Author Archives: crys cole

Japan performances Nov 22, 28 + 29

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I am looking forward to being back in Japan for a handful of performances at the end of November. It all begins with a first time trio performance with the wonderful Leif Elggren (SW) and Oren Ambarchi (AU) following our trio LP release Certainly. This concert will take place on the opening night of Editions festival (SW) – Tokyo Super Deluxe Edition – on November 22.

This will be followed by two solo performances, the first in Tokyo at Super Deluxe on November 28 (alongside solo’s by Oren Ambarchi and Konrad Sprenger (DE)) and the second at Soto in Kyoto on November 29.

I am always thrilled to be in Japan performing, and this occasion is especially important to me as it will mark my last ever performances at the most wonderful venue, Super Deluxe in Tokyo. This Nishi Azabu (Roppongi) based venue has been nurturing the experimental music community (and much more) since 2002 and will be closing in January 2019 due to the building being vacated to be torn down. SD was the first venue i performed in when i first came to Tokyo in 2011 and i have performed there every year since in various projects and collaborations. I have also witnessed innumerable special and one-off performances by friends and peers here through the years.

The closing of Super Deluxe truly feels like the end of an era, and they are finishing with an insane program of incredible events through until mid-January. I am so grateful to Mike Kubeck and the incredible team at SD for all of the support over the past 8 years. THANK-YOU and all the best for what lies ahead!

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Moore at 60 – 2 performances this weekend at the Walker Art Center (MN)

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This coming Friday & Saturday – November 9 + 10, i will be in Minneapolis to perform at the wonderful Walker Art Center as part of a special two-day event curated by Thurston Moore as a celebration of his 60th year.  I will perform solo on Friday and in collaboration with Thurston on the Saturday night. The event features an interesting mixture of musicians and poets performing and collaborating including;  Moore, Nels Cline, Anne Waldman, Eva Prinz, Daniel Carter, Ambrose Bye, Devin Waldman, Brian Gibson, Steve Shelley, Deb Googe, and James Sedwards.

Full event details here.

Thurston

A new piece ‘oftentimes’, commissioned by RRS Madrid.

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A new work that i have created for la Radio del Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid is now available online. The piece, oftentimes, was developed and completed late this summer from recordings made in Bali, Milano, Australia and more. The piece continues my interest in dream logic as a guiding compositional tool and draws together sounds, spaces and environments that would likely never meet in the real world.

oftentimes can be listened to here.

Thank-you to Rúben Coll at RRS for inviting me to be a part of this lovely project.

coykoi

photo by crys cole

‘Certainly’, a new trio LP w/ Leif Elggren & Oren Ambarchi is out on Ultra Eczema!

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In 2016 Oren Ambarchi and I were in a 2-week residency at EMS Stockholm. During this time we completed our LP Hotel Record and created a new work in collaboration with the one and only Leif Elggren (SW). As long-time admirer’s of Leif’s work, spending those days together in Stockholm developing this piece while sharing many meals and strolling around historic Stockholm, was such a treat.

We are so pleased to have the fruits of this collaboration out on LP care of the one-of-a-kind Antwerp based label Ultra Eczema. Huge thanks to Dennis Tyfus for the support and enthusiasm!

“The only thing Australia, Canada and Sweden have in common is taking in an abstract position in a vague situation! In July 2016, a strong arctic wind blew open the windows that separate the mean streets of Stockholm from the city’s legendary EMS Studios. Oren Ambarchi, crys cole and Leif Elggren were the only folks present in the studio at that point; not much could be done besides making the best out of a bad situation.
Ambarchi burned the studio carpet to stay warm; cole made a tower of stones to hide behind; and Elggren, with ice-cold resolve, tried using a microphone to connect with his fellow Elgaland-Vargaland citizens but to no avail. This music sounds like paper, crumbled old candy, and a lot of dust. It sounds like some weather.”

‘Certainly’ is a limited to 300 copies and is available directly through Ultra Eczema here. Available soon in finer record stores and distros.

Certainly-low

A new interpretive composition for Kristin Nelson’s Sidney Sydney project

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This Saturday, August 25 Winnipeg based visual artist Kristin Nelson will present a special event titled Sydney Sidney at the Sidney Community Centre in Sidney Manitoba. This project features sounds of the Sydney Opera House curtains (made by Nelson on a residency in Australia in 2015) as interpreted in 10 new audio compositions by: Andrea Roberts (MB), Casey Mecija (ON), Christine Fellows (MB), crys cole (MB), Gail Priest (AU), hannah_g (MB), Judith Rice (ON), Kelly Ruth (AB), Süss (MB) and Roger White (QC) with live ‘curtain piano’ by Dallas Nedotiafko. My contribution, Curtain Call, will premiere at this one-time listening event. Full details on the event are available here.

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Two Words LP w/ Francis Plagne out now!

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Two Words is the debut release of my collaboration with Australian musician Francis Plagne, out now on Black Truffle Records. This LP is a conceptual work that developed through our live collaborations and extensive conversations around merging things that seemingly do not ‘fit’ together. I’m so pleased with how this came together and feel very grateful to have this special piece out in the world! Big thanks to Francis, Joe Talia & Oren Ambarchi (Black Truffle). The album features words by Marty Hiatt (AU/DE) and a stunning cover painting – Poptones (2015) – by Australian painter Anne Wallace.

Album is available worldwide now through various shops & distros as well as directly through Kompakt.

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Excerpts from the album:

Some fabulous reviews already out for the LP: 

https://nationalsawdust.org/thelog/2018/07/06/on-the-record-july-6-2018/

https://toneshift.net/2018/07/14/two-words-by-francis-plagne-x-crys-cole/

https://obladada.com/2018/07/18/revisio-francis-plagne-crys-cole-two-words/

https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/review/review-with-two-sides-francis-plagne-crys-cole-s-lush-endeavor-is-ethereal-in-the-purest-sense-153

Sonic Arts Union event in NY July 20 + 21

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On July 20 + 21 there will be a special 2-day event at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn, NY observing the legacy of late 60s-early 70s experimental music collective the Sonic Arts Union and its founding members: David Behrman, Alvin Lucier, Gordon Mumma, and the late Robert Ashley (1930-2014). Several important works by each composer will be performed with all of the living composers present at the events and in some cases performing in the works. The Friday evening’s program features later era works and premiere’s of new compositions (1993 – 2018), while the Saturday evening focuses on earlier works by the composers (1962 – 1969) as well as presentations of contemporary works from friends, colleagues, and invited guests who have been inspired by their approach.

I will perform twice on the Saturday night program, first in a performance of David Behrman‘s Runthrough (1967-68) alongside David Behrman & Cleek Schrey and then in a short performance with Oren Ambarchi referencing material from our 2017 LP Hotel Record.

It’s an absolute honour to be a part of this phenomenal event celebrating four composers whom i have long admired. Full program details and tickets are available through the Issue Project Room site here.

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