New
Albums!
You wait three years for a new Elysian
Quartet album then - yes it’s
true - two come along at once! So
here’s the word on the new releases:
[
‘Interesting, abrasive and outright
joyous’ The Guardian
‘Possibly the first time classical
and pop musics have met without being
either worthy or shit or both, squared’
Time Out
We’d very much like to invite
you to the Album Launch Party on 6th
August. Elysian Quartet will be playing
G. Prokofiev Quartet No.2 live and
a short improvised set (c9pm).
There will also be great DJs including
Gabriel Prokofiev and some of the
remixers from the album.
The nonclassical club-night will then
continue on the first Wednesday of
every month thereafter @ The Macbeth.
The album is already available as
a download from iTunes, etc., and
the CD will be available from all
good record shops from 30th July.
A limited 12" vinyl which includes
an extended version of the Hot Chip
Remix will be available on 6th August.
The other album...
Some mysterious brown enveloped Elysian
Quartet EPs are now available to the
curious from our myspace:
myspace.com/elysianquartet. These
contain music of our very own devising.
If you’ve enjoyed our improv
sets recently then you’ll most
probably like this too. Go on, it’s
only a fiver...
Speaking of improv, the other big
news is...
In 2007 we have decided to focus on different forms of freedom and improvisation in our performances. Improvisation is something of which we all have a good deal of individual experience, having worked extensively in forms of music outside the classical genre. We have also used our improvisational skills as a quartet to great success when working with various artists and bands (and let’s be honest - the odd new composition) live and in the studio over the last few years but rarely before this year have we explored how far improvisation could be part of our work simply as a performing string quartet. Our recent free-improvised performances have given us a new lease of life and we are now seeking funding for a programme which we are planning to tour in 2008, which will include a new semi-improvised quartet work by the one and only Keith Tippett.
Here are some words and pictures describing our two big free improvised gigs so far this year:Homefires Tour 2007
Currently in competition with composer Max De Wardener for the title ‘Nicest Man in Britain’ are both singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Adem Ilhan and Tim Matthew, a sound engineer/singer/fiddle-player/van driver/tour manager/mongolian throat singer/the list goes on and on (he also sails fishing boats and knows all about knots). What then could be more wonderful than spending two weeks touring the country with Adem in Tim’s van? The answer turned out to be also to have New York singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia on board. Nina proved to be the most charming possible travelling companion and responded well to Vince’s insistance on introducing her to strange British snackfoods (‘What? You’ve never had a Jammy Dodger?’).
Adem has been curating the eclectic Homefires Festival, which takes place over a weekend at London’s Conway Hall, for the last four years. This was the first time he has been able to take a taster of the festival on tour to other parts of the country and we are extremely honoured that he chose to take us on the road as one of four acts on the bill. Elysian Quartet opened the proceedings each evening with a 25 minute completely improvised set. We were followed by the wonderful Richard Swift (current candidate for Funniest Man in the World) and his gloriously quirky songs. Then Nina Nastasia stunned the audience - and us - night after night with the extraordinary subtlety of her delicate, powerful, thought-provoking songs. We then took to the stage for a second time to accompany Adem in our arrangements of some of his beautiful songs which explore the reaches of our interior universes. A huge thank-you to Adem and also to Tim who is a genius at, well, everything; to Nina (we hope you’ve recovered from all the additives) and the Swifties.
Here we are playing with Adem in Colchester (note the Damo Suzuki tribute!).
And here is the nicest review we’ve ever received. Ironically it comes courtesy of Noize Makes Enemies magazine who came to see our final date in Exeter:
An astounding opening to a great night! The Elysian Quartet are (you’ll never guess how many) four extraordinarily gifted and innovative musicians, comprising two violinists, a viola player and a cellist.
They play extraordinary haunting, moving, modern classical music that stirs you to your very soul. Meticulously composed and flawlessly executed, they play in an almost telepathic way, like four equally vital cogs in a well-oiled musical machine, seemingly taking it in turns to play each unpredictable note. Sharp stabs of the bow and quick plucks of the string produce sudden, leaping harmonious springs. Tapping on the bodies of the instruments and rasping plastic sticks under the strings create reverberating percussion bursts, while the cello’s vast swelling backdrop grows like an electronic hum. The sonic tidal wave they forge is completely mesmerising, and in a live environment, practically hypnotic.
This was a profound musical experience that entrances you and takes some time to come down from. You could have heard a pin drop in the silenced auditorium, as the gathering of onlookers were transfixed by the sheer intricacy and invention that was so effortlessly unfolding. Mind-blowingly awesome.
By Martin Kendrick
Gosh!
And finally...
We hope to soon bring you confirmed details about a collaboration with electro maestro Leafcutter John and the premiere of a brand new Keith Tippett commission. Watch both this space and myspace, but just so you know things do tend to go up on myspace first.
Back in April, when briefly it was Summer in England, we were invited to do a performance with the legendary singer, improviser and overall wild man of out-there rock Damo Suzuki. At this point you are either extremely impressed (‘Damo Suzuki! Oh my god!) or drawing a complete blank. That is because Damo is perhaps the living definition of a ‘cult artist’. Famed for his work with experimental Krautrock band Can in the seventies, these days Damo travels the world performing completely free improvised music with a different group of musicians, or ‘sound carriers’ as he prefers to call them, each night. On 2nd April we had the honour of being Damo’s soundcarriers of choice for a weird and wonderful concert at the Southbank. After performing the first half with just Damo, we were joined in the second half by fellow soundcarriers John-Paul Gandy on piano and Adem on percussion, harmonium, vocals and various other bits and bobs. It’s almost impossible to describe how completely all consuming it is to perform with absolutely no preconceptions of what will come out, to have no safety net. Sometimes you fall but often you find you can really fly...
Currently there are rumblings about releasing the live recording of this gig on CD. We will keep you posted of any developments.
Sincerest apologies to anyone who has e-mailed info@elysianquartet.com and had it bounced back to them. We have had a lot trouble accessing our website-based mail while we have been transferring the ownership of our site. All very dull but it shouldn’t happen again. And a huge thankyou to Francesca for all her help and endless patience with this!
For the uninitiated Myspace is a free website which has a dual function as both a networking and publicity site for musicians, bands and music fans (myspace music) and as a teenage dating site (most of the rest of myspace). For a full explanation of how it works go to myspace.com but in short for musicians its a fantastic opportunity to have your music heard by a great many people and connect with all sorts of people from other musicians, bands and composers to potential fans and audiences around the world (for its effectiveness otherwise please ask someone under 21).
Since our profile went up in January we have had over 5000 visits to our profile. Have a look on www.myspace.com/elysianquartet if you like but beware the proliferation of talking cats and other comedy felines that await (those of you who know us well can guess who’s responsible for those).