Listen to a mix of work by artists who will be featured in the First Edition music festival in Stockholm, by John Chantler
Mix
First Edition Stockholm
Listen to a mix of work by musicians who will be featured in the First Edition music festival in Stockholm, by John Chantler
As a musician, John Chantler has released a number of recordings for Lawrence English’s ROOM40 label. Last year he put out his own recordings for pipe organ and electronics called Still Light, Outside shortly after moving from London to Stockholm. This month he hosts a new festival of "improvised and other music" in the city called First Edition. This might be his first festival, but he’s no stranger to bringing out the weird and wonderful. Before moving to Stockholm he worked as the producer at London’s celebrated Cafe OTO and initiated the venue’s burgeoning in-house label OTOROKU. His mix highlights some of the artists performing or who have work presented at First Edition.
The festival takes place 19–21 February at Fylkingen, Kronobageriet and Rönnells Antikvariat.
Graham Lambkin
"Intro"
from Salmon Run
(KYE 2007)
Graham Lambkin has an uncanny ability to create beguiling worlds (both in sound and visually) with the simplest of means. This track to his 2007 Salmon Run release provides a good introduction by acknowledging that no total knowledge of what he’s up to will be possible any time soon. For the festival Graham will be playing solo but also in a duo with Joe McPhee who also lives in the small rural New York State town of Poughkeepsie.
Robert Ashley
"Automatic Writing"
from Automatic Writing
(Lovely Music 1979)
I never got to see the legendary Robert Ashley perform – sadly I was away when he appeared at my old stomping ground (Cafe OTO in London) and he passed away not long after.
Ellen Fullman
"Nocnoca Progression"
from Change Of Direction
(New Albion 1998)
Ellen Fullman has been refining her Long String Instrument for more than thirty years now, working with the way the resonant properties of buildings allow the delicate harmonics of her instrument to gather and shimmer as she plays. I really love these sounds and what she does with them and can’t wait to experience it in person.
Alexander von Schlippenbach/Globe Unity Orchestra
"Nodago"
from Global Unity – 40 Years
(Intakt, 2007)
&
Globe Unity
"Improvisation 2"
from Improvisations
(JAPO 1978)
Two selections — recorded almost 30 years apart — from one of the most remarkable big bands in the history of jazz. The economics and logistics of a big band make their performances increasingly rare but there should be a few more chances this year as Globe Unity celebrate their 50th anniversary (they originally convened for the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1966).
Joe McPhee/Chris Corsano
"For Jim Pepper"
from Scraps & Shadows
(Roaratorio 2012)
Joe McPhee is a living legend and an ever-energising presence. This piece is a fine example of how he reaches back through jazz history while taking it forward at the same time.
Broetzmann/Adasiewicz/Edwards/Noble
"Mental Shake"
from Mental Shake
(OTOROKU 2014)
Thanks to Cafe OTO, I’ve been lucky to see the German saxophonist Peter Brötzmann play a couple of dozen times now, but it’s always something I look forward to and the duo with Heather Leigh at Edition Festival should be wild! This quartet recording brought together another two of Peter’s more recent concerns – The duo with Chicago vibraphone whizz Jason Adasiewicz and the trio with Londoners John Edwards and Steve Noble. Adasiewicz/Noble hit it off for some ridiculous twin percussion interplay (a duo recording is in the works, I believe) and the whole group is completely unafraid of any expected boundaries – taking in blissed out balladry, honking sleaze and extended passages of voracious high energy/high speed communique.
Okkyung Lee
"Over The Oak, Under the Elm"
from Ghil
(Ideologic Organ, 2013)
This track is taken from Okkyung’s Ghil LP – famously recorded on cassette by Norwegian musician Lasse Marhaug – and bludgeoning in its overwhelming physical impact. It’s a ride worth taking even if you miss the exquisite upper register harmonic detail and precision that is otherwise a really important part of her playing. But Okkyung is always up for fucking with your expectations and reaching beyond any limits that might be imposed on her. For Edition Festival she’ll be performing a first time duo with Rashad Becker.
Heather Leigh
"Fairfield Fantasty"
from I Abused Animal
(Ideologic Organ 2015)
I first saw Heather play a set of heady, liminal folk-inflected drone as part of Taurpus Tula quite a few years back and have since witnessed sets of blinding abrasive noise from her over-amped, unhinged pedal steel. This new record offers up another angle – deeply personal songform – and I have high hopes for the combined fire and heart-wrenching blues-infused melodicism that will power her duo with Peter Brötzmann.