180619 FINAL York Mediale Music Programme Announcement
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NEWS RELEASE For release 19 June 2018 at 12.00pm The leading ladies of electro and contemporary British jazz join forces as new media arts festival York Mediale announce their first music line up Suzanne Ciani / Kamaal Williams / Moses Boyd / Skinny Pelembe/ Beatrice Dillon / Laura Cannell / Just Jam / Jonathan Hering 19 June 2018: New media arts festival, York Mediale, is pleased to announce their first music line up, including five-time Grammy award nominated composer, electronic music pioneer, and neo-classical recording artist Suzanne Ciani who will open her UK tour at the Festival; violinist and composer Laura Cannell who will premiere new work ‘The Untuning of the Sky’ and music producer, artist and DJ Beatrice Dillon who will perform one of her celebrated live sets. Recently signed by Gilles Peterson, Skinny Pelembe performs his unique blend of hazy afro-tipped soul with psychedelic tangents. Celebrated drummer, composer and electronic musician Moses Boyd, and ‘essence of London Underground’ Kamaal Williams will open the Festival at York Theatre Royal on 27 September, with the show presented and streamed by renowned audio visual artists Just Jam. This extraordinary and eclectic lineup represents a flavour of some of the incredible musicians set to hit York this September. These musical pioneers join an already rich and diverse programme, including world premiere art commissions and live performances at York Mediale, a 10-day citywide festival taking place from 27 September to 6 October 2018 in York, the UK’s only UNESCO designated City of Media Arts. Moses Boyd and Kamaal Williams will perform inside a psychedelic and fully immersive audio visual experience, specially created by Just Jam, the like of which has never been seen at York Theatre Royal. Just Jam is a live audio-visual stream which has showcased some of the most progressive electronic music from around the globe, straight from the underground to the internet. Live music performances are set to a backdrop of idiosyncratic visuals, mixed live with curated artefacts found online. This show is co-presented with local York live music promoters, Ouroboros. On Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September, contemporary violinist Laura Cannell premieres a new commission for York Mediale; The Untuning of the Sky Parts 1 and 2. The piece, performed over two nights, is inspired by the ancient astrological notion that the revolution of the planets generates a celestial harmony of profound and transcendent beauty, that mortals cannot hear. In collaboration with musician Jonathan Hering and visual artist Laura Spark, The Untuning of the Sky will showcase two strikingly different yet complementary pieces of work. The magnificent Church of St Margaret at York’s National Centre for Early Music will be brought to life through clefts of conjured light, projections and animation, enhancing the music in a stunning, immersive experience. Laura draws on fragments of medieval and renaissance music re-imagined as new works for recorder and violin. In Part One she will be accompanied by oscillating chamber organ and electronics from long-time collaborator André Bosman and harpist Rhodri Davies. Part Two sees multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Hering performing new interpretations of renaissance polyphony using modern day technology and his bass guitar. Eschewing centuries of performance etiquette, Hering sings multi- layered 14 to 17 century choral music in his own voice, creating renaissance music for all ears. Both performances have been made possible through the support of PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund and are presented in partnership with National Centre for Early Music. On 4 October Skinny Pelembe will play live at The Crescent Community Venue, which is quickly establishing a reputation as the home of the best, cutting edge music offerings, not only in York, but across the whole of North Yorkshire. Pelembe, born in Johannesburg, growing up in Doncaster, is a sparkling multi-instrumentalist who blends his production, guitar playing, singing and MCing, to tap into unique, influence-weaving sounds that have to be heard to be believed. He is hailed as one to watch in 2018. On Friday 5 October electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani opens her UK tour at York Mediale in the atmospheric surroundings of The Stained Glass Centre, formerly the Church of St Martin-cum-Gregory. Over the course of her 30+ year career, Ciani has carved out a niche as one of the most creatively successful female composers of electronic sound in the world, playing concerts all over the globe. As well as work featured in countless commercials, video games, and feature films, she has released 15 solo albums, most recently the live electronic album retrospective Buchla Concerts 1975. Ciani received the 2017 Moog Innovation Award and provided the voice and sounds for Bally's groundbreaking Xenon pinball machine. Saturday 6 October will see producer, artist and NTS DJ Beatrice Dillon perform a live set to mark the close of Alexander Whitley’s installation Strange Stranger at York’s Guildhall, for which she has also created the live soundscape. Her acclaimed solo tracks, remixes and collaborations include releases on labels and imprints such as Hessle Audio, The Trilogy Tapes, PAN, Boomkat Editions, Timedance and Where To Now?. Dillon was also the recipient of Wysing Arts Centre’s artist residency in 2016 and is a resident at Somerset House Studios, London. Commenting on York Mediale’s first music programme announcement, Mark Carlin, Executive Producer, responsible for the festival’s music offering, said, “We are thrilled to be able to bring such a fantastic and diverse line up of world class musicians to the first ever York Mediale. With Ciani, Dillon, Cannell, Just Jam hosting Moses Boyd and Kamaal Williams and Skinny Pelembe in our line up we have a truly diverse programme of experimental, electro and jazz-inspired music, presented in interesting and unexpected spaces across the city. This has been achieved through working with both UK and International artists and their agents, as well as local partners and funders, including the PRS Foundation, allowing us to use the beautiful city of York as a canvas to showcase some incredible talent. More announcements are yet to come." Tickets will be on sale from 22 June 2018 yorkmediale.com IMAGES Press Contact Rebecca Ladbury 07941 224 975 | 0208 962 1680 [email protected] Danya Agababian 07779 635147 | 0208 962 1680 [email protected] Notes to editors About York Mediale York Mediale is a brand new international media arts festival which will explore the future of art, technology and everything in between. Artists of all kinds will use technologies and media to redefine and tell the stories of our cities, our landscapes and our lives. This biennial event will offer opportunities for collaboration between artists, curators, businesses and educators throughout 2018, culminating in a 10-day programme of exhibitions, performances, lectures, workshops and much more, from 27 September - 6 October 2018. These events will mark and celebrate York’s status as the UK’s first, and only, UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. Festival attendees can expect a full programme of live performances, dance and music across the city with headline performances planned in some of York’s grand old spaces and some of the freshest new sounds in emerging music playing in lesser known spaces. York Mediale is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) and is supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership. Partners in the realisation and delivery of the festival include City of York Council, Make It York, The University of York, York St John University, York Museums Trust, York Theatre Royal, Science City York, the Guild of Media Arts, along with many other supporters involved in media and arts in the city. About the artists Moses Boyd Throughout his time at Trinity Laban he worked in a professional capacity as one half of the duo Binker and Moses, with his ensemble The Exodus and on his own as Solo Exodus and released music under his own label Exodus Records. He has collaborated with Lonnie Liston Smith, Ed Motta, Little Simz, Four Tet, Floating Points, Zara McFarlane, Gilles Peterson, Soweto Kinch and many more. Awards he has received include The John Peel Play More Jazz Award from the 2016 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards, Parliamentary Jazz award for Jazz Newcomer of the Year 2016, a MOBO award for best jazz act 2015, two Jazz FM awards and the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Young Jazz Musician award in 2014. Moses released his debut album Dem Ones with Binker and Moses in 2015 and this year saw him release his instant sell out debut 12" featuring the anthemic Rye Lane Shuffle as well as joining Kelsey Lu to form Sampha's band. http://www.mosesboyd.co.uk Laura Cannell Laura Cannell draws on the emotional influences of the landscape and the sometimes dissonant chords of early and medieval music. With deconstructed bow and double recorders, Laura performs semi-composed, semi-improvised pieces which explore the spaces between ancient and experimental music creating music that is rooted in, but not tethered to, the past. She has released four critically acclaimed solo albums and is regularly broadcast on the BBC including Radio 3, 4 and 6Music and international radio. She has been a guest contributor to 6Music and was also invited to compile her own hour long playlist, she also writes a monthly column about music and nature for Caught by the River. Laura regularly performs in the UK and Europe, recent festivals include Unsound Poland, Flow Helsinki, Meteo France, Norway, Holland and Denmark. As well as UK performances at The Barbican and Royal Festival Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and Cafe Oto.