Curated by Laurence Pike
31 March—3 April 2022

Phoenix Central Park

THU 31 MAR

TRIOSK

8:00PM THU 31 MAR

After a fifteen-year absence, an exciting return from internationally renowned, seminal electronic/jazz trio Triosk.

Triosk has released three acclaimed albums, including a collaboration with influential Berlin electronic musician Jan Jelinek, which saw them tour Australia, Japan, Europe and the UK extensively. Strata will be Triosk’s first public performance together since 2007.

NICO NIQUO

6:00PM THU 31 MAR

Nico Niquo is the solo project of Nico Callaghan. Over a series of albums on both the US experimental outpost Orange Milk Records and Australian label Daisart, Nico has developed an esoteric sound-world at an unlikely meeting point of UK Grime, New Age, and Jazz. On his forthcoming album 'Esperanto', he continues to fold these genres into beguiling new shapes. Performing live with Felix Watson and Joseph Buchan, Nico will present the debut live rendition of the material, expanding on his uber-digital sounds with the addition of live instrumentation.

FRI 1 APR

PHIL SLATER QUINTET

8:45PM FRI 1 APR

Phil Slater’s quintet represents a generation of Sydney’s most singular and acclaimed musicians in one group, who over the last two decades have developed their own intuitive language together. Their 2019 ARIA nominated release ‘The Dark Pattern’ is one of the finest jazz albums this country has produced in decades. Slater’s music is haunting, hypnotic, and uniquely Australian.

HEKKA

7:15PM FRI 1 APR

One of the most exciting young groups to emerge from Sydney in many years, Hekka are a piano trio with a truly collective feeling and intent, drawing from a variety of contemporary sources and distilling it into music of rhythmic intensity and beauty.

HILARY GEDDES QUARTET

6:00PM FRI 1 APR

Outstanding young guitarist Hilary Geddes has been making waves with her highly adaptable and original playing, capable of seamlessly moving from jazz to free music to rock.

Recipient of the 2021 Freedman Jazz Fellowship, and the 2019 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award, Hilary leads her quartet through her original compositions as featured on her acclaimed debut release “Parkside”.

SAT 2 APR

MIKE NOCK PLAYS 'ONDAS' 40TH ANNIVERSARY

8:45PM SAT 2 APR

Four decades this year since its release for legendary German label ECM, the elder statesman of the Australian jazz community revisits one of his career-defining albums - ‘Ondas’ - in full, for the very first time.

ANDREA KELLER: TRANSIENTS

7:15PM SAT 2 APR

Transients is a series of trios established by prolific pianist/composer/recording artist Andrea Keller in January 2016 and inspired by late mentor Allan Browne’s musical philosophy. Dedicated to a collective approach to music making, the trios stem from a jazz tradition, which they interpret with an uninhibited, and somewhat unconventional, Australian accent.

For this appearance at STRATA, Andrea brings two unique voices from Melbourne in bass player Sam Anning and saxophonist Julien Wilson.

MICROFICHE

6:00PM SAT 2 APR

Microfiche represent a new generation of community-conscience music makers in Sydney. Since forming in 2015, this diverse cohort of improvisers has developed a sound that embraces freedom and experimentation. Influenced by the musical philosophies of John Cage and Morton Feldman, the group has developed a distinctive approach to music-making featuring spaces of meditative soundscapes and evolving loops that collide with rhythmic outbursts and melodic catharsis.

SUN 3 APR

BARNEY MCALL: NON COMPLIANCE TRIO

8:45PM SUN 3 APR

Barney McAll is an internationally renowned, multiple award-winning, pianist, composer, and recording artist, and is considered one of Australia’s leading creative musicians. On this rare visit to Sydney he leads his Non Compliance Trio, featuring Tom Botting and Alexander Inman-Hislop.

WORDS FAIL LAUNCH

7:15PM SUN 3 APR

Words Fail is a new intergenerational trio comprised of legendary pianist from The Necks; Chris Abrahams, bass player and founder of the Now Now festival of improvised music; Clayton Thomas, and drummer/engineer Miles Thomas. From meditations on pure pitch, to layered polyharmonic and textural waves more akin to electronic music than acoustic, these experienced improvisers paint on a wide canvas.

Words Fail will be launching their stunning self-titled debut LP as part of Strata.

HOLOPEAK

6:00PM SUN 3 APR

Sydney's Holopeak push their long form improvisations through jazz and minimalism into the realms of avant-rock, symphonic noise and soundscapes, creating music of unflinching conviction and energy. Having developed a cult-like following around Sydney through the intensity of their live performances, their debut album Summit Over signalled the arrival of a band with the promise of greater things to come, recently affirmed with the release of their second LP Golden Walk.

ENTER THE TICKET BALLOT

Performances at Phoenix are free, allocated by ballot.

Successful ballot entrants will be emailed on
Monday 21 March to claim tickets to their preferred sessions.