Wild improvisations, fresh experimentalism and ambient electronics come together in Battle of the Bands – meet the finalists for our annual competition. They’ll be performing at our MOTH Club event on Wednesday 19 January for a panel of industry experts – book your tickets here.
Red Panel
Red Panel is a fluid collective of composers, multi-instrumentalists and sound artists based in the UK and Germany. Founded in 2018 by composer-performer duo Cara Dawson and Eden Lonsdale, the group’s rotating line-up is characterised by a highly collaborative approach to music making. Their performances bring together specially written compositions, immersive environments and unconventional locations, creating a musical language that is situated somewhere between experimental, contemporary classical, and ambient/drone.
Their set is a programme of original music centred around two works by ensemble members Patrick Hegarty and Kieran Timbrell.
Balladeste
Indo-baroque meets alt-folk minimalism with Balladeste, a collaboration between violinist Preetha Narayanan and cellist Tara Franks. The duo have developed a unique way of composing through playing, improvising, and finding a shared language without notation. They strive to create a musical narrative that is both ancient yet contemporary, with music that is vibrant, experimental, melodic and contemplative.
Balladeste will be performing an improvised set exploring different sound worlds using texture, stillness, and dialogue.
FRIENDLY BOOTS
Friendly Boots makes noise and junk with friends. They studied violin performance but found it wasn’t as fun as mucking around with electronics, tearing apart/reassembling tunes. Their practice is highly collaborative, and they regularly work with a selection of electronic and instrumental artists in and around Glasgow.
Friendly Boots will be performing a set of original electronica, blending electroacoustic beats with live manipulation and dismemberment of sounds.
East London Sound Ensemble
ELSE (East London Sound Ensemble) is an intercultural, electro-acoustic ensemble from East London formed by sound artists, composers and musicians from different backgrounds. ELSE explores new ideas in sound and music by merging the diverse cultural elements in an innovative way. The ensemble has a particular interest in forming an intercultural musical language through combining various instruments and electronics.
They will be performing as a duo on the night, performing Ninni – an original work for saz (a plucked string instrument similar to a lute), kemane (a bowed string instrument), cello, voice and electronics.
Joanne Chiang
Joanne Chiang is a London-based Taiwanese percussionist. Currently studying for her MA degree at the Royal Academy of Music, Joanne’s performances focus on the experiences in theatre and performing arts.
She will be performing Buried Chants by Rūta Vitkauskaitė at our event – a solo bass drum piece inspired by ambient sound and a folk tune from Lithuania.
Rothko Collective
Rothko Collective are a youth-led contemporary music ensemble aiming to redefine what classical music is. Their aims as an ensemble are to dismantle the nepotistic and canonical identity that has ruled the industry, and open it up to a wider, more diverse audience through creative immersive performance experiences.
Rothko Collective will perform a new work Origami, created by the ensemble through a series of collaborative workshops. Concepts of form, complexity and layers are realised through improvisation, extended techniques and audience participation in this new work.
Application and selection process in accordance with Sound and Music’s Fair Access Principles.
Check out our favourite moments from HANDEL THE INNOVATOR, our collaboration with the London Handel Festival.