Phil Durrant Stefano Tedesco

David Toop laptop, flute and steel guitar

Phil Durrant laptop and violin

Stefano Tedesco vibraphone, sound objects and feedback

Like all trios, the grouping of Stefano Tedesco, Phil Durrant and David Toop represents a triangulation of divergent possibilities and histories, moving both outwards and in- wards. Improvisation in the 21st century has been affected dramatically by new tech- nology. The laptop computer has been a stimulus to new approaches but also a focus of controversy. As a memory machine, it resists the immediate physicality of jazz-based improvisation, or the responsiveness of the body in relation to resonant materials, yet it can encourage reflectiveness and deep listening, and can discourage the garrulous clichés of constant interaction that typify a certain kind of old-school improvisation.

One of the challenges is how to combine laptops with more conventional instrumen- tation. Using a mixture of digital and analogue electronics, feedback, acoustic instru- ments such as flute and vibraphone, amplified steel guitar, acoustic violin and percus- sion, the trio works within the difficult spaces opened out by these new conditions.

PA System and 3 monitors. David Toop: 1 mixer Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro; 1 mic for the flute with stand, 1 electric gui- tar, 1 table 2m x 1m. Phil Durrant: 1 table 2m x 1m. Stefano Tedesco: 1 vibraphone Yamaha YV-2700 or Musser M55; 1 mixer Mackie 1202- VLZ Pro; 3 condenser mics with stands; 2 DI Box; 3 cymbal stands; 1 table 2m x 1m. Biographies DAVID TOOP - LAPTOP, STEEL GUITAR AND FLUTE Born near London in 1949, David Toop is a musician, writer and sound curator. He has published four books, currently translated into six languages: Rap Attack (now in its third edition), , exotica, (select- ed as winner of the 21st annual American Books award for 2000), and Haunted Weather. His first album, New and Rediscovered Musical Instruments, was released on ’s Obscure label in 1975; since 1995 he has released seven solo album - Screen Ceremonies, Pink Noir, Spirit World, Museum of Fruit, Hot Pants Idol, 37th Floor At Sunset: Music for Mondophrenetic and Black Chamber - and curated five acclaimed CD compilations for Virgin Records - Ocean of Sound, Crooning on Venues, Sugar & Poison, Booming On.

In 1998 he composed the soundtrack for Acqua Matrix, the outdoor spectacular that closed every night of Lis- bon Expo ‘98. He has recorded shamanistic ceremonies in Amazonas, appeared on Top of Pops with the Flying Lizards, worked with musicians including Brian Eno, , Prince Far I, Jon Hassel, , Talvin Singh, Evan Paker, , Scanner and Akio Suzuki; and collaborated with artist from many other disci- plines, including theatre director/actor Steven Berkoff, Butoh dancer Mitsutaka Ishii, sound poet Bob Cobbing, visual artist John Latham, filmaker Jae-ean Choi and novelist Jeff Noon.

As a critic and columnist he has written for many pubblications, including The Wire, The Face, The Times, Bookforum, Urb, The New York Times and The Village Voice. In 2000, he curated Sonic Boom, the UK’s largest ever exhibition of , displayed at the Hayward Gallery, London. In 2001/02 he was sound curator for Radical Fashion, an exhibition of work by designers including Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe, Martin Margiela and Hussein Chalayan, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum and featuring music by Bjork, Ryuichi Saka- moto, Akira Rebelais, Paul Schutze and others.

In 2001/2002 he curated a double Cd of English for the Leonardo Music Journal issue, Not Necessarily English Music, published by MIT. Siren Space, his compostion for tug boats, electronics, text and the solo saxophone of Lol Coxill, was performed on the River Thames as the climax of the Thames Festival in 2002.

A Visiting Research Fellow at the Sound Department of the London College of Communication from 2000- 2004, he has recently completed a new book - Haunted Weather: Music, Silence and Memory - published by Serpent’s Tail in May 2004. The accompanying 2CD compilation of the same title is released simultaneously by Staubgold. His latest albums are Blachk Chamber, released by Sub Rosa in Februery 2003, Breath-Taking (with Akio Suzuki) realeased by Confront in April 2004 and Doll Creature (with Max Eastley) released by Bip-Hop in May 2004. In April 2004, he was awarded an AHRB Research Fellowship in the Creative and Performing Arts for a three year study of the digital technology and improvised performance. Sound Body is the new CD released by SamadhiSound, the label, featuring musicians as Haco, Gunter Muller, Clive Bell, , Angharad Davies, Lee Patterson, Rafael Toral, Stefano Tedesco, John Latham, Kenji Siratori, Emi Watanabe and .

PHIL DURRANT - LAPTOP & ACOUSTIC VIOLIN Born near London in 1957, Phil Durrant is an improviser/composer/sound artist who devises his own virtual performance instruments using Reaktor software.

As a violinist (and member of the Butcher/Russell/Durrant trio and Chris Burn Ensemble), he was one of the key exponents of the “group voice approach” style of improvised music in the 1980s and 90s. In the late 90s, his trio with Radu Malfatti and Thomas Lehn produced 2 albums, Beinhaltung and Dach, which were very influential in the development of a more “reductionist” approach to improvisation.

His exploration in the use of live electronics to expand the timbre of the violin and amplify it’s hidden sounds, has evolved into the creation and building of self made virtual instruments. His live sampling/treatments duo with and his work (along with , Kaffe Matthews, Thomas Lehn, Christian , a.o.) in the international electronic ensemble MIMEO, have seen Durrant move from the use of hardware electronics to the use of a laptop in live situations. He is keen to transfer the flexibility of playing an acoustic instrument, into his laptop performances.

Durrant performs regularly with his acoustic/electronic group Trio Sowari (with Bertrand Denzler and Burkhard Beins). He also works with Kev Hopper and Rob Flint in the audio/visual electronica project, Tick- lish.

In the 1990s he was an artist/producer in London’s underground dance music scene, producing a string of tracks under various aliases. He worked with a number of important DJs such as Shut Up And Dance, and Fabio and Grooverider.

Phil Durrant has also been collaborating and composing music for a wide variety of choreographers. These in- clude Plastic chill, In the face of a stranger and Deja deux with Maxine Doyle; Salome, Concrete and On stage with Susanne Thomas; Partial site, near view and Delay for five with Gill Clarke; Future Perfekt with Ana San- chez-Colberg; and Borderlander and Home zone with Sophia Lycouris. Salome, Concrete and Partial site, near view were site-specific.

STEFANO TEDESCO - VIBRAPHONE Stefano Tedesco, born in 1966, is a London-based musician. He has a degree in percussion instruments at the Conservatory of Music “L. Marenzio” of Brescia, Italy. He has collaborated with different Italian symphonic orchestras, opera theatres and contemporary music ensemble.

He moved to London in 2004. He is now working on various projects using vibraphone, percussion, sound objects, live electronics and feedback. Other projects involve video and dance.

He is currently working in various trios: Okanagon with Rhodri Davies (harp) and Joe Williamson (double bass); with David Toop (laptop) and Phil Durrant (laptop); Homage to Walt Dickerson with Joe Williamson (double bass) and (drums).

In December 2006 for the LMC Experimental Music Festival he was member of ’e ensemble and performed the piece Anode together with Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Tim Barnes, Andrea Neumann, Rhodri Davies, Tom Chant and many others.

He collaborates with the Symbiosis Orchestra, a mixed media Italian ensemble that includes Claudio Sinatti, Andrea Gabriele, Scanner, Iris Garrelfs, Marco Messina and Geoff Warren.

He is a member of the Strings of Consciousness, the band formed by Bip-Hop label founder Philippe Petit, an ensemble of 11 musicians from all over the world.

He collaborates with canadian audio/visual duo Skoltz/Kolgen.

He actively works with the video maker Riccardo Arena.

He is featuring in Sound Body, David Toop’s last CD, realesed by Samadhisound, the David Sylvian label.

Stefano Tedesco has performed in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and UK.

Stefano Tedesco music is included in various compilation in Italy and UK.