John Butcher & Mark Sanders “Tarab Cuts”

John Butcher saxophones, sound files, feedback
Mark Sanders drums, percussion

The genesis of “Tarab Cuts” dates back to 2011, when Lebanese electronic composer Tarek Atoui invited a number of musicians to create short works for his project “Visiting Tarab”. The idea was to form a modern-day response to the Arabic music recordings in the collection of Kamal Kassar of the AMAR Foundation, Beirut. British musician John Butcher contributed “Between the Skies – for saxophone plus sound files”, created through edits re-composing music from Kassar’s 78s.

“Tarab Cuts” expands this earlier work into a concert presentation – utilizing re-imaginings of many other recorded sources and adding UK percussionist Mark Sanders.

Whilst it takes inspiration from early Arabic classical, secular and Sufi music it is not an attempt to copy this music, but rather an interaction across decades and cultures that throws an intriguing light on the contemporary musical practice of Butcher and Sanders.

Trigger Happy

Yorgos Stenos Frantzios amplified objects & toys, saxophone, electronics
Yorgos Mizithras 0-input mixer, cracked media
Yorgos Stavridis percussion, electronics
Manthos Karras turntable, samples

Trigger Happy is a 4-piece band formed in Corfu, Greece, 2016. They are known for their high-energy performances using an elaborate blend of toys, cracked-media, conventional instruments, electronic and electroacoustic contraptions. They utilize walls of noise, microsounds, serene drones, found media and disintegrating loops as interchangeable sound-blocks in improvisatory structures. Informed by polystylism, sound collage, and cut-up, all the elements are juxtaposed in contrasting fast-paced changes and abrupt cuts. Each performance is dictated by a unique event score, devised by the group. Trigger Happy is also the driving force behind the Κε.Δι.Μου.Ρα collective, which researches and explores collaborative and playful ways of musical interaction, performance, and composition.

Two or the Dragon with Joss Turnbull & Pablo Giw

Pablo Giw trumpet
Abed Kobeissy bowed buzuq, electric buzuq, effects
Ali Hout daholla, zill, effects
Joss Turnbull tombak

German musicians Joss Turnbull & Pablo Giw create a delicate thunderstorm of beats, breath sounds and ambient soundscapes on two simple acoustic instruments: the Iranian tombak drum and the extended trumpet. Both musicians operate as soloists as well as duo partners. Preparations like rubber and tremolo sticks, loose trumpet valves or spring drum see Turnbull and Giw weaving a dense texture of sound and noise. In a playful and unpretentious manner, their music develops into a vortex of slow and complex compositions.