DM: Matthew Bourne presents Iconoclast, Goth Ruler + Cataclysm Ensemble

Piano Day Part Two – Matthew Bourne presents Iconoclast, Goth Ruler + Cataclysm Ensemble

Matthew Bourne’s journey as a musician began from the perspective of the piano, but his soaking up of other influences has seen his pallet of sounds and melody constantly broaden to include synths, prepared pianos and collaborations with words and poetry. The simple premise for this event and his return to the series was for him to present the musicians, artists and voices who were inspiring him, many of whom hail from his native Leeds and many of whom he mentored in some shape or form.

Iconoclast is a group that challenges traditional song-writing by merging it with improvisation. There are written lyrics with changeable melodies performed by Glen Leach. They are presented here by a collective improvisation by Glen Leach on piano, Matthew Bourne on synthesizer and Emil Karlsen on drums and percussion, resulting in a different and new sound with each performance.

Ruth Goller’s solo set is an interpretation of her new solo record SKYLLA. Her musical inspiration her from the mountain-landscape, to Eastern-European and South-American folksong through Free Improvisation. She creates her own unique sound and journeys through a river of emotions by working with specific tunings for bass-guitar harmonics, adding sparkle and atmosphere with layered vocal lines.

Nika Ticciati’s Cataclysm Ensemble is a spiritual jazz-punk band that seeks to blend the noble punk tradition with the not so noble free jazz tradition. It was conceived as an outlet for pure, immediate music that draws equally on the two extremes of Nika’s musical make-up,  without giving favour to one over the other, guided always by a drive for truthfulness.

Expect energy and power counterpointed with delicacy and intimacy on this afternoon. This series excels in the unexpected and unpredictable, sometimes words aren’t enough to describe an experience, join us in the moment.