programme
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Space blanket
"shimmering layers of synths intertwine with pulsating rhythms crafted from vintage drum machines. The tracks are rooted, yet imbued with a sense of weightlessness, with cascading melody creating an inviting sonic space that seems to stretch into time. Pads swell and recede like waves on a distant shore, cloaking the listener in a tranquil ambiance, inviting listeners to lose themselves in a serene exploration of sound.
As the tracks unfold, a unique element enters the mix: the haunting resonance of a space trumpet. Itsotherworldly timbre slices through the ambient haze, offering a soulful contrast to the synth-led backdropand drum sounds.
...a meditative voyage through the cosmos, filled with wonder and contemplation."
BEN nobuto
Ben Nobuto is a British/Japanese composer, pianist and producer from Kent, UK. With a style described as ‘postmodern’ (Nonclassical), ‘utterly contemporary’ (Manchester Collective) and ‘sonically dazzling’ (RPS Awards), his music explores themes of attention and fragmentation, drawing from internet culture and popular idioms in a playful, ironic and surreal manner. Often combining acoustic with electronic sounds, his interest lies in how processes from one can be applied to the other, and the relationship between the ‘human’ and ‘non-human’ in the context of a live performance. His piece 'Hallelujah Sim' was performed at the Proms in 2024.
Ben will be creating a new piece of music for the festival this year, with Manchester ensemble, Nomad.
South African Michael Sebastian creates live dance music, and is on a mission to liberate his audience.
He combines electronic, world and jazz music to create an engaging and uplifting experience. Four Tet meets Fela Kuti with a dance crew.
Sebastian has a strong impact in London with recent headline shows at EartH Hackney & Colour Factory, support slots for James Blake, Four Tet & Jamie XX at Alexandra Palace, as well as being named a top 5 global Sofar artist.
The live show activates the audience uniquely, an immersive high-energy hybrid live set, that engages with musicianship, movement, and authentic expression. It unifies and motivates the crowd, leaving them in a state of collective ecstasy.
Jesse Barrett & Peter Beardsworth
Multi instrumentalist Peter Beardsworth and Percussionist Jesse Barrett collaborate to create unique in the moment music. Drawing on diverse influences and modalities, they combine propulsive dynamic rhythms with trance like melodies, sound manipulation, synthesis and sampling.
Percussionist Jesse Barrett's highly expressive and inventive approach draws on his background as a jazz drummer and a student of tabla, channeling a deep and dedicated study under his Guru Sirishkumar Manji, Jesse explores the meeting point between these diverse fields of lyrical percussion, carving a new path of tonal variety with subtle permutations of tabla, jazz improvisation, ambient electronics and sampling.
And in his own words:
I AM Peter Beardsworth.
I AM a flute player
I AM a producer
I AM a multi-instrumentalist
I AM a member of The Barnacles, an organisation seeking to promote the promotion of all life through the medium of vibration, which IS everything. I am an astronaut of the cosmos and a cosmonaut of the astros. Shim Shala Shom'
Trees.R.Good's goal is to celebrate the invaluable contributions that trees make to our world, from their deep roots in the earth to their majestic canopy) and beyond, with the resounding message: “Trees Are Good” - translation: “Les Arbres sont Bons”.
Yijia
Inspired by ideas that cross disparate cultures and histories, Yijia’s innovative creations weave together the threads of traditional and modern worlds. Her music flows through time and space to take her audiences on a multi-dimensional experience that connects the past, present, and future.
NOMAD is an award-winning flexible ensemble founded in 2021 by classically trained musicians Ailsa Burns, Iona Kaye, and Elena Orsi. They create multidisciplinary performances that blend music with a vibrant array of art forms.
'We believe in the power of music to move people. We believe in music which moves hearts, moves feet, and transports us to other realms. Through music, we bring stories to life.
Classical music brought us together, but we perform all music which ignites us - creating intimate, immersive, and bold performances for everyone.'
Marey
Marey is a duo that focuses on improvised experimental music mixed with electronics and poetry, where contemporary classical music, sound art, and folk music meet. Even though Marey is a new project, sisters Lilja María and Anna Sóley have played together since a young age. Lilja María plays Hulda, a string instrument of her design. Besides that, she also designs the electronics. Anna Sóley plays the violin and sings, exploring different soundscapes and extended techniques, using her voice at times somewhere between spoken words and singing.
Benjamin Luhis is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Nottingham, UK. His music is an exploration of alt-r&b, jazz, broken beat and EDM. As an artist Benjamin Luhis is particularly interested in the sonics of sound; how tone, timbre and duration elicit deeper emotional connections to music and the collective experience. Besides his solo work, Benjamin Luhis is also a member of Moja Fan Jazz Quintet, sonic-rock group 8mm Orchestra, psych-pop rock band CJ’s Mirra Maze & alt-jazz quartet Major Ruse.
marble Sun
Electronic duo Marble Sun are producer Tim Davies & singer-songwriter Olivia Williams.
Drawing on their shared background as jazz musicians, Marble Sun are the latest in a growing scene of British electronic artists bringing more organic, human elements into their sound – blending expansive electronic soundscapes & infectious rhythms (Floating Points, Rival Consoles, Jon Hopkins) with raw, intimate vocals (London Grammar, Lianne La Havas, Sade).
john haycock
John Haycock takes the kora and runs it through a series of electronic devices creating lush soundscapes and solid beats and overlays it with woodwind instruments, bridging the gap between ancient West African folk melodies and modern electronica, visiting influences from hip-hop to ambient to dub along the way. He has been studying kora closely under the master Gambian griot Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh for several years having also spent time In West Africa absorbing the culture. Through this relationship John not only learned how to play the Kora, but also how to construct the instrument.
