Hello
I’m sitting here in the studio, wrapped up in my warmest thermal clothing as the heating has stopped working, and awaiting a response from a plumber. So, please respect the true commitment I have to this monthly newsletter!
The ghost of Dracula in Whitby
It’s been an exceptionally busy month, with several live shows around the UK, as well as many studio adventures. Let me tell you more.
November began at the Switched On Festival in Whitby. Torrential rains and icy winds didn’t dampen the spirits though, and the trip was fantastic. The location might be familiar to many of you, as it’s in this very town that writer Bram Stoker began writing his celebrated novel about a fiendish character called Count Dracula. If you’ve read the novel, you’d know that after a shipwreck, Dracula runs up the 199 steps to the graveyard at the top, in front of St Mary’s church, disguised in the form of a black dog.
Though fictional, (yes, sorry all those goths who regularly come to visit his grave), this area is immersed in history, and remained an important holy place and seat of power for centuries. So, the festival was perfectly situated. And it was great to see Dracula’s grave too 😃
A few days later I was off to Brighton to perform at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, to premiere ‘Harry Smith at 100,’ my live performance that accompanies the films of Harry Smith (1923–1991), who was a great American eccentric and experimental filmmaker, amongst many other things.
Public embarrassment with silly stage antics
As nervous as I was to show this work for the first time in the UK, the response was phenomenal and I was quite blown away by all the support. I sincerely hope another opportunity arises to present this in the UK or EU one day soon.
For those who were able to attend, they witnessed a quite spectacular end to the show, when I took a flying fall across the speakers on stage, channelling the spirits of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Unable to see anything in the darkness, I landed on my wrist and hip and hurt them both, but thankfully they can heal, unlike my embarrassment!
For those of you interested in the technical set up for such a live performance as this, and how exactly it runs, I made a interview before the show with Sonicstate, talking through all my equipment and thoughts regarding live performance in itself. Watch it back here.
Across the UK
And then I was off for my first visit to the beautiful city of Lancaster to perform at the Hymns for Robots festival. With Storm Bert in heavy action, it was most certainly a challenge driving there and back. Sheets of intense white rain poured down for hours on end, with low visibility and slippery roads flooded with rainwater, which made for quite an adrenalin rush.
Despite the weather, something that everyone locally, and most amusingly, apologised for, the show went down very well and I’m most definitely going to return to visit Lancaster on a sunnier day!
Next UK shows will be in Norwich on 22 March 2025, and at the Round Chapel in London with my old pal Fennesz on 11 April.
As regular as clockwork, another episode of EarSpace is ready for your entertainment. Fasten your seat belts for this one, as I take you on a truly international sonic flight from Japan to Berlin, Canada to France. I play you new music from Belief Defect, Craven Faults, Arborra, r beny, Sakura Tsuruta and many more.
EarSpace Episode 16
There’s processed saxophone and strings from Andrew Ostler and Arborra, a journey into musique concrète with Pierre Schaeffer, Jana Irmert and Michel Redolfi, and reissues of classic albums from Squarepusher and Bedouin Ascent. And all this in just two hours! Listen back here.
My album with Michael Wells was released last month and has been received rather generously, so thanks for your support. Michael made a fun little video with the assistance of A.I. to accompany the lead track too. Pick up the album ZERO here.
New music with Geins’t Nait
And speaking of new releases, there is a new collaborative album, VITIO, on CD and digital from Geins’t Nait + L.Petitgand out any day now on Offen Music. Then early in 2025, a new 2LP set as well as CD editions of Contrary Motion, a very unique recording with the legendary Nurse with Wound. This will be followed by a new LP on Moving Furniture in The Netherlands, in collaboration with Gareth Davis. You can listen to excerpts from the complete album with Geins’t Nait here.
Exploring the Interzones
I was also delighted to work with UK artist Rupert Lally on new music recently, for his album Interzones just out on Mortality Tales. I joined a host of other creative friends in collaborating on this new release, as you can see in the credits below. There is a very limited CD available, so don’t delay if you want to pick it up!
And yes, there will be more releases on my own Alltagsmusik label. Thanks to you all for your support his year for the first three albums: Alchemeia, The Phenol Tapes and The Berklee Sessions. Your support is warmly welcomed.
Esprits de Paris at Centre Pompidou
I’m off to Paris for the first week in December, to install my work, Esprits de Paris, at Centre Pompidou. This was originally commissioned for Sonic Process over twenty years ago and I created the work with American artist Mike Kelley. The show is open to the public from 3 December and runs until March 2025. It explores the ghostly spirits of the city itself. More on this next month.
I will also be giving a public talk on Friday 6 December at Centre Pompidou, which is free. Tickets available here.
Escaping to Thailand
Then I’m off to Wonderfruit Festival in Chon Buri, Thailand, which I was fortunate to attend last year. I’m returning now to perform a solo show outdoors, then collaborate with artists Nick Luscombe and James Greer.
The location is spectacular and we will be performing in this courtyard made from a wattle and daub earth mixture, with a state-of-the-art immersive sound system by Sonos Libra using Adamson Speakers and The Fletcher Machine processor, which means sounds can be dispersed through this amazing 3D system. There will even be a guest appearance by a monk in our set!
2025 is already busy with adventures. On 18 & 19 January, I will be performing at Orgelpark, focusing on works from Karlheinz Stockhausen, and others, so hope to see lots of Dutch friends to begin the year!
With the rapid decline of a once popular social networking site, I can also now be found at Bluesky. Follow me here for updates, and regular sharing of music, books, links and so much more.
The Second Annual, an ideal present
I just wrote a feature for this new publication, The Second Annual, out soon on Kormplastics. I wrote about the films of Austrian filmmaker Peter Tscherkssky. The annual also features pieces on the mysterious 4AD group Dif Juz, the history of Shimmy Disc, the world of Extreme Death Metal and heck of a lot more. Pick up a copy here. Could be an ideal Christmas present for yourself or a loved one!
So, i have no plans for this festive period apart from remaining at home and watching films over the quieter days. If you are in search of some Christmas music, might I suggest this rather delightful album of classic tunes that I made, covering everything from Wham! to some charming hymns. It’s all on streaming services including Spotify, Amazon and others, or pick it up directly here.
This only leaves me to wish you a safe and positive entry into 2024, and very much look forward to seeing many of you in person in the near future.
As ever, thanks for your support.
Warmest wishes
Professor Scanner
::: listen :::
New Music For Electronic & Recorded Media (Blume)
Philip Jeck: rpm (Touch)
Taylor Deupree: Ash (Nettwerk)
Pierre Henry: Labyrinthe! (Recollection GRM)
::: read :::
John Balance: Who’ll care, who’ll even remember? (Gallery X)
Melle Jan Kromhout/Jan Nieuwenhuis:Einstürzende Neubauten’s Kollaps (33 1/3)
Chris Marker: Le Depays (The Film Desk)
Alison M Gineras: John Currin Men (Gagosian)
::: watch :::
Electric Lady Studios: John McDermott
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End: Carles Torrens
Silent Night: Camille Griffin
L’Argent: Robert Bresson
