Small But Perfectly Formed

2012-01-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

only three tickets left for the workshop with ASTERO...

www.facebook.com/events/345996738761616

People attending, drop me a line to say what you expect from or if you have any questions.

The duo will arrive on February the 16th to play at the Limehouse Town Hall www.entracte.co.uk/events

and they'll play at Cafe Oto on February the 17th, say hello if you're going any of these shows.

cheerio,
o.

circuit bending workshop open for booking

2012-01-05T12:30:00.001-08:00

You can now book your ticket for the circuit bending workshop lead by ASTERO on february 18&19. The barcelone-based duo come to do a residency with Jason Khan at Cafe Oto in february. They haven't been in London in ages and I thought it'd be a pity to have them around and let them go after the gigs. So we decided to give a go at the workshop. The idea was to do something practical where participants can find their own approach while benefiting from the experience of ASTERO.

The text they put together isn't most sexy (www.wegottickets.com/event/150676 ) but get in touch if you want to know more about it (tuladi at hotmail.com).

the basic outline should be
- february 18:
10am-1pm: radio modification techniques
1pm-2pm: lunch
2pm-4pm: exercises to explore composition and improvisation

- february 19:
10am - 1pm: practice in different groups and Q&A

Also the 5 first people to book will get a free ticket for the 2-day residency at Oto.

Let me know what you think about all this.

cheerio
o.

ZURCHELON

2011-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Jason Kahn and Alfreido Costa Monteiro contacted me at the same time to find a concert in London. I thought it'd be good to make the most of their visit and ask them for more than a concert.
So there'll be a residency at Oto involving Jason, Afreido - in his duo with Juan Matos Capote - Matt Davis and Phil Julian.
And there'll be workshops of which very little is known yet. But if you want to hear more about them drop me a line here: tuladi at hotmail. com.

2011-08-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

Few words from Katsura Yamuchi ahead of the concert of the 15th september:

"It's the first time for me to play in England. Some of my Japanese friends told me "Oto is very nice place and fits for Salmosax." Now, it is realized by many helps, I appreciate it. Salmosax is a kind of musical exploration, it connect ancient time to today using my memories of body (DNA), air, place, audiences, sounds, etc. As a result Salmosax express future too. I mean I don't know my music. Is it like Zen?　I don't know."

2011-08-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Next gig (15/09) is going to be a cheerful mix, clearly going against my natural tendency to try and make sense in the selection of acts. Quite enjoyable really. o.

2011-08-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Just few words to lay an imprint here of the visit of Alex Mendizabal.
What a great presence, charming and uplifting, always rubbing his emotions against his environment and happy to share his perception with others. A refreshing change from the jaded, rigid and self-defeated old improv crowd. o.

2011-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

hello, hello,
Phil Minton just told me he was up for joining Guilluame Viltard and John Russell on the 12th of March. I think the formation is interesting and it should sound great in the church (that's why we wanted to have these three together).
The line-up is now quite plump so we may have to start soon after the door open to make sure there's plenty of room for everyone.
cheerio
o

2011-02-16T05:46:00.000-08:00

I just love it when after struggling with an idea - kneading it and shaping it to make it fit into place - it suddenly organise itself and fills the volume given. In this instance a lot of shifting was necessary before it started to flow but I'm quite excited about the whole thing now: different practices, visiting musicians, new venues, new groupings...

There's two movements:
Jean-Luc Guionnet will show some drawings (how and what is still in the air) and Paul Abbott will show his latest film (here again things are still moving) during the as alike as trees festival in a separate room so that people can come in wether or not attending the festival.

Also there'll be a concert in the lovely St Mark's church in Islington on Saturday the 12th of March with Jean-Luc on either sax or church organ and Soizic Lebrat, french cellist along with a fine selection of local music practitioners.

What do you think?

o

2010-11-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

I went to that gig last week and the the audience was made of few friends of the musicians. The event was focused and friendly, I loved it but I can't take it for my gigs. I don't exactly know what it is but I think I put gigs on to share, not music, but a moment in the city with people I can relate to. So it was a bit of a let down when I've hardly seen anyone from my mailing list in the Network Theatre last Thursday. Anyway we had about 35 people and it was all good spirited but it always saddens me to notice that this mailing list is just a waste of hopes.

Right... that was just to give you an idea of how emotional I can get about these things, in a more positive note I look forward to Jean-Luc Guionnet's visit. I don't know of a saxophone player in the UK playing like him and I'm curious to hear him play the organ - everyone I met raved about it.
He'll stay in London for a week playing on an organ in Holborn for three days and then he'll switch to the organ of St Mary the Old in Stoke Newington for 3 days before the concert takes place.

o

2010-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

There's one thing I'm worse at than writing in this blog and it's writing the pitch for gigs (and the mailout would come next). Such a flawed and subjective thing all spotted by promotional crap.
Anyway I still write one in the -systematically unsatisfied- hope to bring in people who don't know these names and music fields. And you'll get plenty of lame, abstract, subjective nonsense (and complementary name dropping(s)) in the coming weeks as I found myself surpising busy with gigs.

First, let's get this one out of the way: Eddie Prevost Trio on 16th november in network theatre.

Second Jean-Luc Guionnet playing sax in Cafe Oto on Friday December 3rd.

And third Guionnet Jean-Luc playing organ in St Mary's Old Church on Monday December 6th.

very exciting init?

o

2010-10-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

Have a look at what's coming up next month. I really like what Tom Chant does and it's been ages since he last played improv in London (this lazy git gives up all his UK time to Marseille Figs and the Cinematic Orchestra since he moved to Barcelona). I've asked for a solo but can't promise yet that it'll be granted.

The biggie will come in December. Jean-Luc Guionnet will stay in London for a week to play three different organs. One in Holborn and two different ones in Stoke Newington Church Street. You'll be able to sneak in the churches as he meets the instruments and there will be a concert on Saturday the 4th of December.
I've never heard anyone disregarding Jean-Luc's organ playing and I'm pleased to be involved in a project that will evolve in time and space.

I'll keep you posted.

Cheerio
o

2010-07-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

This place does not exist.

2010-03-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

The film/music performance of the 3rd of April has been in my mind for a while now and there's a serious build up of excitement. After weeks of willful planning I didn't manage to go to the Courtisane festival in Ghent to see Paul, Ross and Seymour's performance leaving me very frustrated and curious, also I bumped into a few people who've seen MetalkinG in the Cable Festival (www.antboymusic.com/cable) and they all said they really enjoyed it.

After that I hope to go back underground to foster a UK tour for Paul and Daichi and I'll strive to find a way to bring Jean-Luc Guionnet over to play organ.

o

2010-02-16T04:36:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how things are changing? the soothing turned withering snarl, darkness covers the city and your feet seem unable to find solid ground to rest upon? Have you?

It turned out that Hankil couldn't be in London on the 13th of March so I cancelled the gig to let you go to Interlace (http://incalcando.com/interlace/) and to allow the energy of the soli (Shabaka Hutchings and John Russell) to cristalise on a desire rather than a fester.

A new house has been found in Cafe Oto and Steve Noble will foster.

I will love again.

o

2010-01-26T10:29:00.001-08:00

what the flipping mess did I put myself into?

It started off with this french filmmaker who asked me to help finding dates in the UK in April. He's really good, he took over the metamkine lab (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.cineastes.net/st/mtk.html) in Grenoble when Xavier Querel and Christophe Auger left. I thought April would leave me plenty of time to enjoy organising it and it is good to do something with flim again.

But then I heard that Hankil Ruy will be around in March. I've got a special affection for Korea you see, and I liked the idea of hosting this guy. And that's March nailed.

That's already too many gigs if you ask me but you have to add to this that I promised to help two good friends who freaked out a bit about the promotion of their gigs. Dominic Lash will be playing with John Butcher and John Russell at the Oto in March and in April Guillaume Viltard is setting something up for his good buddy Heddy Boubaker (I really look forward to meet him, he's responsible for the essential La Maison Peinte http://lamaisonpeinte.free.fr/).

o!

2009-12-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

How long did I managed to hold it?
A eight months break wasn't bad but more gigs are coming my way at the moment.

The next one should be again done at very short notice so please spread the word of it as much as possible.

Mathias Forge is back again, hitting a good average of two UK visits a year now. He's coming with the most interesting trio he's got with Christine Sehnaoui and Olivier Toulemonde which has to be at least as good as it looks: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__ECbI8VrC3o/SWjhHrSICuI/AAAAAAAAACM/6AULij4pSiU/s1600-h/chapo.JPG

I'm trying to find a new venue to host this beauty.

More soon.

Hope you've been keeping well.

cheerio

o

2009-03-04T02:54:00.000-08:00

Hello,
Bad timing, Helena Gough can't make the 26th of March anymore.
Phil Wachsmann will slip into the gap between Bruno and Dominic and Teasel will naturally mute into The Imaginary String Trio.
Cheerio
o

2009-02-20T02:52:00.000-08:00

right... I'm always a bit depressed after one of my concert, the stress, the anxiety to please and the tiredness. But people seemed to have found different things to chew on during the night. And even to me the event seemed to make sense.

The eternal quitter that I am will give himself one more prompt denial. Mathias Forge is coming back -he was here in November last year- and Helena Gough is looking for a gig in the same period so I shall try to put something together on the 26th of March.

My aim -if we ignore for now the fact that I don't have a venue for it- is to convice the sweet and spicy Paul Abbott (www.paulabbott.net/) to show the film he's working on at the moment.

Cheerio
o

2009-01-19T03:27:00.001-08:00

Aright, alright, I will do another concert.

I did promise a gig to Ashley-John Long a while back so I'll pay back my due to him. It'll be part of "A Series of Fortunate Events" at the Oto on the 19th of February. He was talking about playing with Tom Jackson.

Also that night Nancy Ruffer will present a program of composed pieces.

And then there should be a film or a quartet (Mark Wastell/ Evan Parker/ Graham Halliwell/ Maxt Eastley).

I'll confirm all that very soon.

Be merry,
o

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

I can already hear the laughters cracking among my closest friends as, lately, I have been beating the drum for my retirement and now I announce my next concert - the last one... for a bit... under this shape...

Anyway, Bechir "boom boom" Saade the maverick lebanese ney player and defunct clarinet player hits our shores once more. I had to put something together for him and I know you would never have pardonned me to leave such a gem pass by.

All the details will be available shortly.

Cheerio
o

2008-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello,

However much I like Cafe Oto I am quite excited to program an event in a different venue just for the ride. I'm inviting you to the charming church hall in Exmouth Market thrice blessed by the presence of David Stackenas, Frederic Blondy and Will Guthrie.

I'm double excited by the fact that the event will present music and films. Indeed Mathias Forge, french trombone player, is coming to London in the same period as Dirk De Bruyn, filmmaker from Australia.

All this is happening with fairly short notice as it's going to take place on Sunday the 2nd of November.

Short notice, visiting film and music artists and a different space, it could be a defining event of what I want to do - if ever the audience attend to it.

Cheerio

o

2008-10-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

To revive this section I thought I could mention here other interesting events. To start off this new thread I chose -quite lazily I admit- a film event that's dear to my heart.

Peter Gidal curates a night of experimental films in the pavillion of the Serpentine Gallery, the films featured are:

Malcome Legrice: Matrix, Lecture at the Academy and Berlin Horse
Samantha Rebello: Surface of Residual Matter (collaboration with Angharad Davies) and In Suspension (steaming hot from Sam's editing machine)
Simon Payne: Colour Bars and Thirds
Jennifer Nightingale: Colour Pinhole Film (Cathedral)

All the details can be found here park_nights

And to read about the filmmakers have a look at:
Malcolm_Le_Grice
Samantha_Rebello
Simon_Payne

Jennifer Nightingale explores the relationships between the control of the filmmaking process and the gestures of the filmmaker. She studied for her BA from KIAD in Canterbury, and graduated with an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art. She's been awarded the FURTHER2 residency from the no.w.here lab.

2008-05-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

Back in front of my computer after a long while I can finally ask you what you thought of the last event (10th of April with Will Guthrie, John Edwards, Phil Durrant and all that)? Please send me your comments and impressions.
Also, I'd love to see pictures if you've got some so I can feel a bit less frustrated from missing it.

Now, I should have -and give- a break for a bit and will be back with new projects in two months. The first one is a night at Cafe Oto in Dalston where David Ryan and I will present works addressing - somehow - the relationship between improvisation and composition.

The other project is even more indeterminate but will involve dance, just to let you know that the research of the begining of the year hasn't been dropped out and we're building up a group of people interested in spending time on the idea of collaboration between music and dance.

Hope you're all well and merry.

See you before too long.

Cheerio

o

2008-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Listen to this...

Will Guthrie (perc)/ Guillaume Viltard (db)/ Sebastien Coste (s)
Phil Durrant / Eugene Martynec (both on software, synthesizers and samplers)
John Edwards (db) / Adrian Northover (s)

Sounds good? Well maybe to you but to me it's bad news as it'll take place on the 20th of April and I won't be able to make it. Pick up your chance to attend a Small But Perfectly Formed event without the Silly Beyond Poxy Foolish comparing and remember to tell me how it was.

o

2008-02-20T03:01:00.000-08:00

Music's nice and all that but the reason of being of Small But Perfectly Formed is to help collaborations and not only concerts to happen.
I wanted to do meetings with dancers for a while. I had a chat with Olivier Toutlemonde (http://olivier.toulemonde.free.fr/) two years ago about a project he's got called Et/Ou where dance, film and music meet. Nice and easy! Take all the live performance types I know about and put them in a room to see what they can share and exchange. Chisenhale Dance Space offered the project a certain amount of studio hours to develop the idea.
The results will be presented in a very short improvisation on Friday the 7th of March.
It'll involve Guillaume Viltard, Samantha Rebello and Robert Anderson.

I'm curious to know if there'll be anybody from the music scene attending.

Laters,

o

2008-02-20T02:25:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Frederic Blondy, pianist of best-seller Hubbub (see www.incursion.org/imr/archive/031.html) has conctacted me to sort out a concert. I've never heard him play in a small formation.
He's bringing with him Martine Altenburger who played few gigs with John Russel in London two or three years ago, I really look forward to see her again. He's also dragging Bertrand Gauget, a sax I've heard a lot about.

It shall take place on Sunday 24th February in the funny looking hall where I did the concert with David Stackenas.

Don't know yet who they're going to play with but John Bisset will be choosing the second act.

More soon.

Cheerio

o

2008-02-20T02:22:00.000-08:00

A friend looked at my flyer yesterday and said "ah yeah, old school again".
You let yourself go in the gentle flow of your days and one day life catches up with you. There's a cure to all crisis. To prevent middle-age stroke let's have a wee computer night. Better a mixed media event!
The Foundry will -ever so kindly- host the third (or fourth?) Small But Perfectly Formed exhibition on Wednesday 12th of March. Damien Beaton is the lucky artist to display his work while incidentalists will count Isambard Khroustaliof, Nos Phillipe and Paul Abbott.

Do you know where I could buy good printed T-shirts?