Tuesday 17 November 2015

Polar Bear, Melt Yourself Down and Matthew Bourne in Leeds


This month, Leeds-based indepdendant record label The Leaf Label reaches its 20th anniversary. As part of these Leaf 20 celebrations, which include vinyl re-releases and a limited edtion edition box set, new Leeds venue Headrow House will host gigs by three of the UK's most innovative and exciting improvsing bands and artists.



After 2014’s Mercury Prize shortlisted In Each And Every One, Polar Bear barely drew breath before unveiling Same As You. Driven by a renewed vitality from bandleader/drummer Sebastian Rochford, there is a startling freshness in the songs, both thematically and sonically. After the dark complexity of recent output, Same As You is presented in sharp focus, as inclusive and accessible as the title suggests, while still maintaining the playful experimentation on which the band made its name. Polar Bear recently recieved the accolades of a nomination for both a MOBO Award and Urban Music Award.

Melt Yourself Down is the sound of Cairo '57, Cologne '72, New York '78, London 2015. Sounds you can taste and smell: fierce post-punk, discordant funk and wild sonic voodoo.
Centered around saxophonist Pete Wareham, they number some of the finest musicians in the land, spanning jazz, rock and world music. Live, they're a tropical storm, lit up and led by Kushal Gaya, part finger-pointing punk shaman, part proselytising preacherman. Their message: Melt Yourself Down and turn yourself up.


With a nod to the pioneering work of Annette Peacock and Paul Bley, multi award-winning pianist Matthew Bourne's latest projects see him turning his hand to the world of analogue synthesisers. 
Growing from sponaneous live performances, these compostions took shape as Bourne explored and molded the vast sonic possibilites of voltage-controlled oscillators. The seed for this project was planted when Bourne inherited a Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog, and moogmemory, his upcoming record, will be the World's solo album to use only the LAMM synthesiser. The live show will see Bourne coaxing waves of rich analogue sound from a variety of vintage sythesisers alongside his trusty Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog.


For more information and tickets:
Fri Nov 27 - Melt Yourself Down - Headrow House, Leeds
Wed Dec 2 - Polar Bear - Headrow House, Leeds
Thu Dec 3 - Matthew Bourne + Tom Rogerson - Headrow House, Leeds




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