Get your ears round this lot then!

Hey folks. I’m gonna forgo the usual apology for radio silence, and get straight to it. I have a listening page! Guess what you can do there? That’s right, listen to my music. Hooray. There are some concert pieces, and some examples of music I’ve written for theatre. There’s still more still more to go up there, so I’ll keep you posted on any updates I make.

Also, I’d like to let you know about a bedroom recording project I’ve undertaken with my good friend Nicholas Worrall. We are called ‘Heroes of Popular Science’ and, well, it’s got a beat and you can dance to it (especially if you’ve got a sugar high from too many malteasers). So… check us out!

 

Bruno Charles

It’s a rare thing indeed when I find someone to really shout about on the eternal crapshoot that is London’s “we’ll-pay-you-in-lager, please-bring-all-your-friends” scene. So I was pleasantly stunned last Friday to witness a set by Bruno Charles, at the Silver Bullet. He is a winning combination of fluent blues/soul song-craft, consummate musicianship, and a bittersweet voice with just a dash of raw Americana. All of his songs were carefully written and arranged, but I was particularly won over by “Old Man” (below). Do check out his Soundcloud page: you wont be disappointed.

The Last Day

I have been creating the sound design for this brand new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel. The theme is close to my heart and is still shockingly relevant today. It is presented by Time Zone Theatre, and will be performing at the Old Red Lion Theatre on the 14th and 21st of November, and tickets are available from the theatre website.

 

“Imagine knowing the exact minute your life will end.

 

In the final moments before his execution a man finds himself caught in a whirlwind with the painful and poignant memories of his life and the fear of what comes next.

 

This new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s famous novel revitalises the classic text with theatricality using story-telling and physical theatre and brings our attention to one of the most essential human questions: Can the death penalty ever be justified?”

 

based on a novel by Victor Hugo

Translated by Christopher Moncrieff

 

Dates: Nov. 14th & 21st 2011, 8pm

 

Venue: Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1 V 4NJ

 

Tickets: £ 10 / £ 8

Events!

Biggleswade and District Choral Society will be performing movements from my choral piece ‘Divine Emblems’ over the coming weeks. You can find details of these events on my brand-spanking-new Events Page! That’s right, now there’s one handy page through which you can keep yourself abreast of all my upcoming goings and comings. Hooray!

Edinburgh 001

Apologies for the radio silence folks. Things have been hectic to say the least. I’m five performances into Oedipus by Steven Berkoff (after Sophocles) at the Pleasance in Edinburgh. Simon Merrells stars once again in the title role, with Steven himself (dynamic as ever) playing Creon, and the fabulous Anita Dobson as Jocasta. The first week of shows has gone extremely well, and audiences have responded well. No reviews as yet, though plenty of press have been in so it’s only a matter of time. The show runs at the Pleasance Grand for the rest of the month, so please come along if you’re up for the fringe.

Now I’ve settled into my Oedipus routine, I’m also looking forward to the arrival of A Hero Of Our Time, by the exceptionally talented KUDOS. I have composed the original music for this intense and moving production, adapted and directed by Alex McSweeney. It begins at The Monkey House at ZOO on the 14th of August, and the start time of 17:30 makes it ideal early evening viewing after, say, some Greek tragedy in the afternoon?

Roolbaste

I have been once again getting into making some electronic sounds, and to that end I have created a new moniker under which to operate: “Roolbaste”. What will hopefully come out of it will be a whole series of etudes through which I might explore some ideas and working methods. My aim is set some fairly restrictive limitations on the working method for constructing each piece. In the case of this first one, each very short sound (or particle) is derived by varying the previous sound, hence the title, ‘Tweak and Bounce’. I would be very interested in any feedback anybody out there might have, so do leave your comments!

It’s very much influenced by the likes of Curtis Roads and Horacio Vaggione (whose music I find exceptionally beautiful, and I encourage you to go check out!).

You Are Wolf

‘You Are Wolf‘ is the solo folk outing of Kerry Andrew, composer and performer. If you haven’t heard her before, I can’t hesitate to recommend her recent session for Folk Radio UK as an excellent introduction, so I have placed below. I find her voice haunting in it’s clarity, and her masterful use of electronics to loop and layer is very sophisticated. Her EP ‘Hunting Little Songs’ is available to download from itunes, or you can buy it from her website. Please check her out!