Sydney Improvisers Composers Kollektiv Orchestra Festival
The word Orchestra derives from the Greek orkheisthai, pertaining to the place where performers dance.
The Sydney Improvisers Composers Kollektiv Orchestra takes this meaning and applies it to the space between composition and improvisation, intuitive interaction and performance.
It’s not just the ensemble, but the space that our broader community of musicians, composers, producers inhabit and dance in.
For many musicians, the 21st Century has seen an evolution where one does not only perform, but compose, improvise, produce, working acoustically or with technology, as well as being conversant across a many of genres, and Sydney and Australian musicians, especially due to our unique social and geographic situations, are particularly skilled in this area, as a matter of survival, both financially as well as creatively.
SICKOfest brings together artists who are some of Sydney’s finest examples of this, world-class, diverse, multi-streamed and delving into sonic unknowns, stylistically challenging territories, sonically dancing, creating in an orkheisthai that the audience is cordially invited to join.
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SESSSION 1
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Friday 11th Dec
8pm-10pm
Hinterlandt
Hinterlandt is a Sydney-based indie-chamber quintet playing original music written by Jochen Gutsch. The music is acoustic, progressive and has a narrative quality. Hinterlandt will perform their new album "Seven Tales" in its entirety.
Jochen Gutsch – Composition, Trumpet, Guitar, Percussion
Simeon Johnson – Cello
Monique Mezzatesta – Violin
Lara Goodridge – Violin
Nicole Smede – Vocals
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Pliner/ Rodriguez(Godriguez)
Daniel Pliner, celebrated and diverse performer/composer, the pianistic “special sauce” behind so many projects including The Asthmatix, Dereb the Ambassador, Barefoot Divas. Slimey Things, Darth Vegas, Watussi, as well as many ground-breaking jazz projects, is here brought to the fore in a collaboration with Rodriguez.
Dave Rodriguez, guitar and electronics
- “...deserves abundant praise for his progressive tones and wide-spanning style. His production contains sounds both classic and completely new.” - Okayplayer
- “musical genius” VICE/THUMP
- “Production by Godriguez plunges into sounds more surreal, with scratchy, distorted samples and almost industrial sounding instrumentals that shiver and boom.” - The Guardian
His unique blend of jazz and avant-garde samples with a distinctly raw production aesthetic receiving high rotation from Triple J and recognition around the world. Godriguez, a major force in the Sampa project, has played supports for Kendrick Lamar and Fat Freddy's Drop among others.
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HELU
Helu are an instrumental trio who write long songs warping from spaced out ambience to chaotic uproar. Inspired by The Necks, Tortoise & Dawn Of Midi
Evan McGregor : Drums
David Sattout : Guitar
Josh Ahearn : Bass
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SESSSION 2
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SATURDAY 12th Dec
4pm-6pm
Rapp / Dewhurst / Farrar
This trio improvises songs, featuring Mary Rapp on cello and vocals, Peter Farrar on saxophone, and Carl Dewhurst on guitar and pedals.
They display no holds barred improvisation, creating dream-like soundscapes as a platform for Rapp’s visceral and emotive vocals. The trio’s debut album By ONe of thE night was given 4 stars by the Sydney Morning Herald and described as “an extraordinary collection of songs”.
Lim-Klumpes / Meredith
Nicholas Meredith.
His sound-world, although wet through with electronic and digital elements, draws significantly from the natural world: monolithic structures, human biology, water. Working with themes of uncertainty and environmental change.
The sound he produces has been described by John Shand as 'two cats fighting in the night'. His music is deeply personal and highly visceral. Moving from moments of stillness to complete sonic destruction. Meredith's history as a jazz drummer and improviser combined with his embrace of the infinite opportunities offered by technology infuse his work with a freedom of rhythm and structure that is energising.
Adrian Lim-Klumpes
Adrian is an experienced improviser, composer and pianist whose contribution to modern music include Tangents, Triosk, solo projects and myriad of collaborations and commissions.
Adrian’s unique sound, derived from a mixture of lyrical piano, jazz harmony and electro acoustic textures, speaks to genres of minimalism, electronic music, post-rock and related sub-genres, jazz and modal improvisation and the tradition of piano composition.
“exceedingly lyrical; pianist Adrian Klumpes has found a path to the ‘sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall’ sound Miles Davis so admired in Bill Evans' playing” (Pitchfork)
Adrian and Nicholas have enjoyed many previous collaborations and are excited to improvise together for this wonderful Sicko event.
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Dirk Kruithof Trio+
The adventurous guitarist/composer behind many projects in Sydney, brings a powerful, edgy yet luscious ensemble together, extending jazz, punk, underground sonorities, evoking shades of Marc Ribot, Ornette Coleman and The Velvet Underground.
Dirk Kruithof – Guitar
Ian Pieterse – Baritone Sax
Jinu Joo – Alto Sax
Mark Hall – Drums
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SESSSION 3
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SATURDAY 12th Dec
8pm-10pm
Granger/ Price/ Brown
Emily Granger - Concert Harp
Elsen Price – Double Bass
Trevor Brown – Flute/Clarinet/Baritone Sax
Emily Granger, diverse classical harpist and improviser, originally from Chicago has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Jonas Kaufmann, Janelle Monáe, Sarah Blasko, Diesel, International Chamber Artists, Flinders String Quartet and Nexas Saxophone Quartet. Various roles include, Principal Harp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orchestra Victoria and Opera Australia Orchestra, as well as championing new music with Ensemble Offspring, IU New Music Ensemble, and many world premieres of new works.
Elsen Price is a Bassist, Composer, Collaborator and Educator based in Sydney, Australia. As a solo improvisor, Elsen's highlights include featuring at Bass Europe (Prague), Vivid Festival, Sydney Festival, MONA plus tours throughout Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Czech Republic, and the UK. As a professional bassist, Elsen regularly performs alongside various International Pop Artists, Professional Orchestras, leading Australian ensembles and emerging projects. As an Arts advocate, Elsen is a committee member of the Australian Arts Party, founder of NSW Music Advocacy and founder/presenter of Australian only radio show 'New Australia'.
Trevor Brown has performed in a multitude of situations, from Symphony Orchestra to Outback Circus. He divides his time (when possible) between Australia and Europe. He has been featured artist at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, and performed with or conducted the London Improvisers Orchestra, The Vienna Improvisers Orchestra and collaborated extensively with Markus Stockhausen’s Intuitive Music Orchestra of Köln. As well as being a sort after instrumentalist, he has composed music for dance and theatre companies here and around the world, as well as award winning sound designs, installations and commissions for MONA, Australian Museum, AGNSW. He is the artistic director of the Sydney Improvisers Composers Kollektiv Orchestra.
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STICK MAGIC
Clayton Thomas, double bass player and founder of the NOW NOW, Splinter and Splitter Orchestra, joined by Holly Conner, who traverses the worlds of jazz, improvisation and electronica, and Niki Johnson, percussionist and multi-arts collaborator.
Clayton Thomas – Double Bass
Holly Conner – Drums
Niki Johnson – Percussion
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Bungarribee Trio
Three highly respected Australian musicians, Gary Daley, Paul Cutlan and Oliver Miller have established a close musical collaboration over the last few years. Discovering their shared passion for twentieth century classical music, world music, jazz and free improvisation.
Between them lies a kaleidoscopic world of tone colours, with piano, accordion, various saxophones and clarinets, cello and electronics in the mix. From Messiaen to Bartok & Bach, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington to traditional African to atmospheric improv, they create music of colour, beauty and emotion.
"Many sections of this concert made you felt you’d had a craniotomy, and the top of your skull had rocketed skyward"
John Shand - SMH