We are always excited when Safehouse put on a night here, expect quality improvisation and adventurous ,captivating sound explorations.
Jacques Demierre & Anouck Genthon
The duo work of Jacques Demierre, voice, and Anouck Genthon, violin, is poetic and musical. They perform pieces influenced by the European experimental sound poetry and by the vocal and instrumental poetic touareg tradition. Both voice and violin draw on the poetic expression of speech and on the sung poetry with accompaniment by anzad (touareg one string fiddle from Niger).
Together they play a heterophonic soundscape of voice and strings, an intense and clear interweaving verbal and musical stuff, where sounds, breaths, frictions, silences, vowels and consonants trace their own way.
Jacques Demierre is a pianist, composer and improviser. Whether acoustic or electro-acoustic, respectful of traditional music writing or embracing free improvisation, his experimentation feeds into music as well as sound poetry. It is all driven by the same constant search for consciousness of sound. Author of numerous pieces for ensemble or voice, he also explores the power of everyday noises. Extending the possibilities of the piano, he also interrogates the ways in which it can approach the sphere of language.
Anouck Genthon is a French violinist improviser and ethnomusicologist based in Geneva, Switzerland. Using her instrument, the violin, in both traditional and extended techniques, her work delves deeply into her own improvised language through sound experience. She is particularly interested in the process of listening, focusing on the listening experience be it with an electro- acoustic set up or while acting out a listening walk.
Ingrid Plum
Ingrid Plum uses her voice with extended technique, improvisation, field recordings and electronics, to create layered soundscapes, spoken word and songs. Having performed and exhibited installation sound art and visual art since 2002, she creates work that sits between sound art, improvisation, multi-media installation, neo-classical and contemporary Nordic folk music. Incorporating her research into extended technique and folk traditions with field recordings and site-specific work Plum’s performances developed an improvised spatial responsiveness before going on to study directly with Meredith Monk.
Gus Garside & Jacques Demierre - double bass and piano
As well as playing in many one off improvising or contemporary music situations Gus regularly performs in Arc (a string trio with Sylvia Hallett and Danny Kingshill), The Static Memories (an electronic duo with Dan Powell) and the West Hill Blast Quartet, (a free jazz quartet with Ron Caines, Dan Spicer and Andy Pyne). He also creates structured improvisational compositions including The Star Field, The Sleepwalkers (featuring 10 of the leading improvising string players in the UK –including Alison Blunt, Benedict Taylor, Marcio Mattos and David Leahy) and Collective Stories (a commission in Quebec with Grand Groupe Régional d’Improvisation Libérée).