Chris Cohen - London date announced!

 Upset The Rhythm presents…

CHRIS COHEN
Wednesday 29 May
MOTH Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette Street, London, E8 1EL
7.30pm | £9 | https://dice.fm/chris-cohen-29th-may-moth-club-london-tickets

CHRIS COHEN’s songs initially sound easy. They’re each tiny jewels that unfurl at a leisurely pace, but dig a little deeper and you’ll reach a melancholy core. His previous two albums, 2012’s ‘Overgrown Path’, and 2016’s ‘As If Apart’, were built from lush, blurry tracks that embedded themselves in your subconscious, like they’d always been there. ‘Chris Cohen’, his new solo album on Captured Tracks, was written and recorded in his Lincoln Heights studio and at Tropico Beauties in Glendale, California over the course of the last two years. Cohen would sing melodies into his phone, fleshing them out on piano, then constructing songs around the melodies, and later, adding lyrics and other instrumentation with the help of Katy Davidson (Dear Nora), Luke Csehak (Happy Jawbone Family Band), Zach Phillips, and saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, among others. It is his most straightforward album yet, but it is also the conclusion of an unofficial cycle that began with ‘Overgrown Path’. ‘Chris Cohen’ is an album about pain and loss but it’s also about accepting loss. Of the song “Green Eyes,” Cohen says “[It’s about] the men in my family and how they passed their worldview along to each other from great emotional distances. My father and grandfather were full of secrets and longing, which were communicated through everyday actions like driving a car or cooking a meal. We all wanted closeness, but never found it in each other.” This is a statement about a specific song, but it is also a statement about the album as a whole: it’s a beautiful sound, but it’s also unflinching in its depiction of emotional turmoil.
https://chriscohen.bandcamp.com/

NEW SHOW: Advance Base in London this July!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

ADVANCE BASE
Monday 22 July
Redon, Railway Arches, 289 Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9HA
7.30pm | £12 | https://link.dice.fm/advance-base-redon

ADVANCE BASE is the electronic solo project of Chicago, IL singer/songwriter Owen Ashworth (formerly of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone). Using a two-handed arsenal of electric pianos, autoharps, Omnichords, loops, samples & drum machines, Ashworth builds minimalist, heavy-hearted, & nostalgia-obsessed tunes around his conversational, baritone vocals. The sound of Advance Base has been described as "lo-fi," "depressed" & "weirdly uplifting." Advance Base has supported live dates for The Postal Service, Pedro the Lion, The Mountain Goats, Dean Wareham, Alan Sparhawk, Mark Kozelek & Stephin Merritt. The debut Advance Base album, ‘A Shut-In's Prayer’ (2012), was released by Caldo Verde Records & Ashworth's own Orindal Records. ‘Nephew in the Wild’, the second album by Advance Base, was released in 2015 by Orindal Records & Tomlab Records. PopMatters named ‘Nephew in the Wild’ the number 1 Indie Album of 2015. ‘Animal Companionship’, the third & most recent album by Advance Base, was released last September. The sound of the album is soft and thick and comforting. And when we’re working with songs as sad as the ones that Ashworth writes, that level of comfort really comes in handy. He used to write sad love songs, or sad songs about love. He’s still doing that, really, except that he’s now middle-aged, with a wife and kids, living in suburban Chicago, and the songs reflect that. The songs on ‘Animal Companionship’ are full of a whole life’s worth of regrets and missed opportunities and moments of acceptance and dead friends. It’s not as bleak, either; there are moments of happiness, or at least sustenance, sprinkled all through ‘Animal Companionship’. But in its sharp and unrelenting and empathetic specificity, this is some real masterly heart-wrecker music.
http://advancebasemusic.com/

Ana da Silva & Phew - London concert announced today!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

ANA DA SILVA & PHEW
Monday 27 May
St Pancras Old Church, Pancras Road, King's Cross, NW1 1UL

7.30pm | £10 | https://link.dice.fm/ana-da-silva-st-pancras-old-church


ANA DA SILVA & PHEW have a new collaborative album entitled Island, full of absorbing textures, tactile beats, and a masterfully dynamic compositional style. Each cavernous track feels like a conversation, and out of the ominous dark comes a generative hope. Ana and Phew contribute pointillist bits of spoken word in each other’s native tongues of Portuguese and Japanese, reflecting on isolation, friendship, and nature. The quotidian is made profound. A gripping mood is set by the shared stoicism and subtle playfulness of these two cult punk icons. Island’s logic is one of wise minimalism. There is a feeling of discovery that will be familiar to Raincoats fans—a sense of poetry and inquisitiveness, of intuition and invention, of new languages taking shape.

Ana da Silva is a founding member and songwriter of the pioneering post-punk band The Raincoats. Across four daring full-length records, The Raincoats helped shape the timeless notion that punk is what you make it - an act of raw expression, not any one sound. The Raincoats have offered creative and spiritual inspiration for several generations of artists. They set a crucial precedent for feminist work within a DIY punk context, marked all the while by Ana’s poetic lyrical style and innovative noise guitar playing.

After The Raincoats’ hiatus in 1984, Ana collaborated with The Go-Betweens, This Heat’s Charles Hayward and choreographer/dancer Gaby Agis. Ana returned to song writing and performing with The Raincoats after Kurt Cobain invited them to tour with Nirvana shortly before his untimely death in 1994, and they released an album ‘Looking in the Shadows’ in 1995 on DGC and Rough Trade. In 2005, Ana released her solo debut, ‘The Lighthouse’ - a self-recorded collection of spare, elegant experiments in electronic indie-pop. Ana’s recent appearances with The Raincoats include a 2016 collaboration with Angel Olsen for Rough Trade’s 40th anniversary, as well as a 2017 presentation at The Kitchen, New York of The Raincoats and Friends, a celebration of Jenn Pelly’s book The Raincoats.
http://www.anadasilva.net/

Phew consolidated her binary interests as a vocal performer and analogue electronics improviser with the 2017 release of her album ‘Voice Hardcore’. Indeed, since her 2013 conversion to analogue electronics Phew has continued evolving her live solo project around the world. In 2015 she released her first almost entirely solo-driven album, aptly titled ‘A New World’, on the Japanese label Felicity featuring nine songs backed by herself on electronics and drum machine, with contributions from Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich, and synthesizer / electronics player Hiroyuki Nagashima.

In 1978 Phew started out as the singer in Aunt Sally, the Osaka punk group who released just one outstanding album on Vanity Records. A year later Phew released her debut solo single, produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 1981 she made her debut solo album ‘Phew’ at legendary producer Conny Plank’s studio near Cologne, accompanied by Plank, and Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit. She returned to Conny’s studio to make ‘Our Likeness’ (Mute, 1992) with Jaki Liebezeit, former DAF/Liaisons Dangereuses member Chrislo Haas and Einstürzende Neubauten’s Alexander Hacke. And in 2011, she and Erika Kobayashi formed Project UNDARK to record the texts of ‘Radium Girls’ with music by the late Dieter Moebius, of Cluster. In Japan she has made a series of acclaimed records under her own name and with leading bands such as Novo Tono and her contemporary punk group Most too.
https://phewjapan.bandcamp.com/

Brigid Mae Power playing London this April 23rd!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

BRIGID MAE POWER
AOIFE NESSA FRANCES
Tuesday 23rd April
Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL
7.30pm | £10 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/464952

BRIGID MAE POWER is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, like Judee Sill, Micky Newburyor Linda Perhacs before her, paints her songs in dreamily expansive strokes, transporting earthly compositions into universal and exultant realms. Her self-titled debut on Tompkins Square was a majestic suite of reverb-swathed laments for voice, guitar, piano, accordion, and harmonium, recorded at the Portland studio of key musical foil Peter Broderick. Themes include transformation, change, motherhood, acceptance, strength, courage and trust. In the words of Power, the album was about "trusting if you lose yourself or your way - you can come back". New album 'The Two Worlds' is another masterful collection of effortless, hypnotic folk, and an album that furthers the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist's already stellar reputation. Live, Brigid can encapsulate the timeless magic of her songs either solo or as a duo with Peter. Thus far she has toured throughout Ireland, UK and the US together with artists including Lee Ranaldo, Richard Dawson, Alasdair Roberts, Peter Broderick and Ryley Walker, with performances at Le Guess Who? and TUSK festivals along the way.
http://www.brigidmaepower.com/

AOIFE NESSA FRANCES is a Dublin born musician and singer-song writer. She is inspired by the poetic styles of folk music and psychedelic rock.

https://www.instagram.com/aoifenessafrances 



“The Two Worlds is Power’s most ambitious and her most introspective” – PITCHFORK

“The Two Worlds coexist beautifully here, the soft Power and the raw” – UNCUT

“The Two Worlds churns like rough seas, Power’s voice veering between steely warning and piercing transcendence” – THE GUARDIAN

'Break A' by Vital Idles, new EP announced!

VITAL IDLES return with an epic 7" extended player for Upset The Rhythm next month! Four astonishing tracks of intensity and momentum, carefree introspection and minimal pop practice! Here's the first listen, 'Break A', premiere courtesy of Clash Magazine, European tour dates announced too!

Available to pre-order now, oh yeh:

http://upsettherhythm.bigcartel.com/

Tour dates:
20/03 - Brighton, UK @ East Street Tap
21/03 - Paris, FR @ Le Zorba
22/03 - Brussels, BE @ Super Fourchette
23/03 - Rotterdam, NL @ Roodkapje
24/03 - Amsterdam, NL @ Butcher’s Tears
25/03 - Antwerp, BE @ Cabron
26/03 - Lille, FR @ DIY Cafe
27/03 - London, UK @ The Dome
28/03 - Glasgow, UK @ CCA
30/03 - Salford, UK @ The White Hotel

x

If there isn't yet a tradition of following a magnificent debut album with a, shoelaces-tightened, excellent mission statement of an EP (one would be forgiven to think that the debut long player was the mission statement already, breaking in on the scene/ry with such unmissable and rarely seen sensory delight, but then upon hearing the subsequently released EP one is tempted to think: "Wow! That debut was truly astonishing but now they are REALLY on a mission!"), well, if this tradition doesn't already exist - and thinking about Young Marble Giants' scene-defining "Final Day" 7", Pylon's absolutely essential "!!" 10" and Carla Dal Forno's recent-yet-already-classic "The Garden" 12" one might argue that this tradition is undoubtedly fully existent (more so: alive and well) — then this self-titled extended play from much beloved Glasgow quartet Vital Idles would surely be a striking argument for the genesis of such a tradition.

On the other hand, when taking sides with the many seasoned critics arguing that this tradition has indeed long been established, one might confidently list this effort as a bona fide example of such practice, sharing with the aforementioned not only an astute and accomplished artistic ability but also a sense of minimalist psychedelia that transcends restrictions set by redundant referencialism and grateless genre parameters such as "Post Punk" or "Minimal Pop" (on which the same critics, of course, often disagree).

That being said, ping-ponging from gritty post punk smashes to minimal pop moments and vice versa, Vital Idles' sphere of stripped-down efficiency and sharp personal observation also brings to mind crucially overseen half-chord-wonders Glorious Din as well as antipodean contemporaries like Constant Mongrel (who also had their latest release mastered by the fantastic M. Young), Primo! (who also had their latest release mastered by the fantastic M. Young) and Terry (who also had their latest release mastered by the fantastic M. Young).

The EP reveals itself as a steady, hypotenusal rise of intensity and momentum, starting with the hallucinogenic restrain of opener "Break A", building tension throughout the gothic-noise flourishes of "Seconds" and "Rustle Rustle" and culminating in "Careful Extracts", a 2 minute burst of carefree introspection that might as well be the unintentional answer to early career highlight "My Sentiments": "just me and my/ tired ire/ a a a a a a a a a a"

In conclusion: Vital Idles' debut was truly astonishing but - wow! - now they are truly on a mission.

Written by David Roeder, January 2019

 

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Lankum in London this May!

Beyond thrilled to have Lankum playing in May, not only once, but twice!

Upset The Rhythm & Cafe OTO present…

LANKUM
Tuesday 28 May & Wednesday 29 May
Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL

7.30pm | £16.50 each day, £30 two-day pass | Tickets

LANKUM have an alchemical ability to combine traditional folk roots with contemporary undercurrents to forge music that is dark, mysterious and transcendental. Comprising brothers Ian Lynch (uillean pipes, tin whistle, vocals), Daragh Lynch (vocals, guitar) alongside Cormac Mac Diarmada (fiddle) and Radie Peat (harmonium, accordion, vocals), Lankum channel a diverse set of influences and histories to create a beautifully rare thing: a songbook from and for the people. Born of years criss-crossing Dublin's folk, squat and experimental scenes, their two albums Cold Old Fire (2013, recorded under former name Lynched) and Rough Trade debut Between The Earth and Sky (2017) breath new life into ancient/modern rituals with urban punk fervour, rural psycho-geography and, underpinning it all, the eternal drone of the uilleann pipes. This event presents an intimate two night residency for Lankum, debuting a new live show, alongside special guests.
http://lankumdublin.com/

“The most convincing folk band to come out of Ireland in years.” – The Guardian

“An object lesson in how to perform old songs in new ways” – The Independent

“They do mark a turning point in folk… that authentic voice of the streets is back in a big way.” – Mark Radcliffe

 

XIU XIU's new album out today!

OK OK!   Today we release our first record of the year and what an album this is! Xiu Xiu’s brand new full-length entitled ‘Girl with Basket of Fruit’. It’s a real thunderclap of a record infused with tense hooks, errant electronics, disturbed spoken word and voodoo techno, proving as unsparing and impassioned as ever!   This new album was produced by Xiu Xiu’s Angela Seo and Greg Saunier of Deerhoof and, alongside Angela, features Jamie Stewart, Thor Harris and Jordan Geiger as the core musicians.

Streaming forth a ceaseless torrent of releases, side projects, art offerings since 2002, Xiu Xiu's music has veered from damaged avant-pop to artfully orchestrated rock, squalls of black-hearted noise and most bases around and between.   'Girl with Basket of Fruit' is a rowdier, stylistically splenetic offering than 2017's 'Forget', with the usual eye-catching list of collaborators this time including Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), Devin Hoff and Haitian percussionists Emmanuel Obi and Ayo Okafor.

Released today on 180g purple/black marbled vinyl and on an accompanying digipak CD with an 8-page booklet of lyrics and artwork, ‘Girl with Basket of Fruit’ can be found in all the best record shops and through our own webshop too.   Xiu Xiu will be touring Europe in support of the album too, London falls on March 26th at the Islington Assembly Hall, a date for your diaries, ticket link in our listings section.

Read on for details on next Friday’s concert with Big Joanie, Secret Power and Solution Hours. This one will take place at HQI, a new artist-focused space in the Rotunda nightclub of Television Centre, worth buying a ticket in advance for this one. If you like your music bold, catchy and ardently awesome, this one is for you!   You’ll also find our full listing for our first shows in March too from the one and only Kristin Hersh! Enjoy…

Upset The Rhythm presents…   BIG JOANIE SECRET POWER SOLUTION HOURS Friday 15 February HQI, The Rotunda, Wood Lane, White City Place, London, W12 7TP (3 min walk from White City tube up Wood Lane. Behind the green gates) 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   BIG JOANIE are a black feminist punk band. They're like The Ronettes filtered through 80s DIY and riot grrrl, with a sprinkling of dashikis. Big Joanie formed in the summer of 2013 to play at First Timers (a gig where every band plays their set for the first time) at the close of the year. In 2014 they self-released their 4-track EP 'Sistah Punk', and in the years following went on to tour the UK and Europe supporting acts such as The Ex, Parquet Courts, Downtown Boys, Shopping and more. In November 2018 they released their debut album 'Sistahs,' a bold record covering topics of friendship, frustration, resistance and sisterhood. Big Joanie formed not only to make music, but to create a continuum for punks of colour by paying homage to their forebears. By presenting a powerful vision of black womanhood they hope to encourage young punks of colour to get involved in making music and claiming their space in the scene. And with the release of 'Sistahs', acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and more, Big Joanie are set to spread their mission even further. https://bigjoanie.bandcamp.com/ SECRET POWER are Jessica Ashman (guitar and vocals), Peter Lam (drums) and Summer Scott (keyboard and vocals). Combining a love of post-punk with R&B girl group harmonies, lots of reverb and wavy alt soul, the group have been quietly but assuredly making themselves known in the D.I.Y punk scene of London for the past year. The group’s incarnation came out of the First Timers scene of D.I.Y Space For London in 2017 and started with a duo. After a few Facebook shout-outs, the group re-formed with new members and became a trio. Since then, Secret Power have been playing in and around London and Brighton, playing events such as Decolonise Fest 2018 and Synth Punk Fest 2018. Secret Power will be releasing their debut self-titled EP in February 2019, with For The Sake of Tapes, as well as supporting Big Joanie on their upcoming UK tour. https://www.facebook.com/secretpowerband/   SOLUTION HOURS are a two-piece from London, using a mix of spoken word, dynamic drumming, discordant guitar and ambience. https://solutionhours.bandcamp.com/

Upset The Rhythm presents…   KRISTIN HERSH (Electric Trio) With ROB AHLERS (drums) & FRED ABONG (bass) FRED ABONG (support set) Sunday 10 March & Tuesday 12 March Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ 7.30pm | £25 | TICKETS FOR MARCH 10 /  TICKETS FOR MARCH 12   KRISTIN HERSH, most recognised as the front person for the influential art-punk band Throwing Muses and power trio 50FOOTWAVE, will be touring the UK in Spring 2019 with Rob Ahlers (50 Foot Wave) on drums and Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) on bass. Throwing Muses first gained traction in the early '80s, playing with similarly singular artists, such as The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. They continue to release ground-breaking music, most recently with 2013's double CD masterpiece 'Purgatory/Paradise'. Kristin's solo career spun off in 1994 with the release of 'Hips and Makers', a widely acclaimed album that included 'Your Ghost', a duet with R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. Since then, Kristin has released a steady stream of distinctly individual solo albums, including 2010's 'Crooked', released as her first in the inventive book/CD format for which she is now known.   2016's 'Wyatt at the Coyote Palace', on which Kristin played all of the instruments, received rave reviews; an explosive defined by blistering guitars, powerful drumming and her signature visceral vocal technique. Her poignant true stories bring the listener into what the BBC calls Hersh's "dark and dizzy world". In 2004, Kristin formed the noise rock power trio 50FOOTWAVE, releasing a series of frighteningly intense mini-albums, all available for download free of charge. Their most recent 'Bath White' EP was described as "a series of loud explosions, of velvet like dreams all intermingled at the same time. Bath White takes no prisoners." Kristin's writing career has flourished with the highly acclaimed 'Paradoxical Undressing' (released as 'Rat Girl' in the USA) and the award winning 'Don't Suck, Don't Die', a personal account of her long friendship with the late Vic Chesnutt, as well as the enchanting books which now accompany each of her record releases. Kristin's tenth studio album, 'Possible Dust Clouds' (out this October on Fire Records) is a highly personalised sociopathic gem delivered as a futuristic rewriting of how music works, a melodious breeze with a tail wind of venomous din. Enveloping the juxtaposition of the concept of 'dark sunshine', a brooding solo record created with friends to expand her off-kilter sonic vision; a squally, squeaky mix of discordant beauty. 'Possible Dust Clouds' is a glorious return to form for one of alternative rock's true innovators. https://www.kristinhersh.com/   FRED ABONG will be supporting Kristin on her current UK tour dates. Fred is a friend of Kristin’s and former Throwing Muses and Belly bass player. Fred will be touring his new solo acoustic EP, described by himself as sounding like a “ragged Replacements”. http://www.fredabong.com/music/

Have the best weekend, thanks for reading! Upset The Rhythm

UPSET THE RHYTHM UPCOMING SHOWS

BIG JOANIE SECRET POWER SOLUTION HOURS Friday 15 February HQI, The Rotunda, Wood Lane, White City Place, London, W12 7TP (3 min walk from White City tube up Wood Lane. Behind the green gates) 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   KRISTIN HERSH (Electric trio) With ROB AHLERS (drums) & FRED ABONG (bass) FRED ABONG Sunday 10 March & Tuesday 12 March Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ 7.30pm | £25 | TICKETS MARCH 10 /  TICKETS MARCH 12   THE SHIFTERS COOL GREENHOUSE Thursday 14 March The Islington, 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   NATE YOUNG JOHN R. SPYKES  (Solo sets from members of WOLF EYES) Friday 22 March IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG 7.30pm | £11 | TICKETS   DAVID NANCE GROUP YERBA MANSA Monday 25 March The Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London, E8 2EB 8pm | £7 | TICKETS   XIU XIU (Jamie Stewart, Thor Harris & Jordan Gieger) JOHN BENCE Tuesday 26 March Islington Assembly Hall, Upper St, Islington, London, N1 2UD 7pm | £13.50 | TICKETS   Upset The Rhythm 15th anniversary label party! SAUNA YOUTH TRASH KIT GUTTERSNIPE VITAL IDLES RATTLE DOG CHOCOLATE Wednesday 27 March Tufnell Park Dome, 2A Dartmouth Park Hill, London, NW5 1HL 5.30pm - 11pm | £10 | TICKETS     JANDEK Tuesday 2 April Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ 7.30pm | £18 | TICKETS   THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS MOSQUITOES Friday 5 April Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette St, Hackney Central, E9 6NU 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS   COOLIES FUN FUN FUNERAL Saturday 6 April The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £8 | TICKETS   ALEX REX Wednesday 10 April SET Space, 27A Dalston Ln, London, E8 3DF 7.30pm | £6 | TICKETS   LEA BERTUCCI: Projection/Reflection Tuesday 16 April IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS   PRIESTS Thursday 16 May 100 Club, Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LL 7.30pm | £12 | TICKETS (Tickets onsale this Friday at 10am)

Mésange and Big Joanie concerts, this week and next in London!

Hello again! Thanks for coming to see Air Waves and Amor this last week, hope you enjoyed both concerts as much as we did! We’ve got two more events prepared for February so wanted to share news of both with you.   This Thursday at The Islington we have an evening of vibrantly improvised, electric-sky ambience, swirling harmonic crush and dysfunctional rock clamour planned for your enjoyment. Mésange will be stopping off in London as part of their blazing UK tour, plus the wild stylings of Historically Fucked get an intemperate airing. If that wasn’t enough John Hannon of Liberez will also make a rare solo appearance with violin in hand. See you where? There!

Next week, Friday 15th of Feb, finds Upset The Rhythm pitching up at top new spot HQI for a show with Big Joanie, Secret Power and Solution Hours too!   HQI is a new artist-focused space in the Rotunda nightclub of Television Centre, going to be a memorable one that’s for sure! If you like your music bold, catchy and ardently awesome, this one is for you, see you there!

Since our last word in your ear we have also confirmed new shows for Jandek (yes, Jandek!), Alex Rex and Nate Young and John R. Spykes of Wolf Eyes. We have some busy times ahead, on that you can depend.   Find those new additions on sale in our listings section at the end of this message. Read on for the whole story, thanks…

Upset The Rhythm presents…   MÉSANGE HISTORICALLY FUCKED JOHN HANNON Thursday 7 February The Islington, 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   MÉSANGE is a collaboration between composer/violinist Agathe Max and composer/ musician Luke Mawdsley. Their new album, Gypsy Moth, anticipates the forces of nature, creation and rebirth. Mordant musical tapestries (minimalism, drone and ambient) are washed in dense electric skies, exposing signs that flutter and flare in dark elegance. Ubiquitous modal loops, inspire tension and mystery, a golden harvest where forbidden fruits are gathered by furtive hands mindful of a coming storm. Mesange implore you to explore the threshold between dawn and dusk, self and other, where unfettered territories are sensually intimated in fecund sounds that teeter between lightning and thunderclap. The duo have travelled and toured extensively across the U.K and Europe and have been invited to perform with the acclaimed minimalist composer Terry Riley. Their performances are often improvised and unrestricted by the usual constraints of musical reception, celebrating a queering of gender, the body and identity both visually and sonically. As a graduate in electro-acoustic composition, Agathe Max has worked within a range of indistinct disciplines including, sound design for experimental film, theatre, contemporary dance and other visual art forms. Agathe uses improvisation to explore a dark(er) materiality rooted in ritual, myth and the supernatural. Agathe Max's latest recording A Gypsy in a Church (2016) is a daring 22 minute acoustic improvisation, weaving post-classical motifs into a beguiling and hypnotic tapestry that utters speculations on sacred identity and heritage. Other creative actions have included the OFIELD project, processing and forging environmental soundscapes for an imagined utopia/dystopia. Luke Mawdsley is a musician and composer, solo artist, collaborator and guitarist in Cavalier Song. His work meditates on the human condition, stirring memory and desire within musical definitions of a terrific sublime. The results are a series of lush, yet darkly affective, symphonic abstractions weaving in and around melancholic myths and narratives. Luke is currently the lead guitarist in Mugstar and a former member of Liverpool avant-garde group a.P.A.t.T. He has received commissions from The Blue Coat, FACT , Static Gallery and Edge Hill Arts Centre, providing an ongoing portfolio of improvised and soundtrack works. https://mesange.bandcamp.com/ HISTORICALLY FUCKED are an entangled quartet fronted by Greta Buitike, who create short, eruptive songs which they then set about obliterating from the inside. The four-piece is completed by Otto Willberg (bass), David Birchall (guitar) and Alecs Pierce (drums). Their raft of albums on Heavy Petting at varying times brings to mind the very disparate approaches of both The Fall and the John Zorn-composed trio of Patton-Baron-Dunn, without really sounding like either of them. Historically Fucked can be funny, gleefully eruptive and very gratifyingly raucous and auto-destructive, heading off in numerous directions within a matter of seconds. Listen to their records and expect to have no idea what to expect. https://heavypettingtime.bandcamp.com/ JOHN HANNON known for his work as a member of Liberez presents here a solo manifestation of violin flotsam. https://twitter.com/johnhannon4

Upset The Rhythm presents…   BIG JOANIE SECRET POWER SOLUTION HOURS Friday 15 February HQI, The Rotunda, Wood Lane, White City Place, London, W12 7TP (3 min walk from White City tube up Wood Lane. Behind the green gates) 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   BIG JOANIE are a black feminist punk band. They're like The Ronettes filtered through 80s DIY and riot grrrl, with a sprinkling of dashikis. Big Joanie formed in the summer of 2013 to play at First Timers (a gig where every band plays their set for the first time) at the close of the year. In 2014 they self-released their 4-track EP 'Sistah Punk', and in the years following went on to tour the UK and Europe supporting acts such as The Ex, Parquet Courts, Downtown Boys, Shopping and more. In November 2018 they released their debut album 'Sistahs,' a bold record covering topics of friendship, frustration, resistance and sisterhood. Big Joanie formed not only to make music, but to create a continuum for punks of colour by paying homage to their forebears. By presenting a powerful vision of black womanhood they hope to encourage young punks of colour to get involved in making music and claiming their space in the scene. And with the release of 'Sistahs', acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and more, Big Joanie are set to spread their mission even further. https://bigjoanie.bandcamp.com/ SECRET POWER are Jessica Ashman (guitar and vocals), Peter Lam (drums) and Summer Scott (keyboard and vocals). Combining a love of post-punk with R&B girl group harmonies, lots of reverb and wavy alt soul, the group have been quietly but assuredly making themselves known in the D.I.Y punk scene of London for the past year. The group’s incarnation came out of the First Timers scene of D.I.Y Space For London in 2017 and started with a duo. After a few Facebook shout-outs, the group re-formed with new members and became a trio. Since then, Secret Power have been playing in and around London and Brighton, playing events such as Decolonise Fest 2018 and Synth Punk Fest 2018. Secret Power will be releasing their debut self-titled EP in February 2019, with For The Sake of Tapes, as well as supporting Big Joanie on their upcoming UK tour. https://www.facebook.com/secretpowerband/   SOLUTION HOURS are a two-piece from London, using a mix of spoken word, dynamic drumming, discordant guitar and ambience. https://solutionhours.bandcamp.com/

See you on Thursday, thanks for your time! Upset The Rhythm

UPSET THE RHYTHM UPCOMING SHOWS

MÉSANGE HISTORICALLY FUCKED JOHN HANNON Thursday 7 February The Islington, 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   BIG JOANIE SECRET POWER SOLUTION HOURS Friday 15 February HQI, The Rotunda, Wood Lane, White City Place, London, W12 7TP (3 min walk from White City tube up Wood Lane. Behind the green gates) 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   KRISTIN HERSH (Electric trio) With ROB AHLERS (drums) & FRED ABONG (bass) FRED ABONG Sunday 10 March & Tuesday 12 March Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ 7.30pm | £25 | TICKETS MARCH 10 /  TICKETS MARCH 12   THE SHIFTERS COOL GREENHOUSE Thursday 14 March The Islington, 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   NATE YOUNG JOHN R. SPYKES  (Solo sets from members of WOLF EYES) Friday 22 March IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG 7.30pm | £11 | TICKETS   DAVID NANCE GROUP YERBA MANSA Monday 25 March The Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London, E8 2EB 8pm | £7 | TICKETS   XIU XIU (Jamie Stewart, Thor Harris & Jordan Gieger) JOHN BENCE Tuesday 26 March Islington Assembly Hall, Upper St, Islington, London, N1 2UD 7pm | £13.50 | TICKETS   Upset The Rhythm 15th anniversary label party! SAUNA YOUTH TRASH KIT GUTTERSNIPE VITAL IDLES RATTLE DOG CHOCOLATE Wednesday 27 March Tufnell Park Dome, 2A Dartmouth Park Hill, London, NW5 1HL 5.30pm - 11pm | £10 | TICKETS     JANDEK Tuesday 2 April Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ 7.30pm | £18 | TICKETS   THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS MOSQUITOES Friday 5 April Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette St, Hackney Central, E9 6NU 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS   COOLIES FUN FUN FUNERAL Saturday 6 April The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £8 | TICKETS   ALEX REX Wednesday 10 April SET Space, 27A Dalston Ln, London, E8 3DF 7.30pm | £6 | TICKETS   LEA BERTUCCI: Projection/Reflection Tuesday 16 April IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS   PRIESTS Thursday 16 May 100 Club, Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LL 7.30pm | £12 | TICKETS (Tickets onsale this Friday at 10am)

ALEX REX - London date announced!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

ALEX REX
Wednesday 10 April
SET Space, 27A Dalston Ln, London, E8 3DF
7.30pm | £6 | https://link.dice.fm/alex-rex-set-space

ALEX REX is the solo project from Alex Neilson (founding member and songwriter of folk-rock band Trembling Bells & collaborator with Bonnie Prince Billy) and friends. Singing songs of love, loss and loathing. This is his first UK tour to promote new album ‘Otterburn’ (Tin Angel Records). Known for his continuing collaborations with Alasdair Roberts and Richard Youngs, and for his work with the elusive Jandek, Alex grew up in Leeds and now resides in London. An accomplished drummer, percussionist and singer who draws from jazz, psychedelia and the darker side of folk music, ‘Otterburn’ reunites Alex with two of his Trembling Bells band mates, Lavinia Blackwall and Mike Hastings. Aside from being a staple part of the folk-rock revival, Rex has performed alongside artists including Lucky Luke, The One Ensemble of Daniel Padden, Ashtray Navigations, Alastair Galbraith and Isobel Campbell. He has also toured with several folk artists who have enjoyed a late rediscovery of their work, including Scott Fagan, Nick Garrie, Mike Heron and Shirley Collins. Alex's new release was the product of a cataclysmic event in his personal life which happened in April 2017. Sadly, Alex's brother Alastair passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on his canal boat in Leeds. The youngest of three boys, Alastair embodied all his family's best qualities and was a charming and spontaneous friend to anyone lucky enough to cross his path. Forged in pain and made in Glasgow, Otterburn heaves with sorrow, despair, a sense of humour and a unique perspective that could only come from experiencing deep loss.
https://alexrex.bandcamp.com/album/otterburn

Nate Young & John R. Spykes (of Wolf Eyes) in London on March 22nd!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

NATE YOUNG
JOHN R. SPYKES
Friday 22 March
IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG
7.30pm | £11 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/463331

NATE YOUNG is a founding member of seminal Detroit noise band Wolf Eyes. More recently he's been honing an equally distinctive solo sound that blends myriad sources from musique concrète, vintage film atmospherics, layered synths and archive library recordings into something thrillingly intense. Summoning up crushingly ominous crepuscular soundscapes and synth-washed phantasmagoria, Young undercuts the brutalism of Wolf Eyes with the kind of ambient dread that conjures images of lost horror soundtracks from the 70's. Minimal analogue synth violence is punctuated by thunder cracks of metal percussion ala the early Akita/Null Merzbow duets, massively doomy beat hypnotics and an atmosphere that's somewhere between the most apocalyptic Throbbing Gristle recordings. This February sees the release of ‘Dilemmas of Identity’, volume one in a new multi-part series of solo releases from Young for Lower Floor Music. These songs were commonly made as a distraction from grief, seasonal depression and isolation. Sometimes severely ridiculous and unrelenting, other times slow, sparse and strange.


https://soundcloud.com/nate-young 


JOHN R. SPYKES aka Inzane Johnny of Wolf Eyes and American Tapes will be treating us to a solo slice from his mind platter, featuring damaged rippers and modulations galore. As a part of Wolf Eyes, John Olson is responsible for augmenting the USA's longest-running homemade, primitive, electronic, poetry & radical vibes trio. They don't just release albums they launch scotched, taped nuclear audio fronts on humanity. Spykes is a project Olson has visited many times since its inception in 1999, constantly unearthing new sounds from the same old grey feelings of Midwestern winters inside. Absolute free jams promised, firing on all cylinders, a warped madness of atomised sonics.https://soundcloud.com/john-olson-14/john-r-spykes-january-hangs-onto-nothing-one 

JANDEK in London this April at Bush Hall!!!

Upset The Rhythm presents…

JANDEK
Tuesday 2 April
Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7LJ

7.30pm | £18 | https://link.dice.fm/jandek-bush-hall

Jandek is the musical project of Corwood Industries, a record label that operates out of Houston, Texas. Since 1978, Jandek/Corwood Industries has independently released over 100 albums/DVDs of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk, rock, and blues songs without ever granting an interview or providing any biographical information. Jandek often plays a highly idiosyncratic and frequently atonal form of folk, rock, punk, country, classical and blues music, at times using an open and unconventional chord structure. The name "Jandek" is most commonly used to refer specifically to the project and not an individual.

"And what does his music sound like? Like pure desolation. Jandek is not just solo but profoundly alone on most of his recordings, picking distractedly at a guitar tuned to no particular notes, moaning in no particular key about thinking and love and wandering around and staying in the same place and God. Beyond that, there's just emptiness, each off-key ping floats out separately into black space. Sometimes Jandek sounds as if he'd internalised the grimmest death-letter blues of the '20s and is pulling them back out of himself, thoroughly dismembered, hair by hair. His songs have no choruses, no hooks, no melodies, no rhythms, no internal progression, nothing but the inexorable Chinese-water-torture plod of Samuel Beckett's The Unnameable: "I can't go on, I'll go on." ... Compared to "real" pop music, Jandek's songs are terrifyingly ugly; in the context of his decades of persistence, the range and mass of his work, they become intensely beautiful and meaningful. They are absolute, pure self-expression, an unfocused, unlit snapshot of an entire life." - Douglas Wolk

https://corwoodindustries.com/