Watson, David

Throats

Label: Ecstatic Peace Country: USA

From 1987 when he moved from New Zealand, David Watson began performing primarily as a guitarist in New York City, working with musicians like Ushio Torikai, Ikue Mori, Mark Ribot, Zeena Parkins, Kato Hideki, Cecil Taylor, William Hooker, Shelley Hirsch, Andrea Parkins and many others, at venues such as CBGB's, Knitting Factory, and The Cooler. He was also curator for the music series Roulette, Experimental Intermedia, St. Marks Church, Greenwich House, Bang-on-a-Can, PS 1, and PS 122. He toured Japan with John Zorn and members of The Boredoms, Merzbow, Ground Zero, Makigami Koichi and others.

This album is primarily the work of Watson on bagpipe, a 'throaty' instrument that Watson transforms into something that won't bring to mind kilts, and is in fact quite hypnotic and sonically whelming. On half of the 14 tracks he also works with either of two incredible vocal innovators: Shelley Hirsch and Makigami Koichi, in curious and captivating duos. An overall startling, innovative and unusual album of improvised performance.