The first of NI-VU-NI-CONNU's 5-LP John Butcher series, presenting concerts from 2019 in Berlin and Leipzig of acoustic free improvisation fueled by incredible technique, extreme concentration and open-minded approaches to free interaction, from the trio of Burkhard Beins on percussion, John Butcher on tenor & soprano saxophones and Werner Dafeldecker on double bass.
Format: LP Condition: New Released: 2022 Country: Luxembourg Packaging: LP A side recorded at KM28, in Berlin, Germany, on June 19th, 2019, by Andrew Levine. B side recorded at KulTurnhalle, in Leipzig, Germany, on June 18th, 2019, by Andrew Levine.
"Improvised music at this level of concentration may touch the roots of human culture, the transformative power of the cave and the paintings of Lascaux and Altamira."-Stuart Broomer, from the liner notes
John Butcher (b. 1954 in Brighton) describes himself as "a saxophonist who attempts to engage with the uniqueness of time and place." His music ranges from improvisation and compositions to multitracked pieces and explorations with feedback and unusual acoustics.
After publishing a PhD in quantum chromodynamics (1982), Butcher left academia and took off with music. He has since collaborated with hundreds of artists, for many decades in the case of some, including Eddie Prévost, Derek Bailey, Steve Beresford, Paul Lovens, Rhodri Davies, Matthew Shipp, Akio Suzuki, Thomas Lehn, Christian Marclay, Gino Robair, Okkyung Lee, Mark Sanders, Ståle Liavik Solberg, Phil Minton and Angharad Davies and the groups Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Thermal and Polwechsel.
Compositions have been varied, the most recent being Tarab Cuts (based on early Arabic recordings) and Fluid Fixations for 14 players at HCMF (2021).
Butcher also values playing in occasional encounters ranging from large groups, such as Butch Morris's London Skyscraper and the EX Orkestra, to duo concerts with David Toop, Ute Kanngiesser, Joe McPhee, Keiji Haino, John Tilbury, Fred Frith, and Otomo Yoshihide.
Burkhard Beins (b. 1964 in Celle, Germany) is a composer and performer working in the fields of experimental music and sound art. Known for his use of percussion in combination with selected objects, he also works with live electronics, plays bass guitar and has conceived several sound installations. Since the late 1980s he has been performing at venues and festivals worldwide. He is a member of various ensembles including Polwechsel, Activity Center and The Sealed Knot, and has played in various formations with other musicians such as Sven-Åke Johannson, Andrea Neumann, Keith Rowe and Axel Dörner.burkhardbeins.de
Werner Dafeldecker (b. 1964 in Vienna) is a musician, composer and producer known for his work in the fields of improvisation, electronic and crossover music. His musical projects are often inspired by other disciplines such as architecture, science, photography and film, and often include field recordings of natural and environmental sounds. He has performed extensively at major venues and festivals and with numerous performers including Martin Brandlmayr, Sven-Åke Johannson and Axel Dörner. He is the co-founder, together with Michael Moser, of Polwechsel.dafeldecker.net
Butcher, Beins and Dafeldecker have played together on numerous occasions, including as part of the ensemble Polwechsel."
The John Butcher Vinyl Series / Part 1:
A set of 5 LPs with live recordings featuring the prominent British saxophonist in five different musical formations. They capture a series of concerts held in 2019, four of which saw Butcher joined by a roster of international musicians for a two-day celebratory event at ausland in Berlin, and the fifth marking the debut of a new trio recorded in Leipzig and Berlin.
The series bears witness to the extraordinary breadth of Butcher's musical palette, which allows him to play across different musical scenes and with performers from the most diverse backgrounds. In these recordings, he variously reunites with colleagues with whom he has worked extensively in the past (Burkhard Beins, Werner Dafeldecker, Thomas Lehn, Gino Robair, Sophie Agnel, Tony Buck, Magda Mayas) and engages with a group of performers from the eclectic Berlin Echtzeitmusik scene (Liz Allbee, Ignaz Schick, Marta Zapparoli).
The recordings cover a wide range of musical approaches and experiments, from "expression, speculation, ceremony, initiation and transcendence" (Stuart Broomer) to sound refractions and mimicry. Documenting Butcher's versatility and empathic sense of communion, they underline his unique status in the improvised music world, which has earned him a reputation as one of the scene's most influential musicians.
Five LPs in an edition of 300 copies, edited and mixed by John Butcher, liner notes by Stuart Broomer, Inner sleeve photography by Cristina Marx.