SBR010 - SEPTEMBER 2017

The sixth residency of 2017 was an international collaboration between the tour de force of Manchester Graham Massey (808 State) and Istanbul free jazz musicians Umut Caglar (Konstrukt).

During their 10 day residency which was split between the Islington Mill event space and Massey’s Transmission Suite (Old Granada Studios), the duo worked together recording and produced the next release on the Samarbeta label; a 12” vinyl entitled ‘Kicked from the Stars’. Available from the Samarbeta Bandcamp.

This was only the second time ever that they had collaborated, following their brief one day collaboration back in 2015 at Islington Mill, when they worked with local saxophonist David McLean which resulted in a ‘Live at Islington Mill’ tape release on Austin Texas label (Astral Spirits).

Massey & Caglar have both come from a techno DJ background as their entry to the music scene and have since moved into the avant garde. Caglar states 808 State as one of his favourite bands growing up. The result of the residency is a duet album written and recorded within the 10 days along with a live performance with Paddy Steer which took place in the Islington Mill event space on 1st September 2017. 

The record and performance is a unique blend using their past experience as techno artists to build something new as current avant garde musicians; a mash of past and present, techno and jazz, dj and producer and Istanbul and Manchester.