TECTONICS by Helmut Lemke, Vymethoxy Redspiders, Dave Jackson

Helmut Lemke ‘deliberately inconclusive investigations’ into inherent sounding potentials of a variety of objects, including (but not restricted to) the acts of bowing, scratching, hitting, adjusting, blowing, rubbing, singing, shouting, whispering, reading and any other activities appropriate to the activities of his colleagues, to time and to space

Vymethoxy Redspiders voice, guitar, keyboard, bombarde, zither, glockenspiel, recorder, bird whistle, rattle drum, tambourine, groan tube

Dave Jackson alto saxophone, bowed tibetan cymbal, indian puja bells, recorder, alto whistle, animal calls, spark shaker, spirit rattle, plastic packaging, mobile phone app


Improvisation is state of mind, an instinct, an acceptance of all possibilities, of discovery, a leap into the unknown. Losing yourself and finding a path untrodden. Letting the sound go wherever it wants to be. It's an attitude and a way of being. Freedom from control. Freedom from dogma. Always listening. Never complacent. It's as simple as you want it to be and as complex as living.
This series of performances was originally intended to be by multi-instrumentalist improviser Kate Armitage, with THF Drenching and a few of her "favourite outcasts" - Vymethoxy Redspiders, Helmut Lemke and Dave Jackson. Unfortunately, Kate's illness became more acute and a week before the show she had to cancel along with Mr Drenching (who had to stay at home to care for her). [Dave Jackson]

A programme note:
Kate Armitage has chosen your favourite outcasts' favourite outcasts as collaborators in this conversation to ensure that common sense is not allowed to establish a foothold. Her entourage will perform a total of six improvised pieces over the weekend. The performances will be on the theme of instinctual liberation, and the denial of the reality principle! Really the only conversation worth having.
In between performances she will relax and rest. Kate has Multiple Sclerosis and an acquired brain injury and so public performances are always a balancing act between comfort and action. Too vertiginous to stand? Lie down and play the cello! Can't use both hands right now? Let's squawk! Instrumental technique is a vicious rumour started by able-bodied folks. We must consider technique to be officially ended. We work on the other side of technique. [Kate Armitage]

The remaining three decided to carry on and perform in honour of our missing inspirator.
Perhaps Kate's compositional genius lay in her selection of such an interesting and diverse group of artists. As Kate put it "It's like I got to curate the world's coolest new band."
We'd never played together or even met before. But both Kate and THF have an unerring knack of putting you in a position of not knowing what will happen or what to play when it does happen. This is the perfect condition for improvisation since it induces creative listening and playing without preconception.
So improvising with people I'd not met before with no idea what would happen is perhaps a perfect manifestation of Kate-ness.
I hope the full 5-tet will one day get together and make glorious sounds. [Dave Jackson]

since 1994

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