Paul Stapleton and Simon Rose: ‘Fauna’. Saturday 5th of April at 7.30

Paul Stapleton: Bonsai Sound Sculpture and Simon Rose: baritone/alto saxophones

Special guests: Michael Speers & Adam Bohman

Encountering one another’s music while performing in the large ensemble ‘Call them Improvisers’, performance at Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast (November 2010), directed by Evan Parker, Paul Stapleton and Simon Rose found an immediate musical affinity. Since then they have performed as a duo in Germany and the UK. The recently released and well received Fauna was recorded by Elmar Susse on 22nd September 2011 in Hoffnungskirche (church) in Pankow, Berlin. In the duet Paul Stapleton’s self designed instrument, the BoSS Bonsai Sound Sculpture, (BoSS, 2010) combines with Simon Rose’s circular breathed baritone/alto, multiphonics and harmonic textures, to explore in real-time interaction. The method of exploration commits to a free improvisation approach: the music is composed at the point of performance.

‘Very fine collaboration between sax player Simon Rose and Paul Stapleton, who makes and plays bonsai sound sculptures. Nice blend of ideas and sonics between alto/baritone sax and metal percussion. Rich and thoughtful playing…. This is the best kind of improvised music… a very remarkable duet.’ – Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg

Simon Rose has performed on saxophone in Europe, US and Canada. Interest as a free improviser developed exploring the possibilities created by purposefully limiting himself to the alto saxophone (solo alto ‘Procession’ FMR 2005). In recent years Rose has included baritone sax (solo ‘Schmetterling,’ Not Two Records, 2011). He has also performed with the trio Badland (with Simon Fell and Steve Noble) during the last 15 years. Collaborations have included: Adam Bohman, Jan Roder, Mark Sanders, Kjell Nordeson, Steve Beresford, Lol Coxhill, Pauline Oliveros, Evan Parker, OluyemiThomas, Chris Chafe, Kanoko Nishi, Ava Mendoza, Weasel Walter, Dave Tucker, Damon Smith, Pauline Oliveros, Charity Chan, Colin Stetson, Dominic Lash, Hilary Jeffery, Alan Wilkinson, Pascal Nichols, London Improvisers Orchestra, Roland Ramanan Tentet among many others. CD recordingscan be found on Bruce’s Fingers, Emanem, FMR, PSI, Rayon, Leo, Bug Incision and Not Two.

Paul Stapleton is a sound artist, improviser and writer originally from Southern California, currently based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Paul designs and performs with a variety of modular metallic sound sculptures, custom made electronics, found objects and electric guitars in locations ranging from experimental music clubs in Berlin to remote beaches on Vancouver Island. He is involved in a diverse range of artistic collaborations including: improvisation duos with saxophonist Simon Rose & percussionist Michael Speers, networked installation design and performance with Tom Davis, Eric Lyon’s Noise Quartet, and the co-direction of QUBe experimental music ensemble with Steve Davis. Since 2007, Paul has been lecturing at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (Queen’s University Belfast), where he teaches and supervises MA & PhD research in performance technologies, interaction design and site-specific art.

Adam Bohman is well known to the avant-garde and the free improvised British music scene and is a regular favourite at Hundred Years Gallery. Tonight he will be performing a solo text/objects piece.

Michael Speers‘ practice lies in Noise-based improvisation. He uses amplified acoustic percussion, tape loops and processed no-input feedback to create abrasive, saturated textures and rhythms. He will perform solo and join Stapleton/Rose for the second set.

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