Sounds New -

Powerplant - Film, Percussion and Electronics

Performing:

An audio-visual spectacular experience

'Gabriel Prokofiev had Joby Burgess, the soloist, coax all manner of sounds from the oxlike instrument, often wielding multiple sticks in each hand... the words athleticism and stamina come to mind.' James R. Oestreich, NY Times, Feb. 2012

Genre-trashing British percussionist Joby Burgess is best known for his virtuostic, lissom performances and regularly appears throughout Europe, the USA, and beyond, with artists including Stewart Copeland, Peter Gabriel and Joanna MacGregor.

Having released its debut album in 2008, Powerplant is an inspiring collaboration of British artists, comprising Burgess' playing and electronics with cinematic sound by Matthew Fairclough and bespoke film by Kathy Hinde.

In a lavish audio-visual feast the worlds of minimalism and electronica collide: explosive drumming, lush xylosynth, found objects, American presidents, traces of Michael Haneke and Franz Schubert cuminate in Powerplant's landmark collaboration with electronic composer Gabriel Prokofiev.

Conlon Nancarrow - Piece for Percussion
Matthew Fairclough - The Boom and the Bap
Max de Wardener - 24 Lies Per Second, White Ribbon, Im Dorfe
Graham Fitkin - Chain of Command
Javier Alvarez - Temazcal
Gabriel Prokofiev - Import/Export, suite for global junk

'The thundering percussion and rapid-fire rhythms of Joby Burgess was thrilling, absorbing stuff.' The Scotsman

'Powerplant's set of classic electronica is a must for anyone surfing the sine waves and all things electronica.' Muso Magazine

Duration: 1hr 45 minutes [inc. interval]

A ticket for this event also entitles you to free entry for the earlier poetry events at Darwin College, University of Kent (4pm & 6pm).

Joby Burgess commits much of his time to three chamber music projects - Powerplant, New Noise and ensemblebash - of which, he is either the artistic or co-artistic director.  Founded in 1999 his duo New Noise, with oboist Janey Miller, has given well in excess of two hundred performances, whilst creating an entirely new repertoire and distinctive sound.  In 2001, Joby joined Britain’s leading percussion quartet, ensemblebash, replacing founding father Richard Benjafield.  The group has since gone onto tour and record extensively with drumming legend Stewart Copeland, and during 2005 was in residence at the VCA, Melbourne, Australia.  Earlier that year Joby founded the multimedia collective Powerplant, a collaboration with sound designer Matthew Fairclough and visual artist Kathy Hinde.  Powerplant has created an experimental and challenging repertoire fusing seminal percussion works alongside it’s own work, improvisations and commissions; releasing two albums of its work to date.

Dedicated to the development of the percussion repertoire, often in combination with electronics, Joby spends much of his time commissioning and recording new music. Recent highlights have included extensive tours with Peter Gabriel’s New Blood Orchestra and Graham Fitkin’s all star band; releases of Gabriel Prokofiev’s Import/Export on Nonclassical and Frozen River Flows on Oboe Classics.  Future plans include a new duo - Uncharted - with cellist/vocalist Matthew Sharp, and a large-scale multimedia commission from Max de Wardener.

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