WHM

WHM are playing Artsmith! They formed in January 2013 and have played gigs in Derby before, also Sheffield and London.

Walt Shaw, Herve Perez and Matt Harling share a similar philosophy about their approach to improvisation. Walt is a local guy of course no stranger to people around Artsmith and Matt and Herve are from Sheffield.

Matt builds instruments and in addition to ‘normal’ saxophones, he plays a saxophone / trombone hybrid with a remarkable bell, a ‘saxobone’. He also makes remarkable sound sculptures.

Herve plays ‘normal’ saxophones, but certainly employs an extended range of extraordinary sounds. He has played all over the UK and France. He uses electronics as well as his great sax playing. He has played all over the UK, not only in ‘normal’ venues, but in churches, caves, tunnels, woodland, you name it.

Walt uses a range of percussion with WHM, usually with home-built instrumentation and often with contact mikes and low-tech electronics too. He has done gigs all over the UK and in France, Germany, Bosnia and Hungary. He’s played at Artsmith lots of times in various bands.

WHM are a high-energy trio with a wide range of dynamics and styles, rapidly shifting from powerful free jazz to minimal improvisation. Their focus on minute sounds and close communication allows them to flow naturally and improvise rich textures, subtle microtonal passages, feasts of extended techniques and melodic lines with a telepathic quality.

Their music is continually surprising as they stay clear of cliches, and keep exploring new sounds, new techniques: discovering ways and objects that will alter the structure of their instruments and their playing.

The engagement and energy the group puts into their performances make the live experience really unique, that no description or recording can capture.

On this gig WHM are joined by guest musician Lorin Halsall, from Nottingham on double bass and electronics. Walt and Lorin play together in different groups frequently. Lorin was of course a founder member of the legendary ‘Dust Collectors’, a band that Walt played percussion with too. Lorin is familiar to Derby audiences as a brilliant and inventive player.

So try get along and enjoy an evening of unusual, quality music. There will be a bar too of course!

I will be playing the Fox and Newt in Leeds on Wednesday, February 17th at 8pm, as part of the Centrifuge pool of musicians.

I’m playing down in London with ‘Murmurists’.

Murmurists’ next live appearance is at this wonderful event, in Hackney, London on Friday 5th February 2016, 7-30 pm, premiering 40 minute piece for voices, improvising musicians, dancers and film, ‘Beneath is Translation’. It’s at MK2, Powerscroft Road, E5OPT, in Hackney.

Proud to announce an incredible 16 strong line-up, comprising:

Martin Archer – bass clarinet/recorder/voice
Rebecca Bogue: dance/voice
Mark Browne – soprano sax/percussion/voice
Lawrence Casserley – gongs/electronics/voice
Michael Clough – foley/voice
Annie Dee – foley/voice
Anthony Donovan – bass/film/voice
Tim Drage – hybrid guitar/electronics/voice
Graham Dunning – percussion/electronics/voice
Geoff Leigh – flute/soprano sax/voice
Jane Munro – dance/voice
Anthony Osborne – alto sax/voice
Rosie Osborne – foley/voice
Grahame Painting – cello/voice
Noura Sanatian – violin/voice
Walt Shaw – drums/percussion/voice

A very exciting project.