EX EASTER ISLAND HEAD
SBR006 - FEBRUARY 2016
Ex Easter Island Head returned to Samarbeta following the success of their initial residency with the BBC Philharmonic ensemble in April/May of 2015 which resulted in the group preparing a brand new composition and performing it alongside a BBC Philharmonic Ensemble at Sounds From the Other City festival . This time they returned and spent 10 days at Islington Mill with the main aim of developing the Large Electric Ensemble with musicians from the local experimental music scene. The group had previously done a similar project with musicians from Nottingham
EEIH worked with a handpicked selection of local guitarists from a variety of musical backgrounds and composed a new piece that will see the groups' unique vocabulary of extended techniques deployed on a mass scale. Drawing influence from the ensemble-wide tunings of gamelan, change-ringing patterns, and the harmonic possibilities afforded by massed amplified strings, EEIH created an ambitious, long form work for multiple prepared guitars, basses, and percussion.
The ensemble featured the following musicians: Tom Cowcher, Paddy Shine, Chris Haslam, Marlene Ribero, Karl Astbury, Harry Taylor, David McLean, Vitnija Bluzma, Sadie Noble, Ben Ryles, Vitalija Glovackyte, Paul Evans, Mark Moon, Rob Thorpe, Josh Horseley, Ben Fair, Jon Herring and Benjamin Duvall. The outcome of the residency was the creation, performance and recording of an ambitious new piece of music, breaking new compositional ground for the group which was then toured around the UK with the full ensemble including being performed at Supersonic Festival and Liverpool Psych Fest.