include:

Swell Maps, Ornette Coleman, film making, soundtracks, tape loops & amp; noises, busking; Stormy Weather, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat– by Charles Mingus. Working as a projectionist,living in squats, John Steven’s workshops in Stockwell, Search and Reflect by John Stevens, Maggie Nichols, fake blood, Sue Lynch, Resonance FM, Susan Alcorn – pedal steel player, Annie Lewandowski– musical saw, prep piano, accordion, Veryan Weston, John Edwards, Chemistry Beats Electricity, Mark Sanders, Bei Bei Wang.

Podcast Episode 1

Richard Sanderson is an improvising musician based in London, he has recorded with the groups Ticklish, Minnow, Lost Robots and in duos with Mark Spybey and Steve Beresford. He has recorded for several labels including Grob, Textile and Duophonic. He has performed at festivals of experimental music throughout Europe. He is the curator of Linear Obsessional Recordings.

I talked to Richard about how he began to play his instrument, his inspirations, collaborations and his experiences of the experimental music scene in London.