New Release: Intraspect
New CD release, Intraspect, on Burning Harpsichord Records featuring Phil Durrant and Bill Thompson live in concert at the first Intraspect Concert in Guildford. Pre-orders available now, CD shipping near end of October.
Review: Toneshift Magazine
Phil Durrant & Bill Thompson‘s new Intraspect (Burning Harpsichord Records) is an improvised 31-minute modular/tonal piece. Through its duration you may notice slight curves, bare distortions and variance in pitch. The duo seem to be channeling the timbre of frequency as a language, perhaps one heard by lifeforms other than human. At the midpoint they drop the velocity, now aided/abetted by minimal corroded industrialism. This is far from meditative, instead feels quite brooding and telepathic.
Review: MusicMap
In Intraspect, a limited-release CD for Burning Hapsichord Records, Phil Durrant and Bill Thompson present the first official documentation of their improvised drone-noise music duo, thanks to which they have achieved fame in recent years. Durrant plays the synth and mixes boxy tones with high frequency fragments, while Thompson’s Moog guitar is “disturbed” by the use of objects and electromagnetic fields.
The Intraspect concert series was founded in 2017. The track contained in this exclusive CD, 31 minutes in a single track, was recorded at the very first official concert of this series, in Guilford, in 2018. Sound artists, multi-instrumentalists and minds full of great ideas, Phil Durrant and Bill Thompson seem to be made for each other. The modular and disturbing frequencies of one fit perfectly into the sensitivity and delicacy of the other. The dark alternates with attempts to escape towards a certain optimism, which soon diminish to leave room for new dramatic moments. Isolation, restlessness, distance, all these sensations are explored by loops and noises, synths and imperceptible whistles, feedback and piercing drills of random objects collected by Thompson,
It’s not an easy album, Intraspect, but it shows the deep talent of Durrant and Thompson and the extreme permeability that the two manage to explore together. Scratches, fragments remain, alienating elements that make the disc fascinating and powerful. (Samuele Conficoni)
More reviews…
Mercury Over Maps 11, Hundred Years Gallery, Nov 23rd
The 11th installment of the extended residency at Hundred Years Gallery – Mercury Over Maps 11
A special event featuring the CD release of Intraspect by Bill Thompson and Phil Durrant (performing as a duo), and two solo sets by live audio/visual electronics duo HARMERGEDDON and abstract film maker Rob Hart.
Hundred Years Gallery, Nov 23rd, 7:30.
More information here.
Sound Festival, Aberdeen, October 25th, 2019
Returning to Aberdeen to perform a new Moog guitar work at the Sound Festival, October 26th. More info soon.
Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, October 19th
Performing new work for Moog guitar and electronics at The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, Oct 25th.
11th Hour Festival, King’s Lynn, Oct 11th
Performing solo Moog guitar at 11th Hour Festival at St Nicholas Chapel, King’s Lynn, PE301LT, 6pm to Midnight. Gates composition for 12 players also to be performed. For more information, visit 11th Hour Festival.
New cassette release: Mouthful of Air
Mouthful of Air is a Limited Edition Cassette release featuring alternative mixes of Mouthful of Silence from 2018. These mixes were based on suggestions by sound and visual artist Ian Stonehouse who also designed the album art (including hand painting the first 15 covers) and composing a bonus track made from the original tracks of MoS combined with his own improvisation using modular electronics.
Review on Touching Extremes.
Review on Waveform Magazine
Cafe Oto, London, September 28/29
Hundred Years Gallery Benefit, Aug 31st/Sept 1st
Performing Moog guitar and electronics at Hundred Years Gallery benefit concert, the condition of falling, Aug 31st/Sept 1st.
The event features live performances and merchandise sales in aid of the Hundred Years Gallery Loudspeaker Fund
14:00 | performances 14:30 till 22:00 free entry both days (all donations and merchandise sales go to buying PA equipment for the gallery)
More information: the condition of falling.
Into the Great Wide Open Festival, Aug 29-Sept 1st
Tiny Love Songs (All our futures are scalable)
Into the Great Wide Open; Possible Futures
Alice Smits Curatorial programme.
Office of Experiments – Neal White with Erik Kearney and Bill Thompson.
Tiny Love Songs is a sound and light installation developed after fieldwork on Vlieland. It is also informed by Office of Experiments broader research into the subject of ‘open field experiments’. The open field experiment in this case relates to the field trial of genetically altered organisms in the wild.
Wenda Way, Claire M Singer, Somerset House, Aug 13th
Soon to be released piece Wenda Way included in Claire M Singer’s DJ set as part of Somerset House’s Film 4 summer screening of God’s Own Country.
The Noise Upstairs, Manchester, August 8th
Performing solo Moog guitar at The Noise Upstairs, Manchester, August 8th. More information here.
International Guitar Conference, Hong Kong, July 2019
Performing solo Moog guitar at the International Guitar Conference in Hong Kong, July 14 – 20th, 2019.
Also performing at Re-Records and Twenty Alpha:
July 14th – Re-Records
July 20th – Twenty Alpha
Wake and Whisper, Hundred years Gallery, June 21st
Performing a solo Moog guitar set and duo with John McGrath at his album launch at Hundred Years Gallery , June 29th, 7:30.
More information here.
Mercury Over Maps 10, Hundred Years Gallery, June 15th
The 10th installment of the extended residency at Hundred Years Gallery – Mercury Over Maps 10
The evening will feature three solo sets: Matt Atkins/Brigitte Hart/John Macedo, Paul Khimasia Morgan, and Gregfory White with Bill Thompson., Paul Khimasia Morgan, and Bill Thompson.
Hundred Years Gallery, June 15th, 7:30.
More information here.
Corpora Aliena, Iklectik, May 25th
Performing at Corpora Aliena at Iklectik Arts Space, May 25th.
Video of live stream from the event:
Dronica, St Matthias Church – Stoke Newington, May 9th
Performing a live electronics drone set with Phil Durrant at Dronica Festival’s Three Year Anniversary event.
Details: https://www.facebook.com/DronicaFestival
Review: https://www.clotmag.com/
Zero plus Two, Iklectik, May 8th
Zero plus Two: An evening of live electronics with visuals
Featuring:
zerospace: Lucia H Chung, Ian Stonehouse and Prof_lofi
HARMERGEDDON: Fae Harmer and Nathan Greywater
Atkins/Hart/Macedo: Matt Atkins John Macedo, Brigitte Hart
Iklectik: Doors 7:30 | Music 8pm | £8 entry
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/570858010094185/
Mercury Over Maps 9, Hundred Years Gallery, Feb 16th
The 9th installment of the extended residency at Hundred Years Gallery – Mercury Over Maps
The evening will feature three sets: Iris Garrelfs and Viv Corringham (duet), Spencer Grady, Phil Julian and Mark Wastell (trio), and Bill Thompson with Ian Stonehouse (duet).
More information: http://billthompson.org/aka_prof_lofi/mercury-over-maps-9
Review of Mouthful of Silence: Bad Alchemy
Review of Mouthful of Silence: Revue & Corrigée
