Unpredictable Thursdays

About

LINE-UP:

Steve Beresford & Blanca Regina – piano, electronics, voice
John Butcher & Bei Bei Wang – saxophones, percussion
Charlotte Keeffe & Sam Eastmond – trumpets, flügelhorns
Visuals by Pierre Bouvier Patron

ABOUT

Unpredictable at The Vortex 2021/22 presents experimental music, free improvisation, film, and art sessions. www.unpredictable.info

Steve Beresford has been a central figure in the British and international spontaneous music scenes for over forty years, freely improvising on the piano, electronics, and other things with people like Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Han Bennink, John Zorn, and Alterations (with David Toop, Terry Day and Peter Cusack).

Blanca Regina is an interdisciplinary artist that creates sound works, audiovisual installations, visual art, and films. In her last releases, ‘What Blue’, a duo with Steve Beresford (2020), and ‘Duets with Blanca Regina, Spontaneous Music’ (2018) she uses voice, electronics, and various instruments. She has created music and films with artists, including Peter Cusack, John Butcher, Leafcutter John, Matt Black (Coldcut), Hyelim Kim, Jack Goldstein, David Toop, Sharon Gal, Karel Doing, and Matthias Kispert.

Sam Eastmond is a composer and trumpet player, his large ensemble the Spike Orchestra has recorded three albums for John Zorn’s Tzadik label including two volumes of Zorn’s Masada Books.

Charlotte Keeffe’s passion for free improvisation, jazz, and experimental music-making sees her performing regularly as a soloist and as part of a variety of different ensembles, including her own Quartet; Charlotte Keeffe(‘s) Quartet is currently touring the UK celebrating the recent release of her debut album, Right Here, Right Now – June 2021, Discus Music.

John Butcher is well known as a saxophonist who attempts to engage with the uniqueness of time and place. His music ranges through improvisation, his own compositions, multitracked pieces, and explorations with feedback and extreme acoustics. His “Resonant Spaces” CD is a collection of site-specific performances recorded during a tour of unusual locations in Scotland and the Orkney Islands.
Since the early 80s, he has collaborated with hundreds of artists – including Derek Bailey, Eddie Prévost, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Steve Beresford, Okkyung Lee, John Russell, Christian Marclay, and Matthew Shipp. Additionally, he values occasional encounters – from the WDR Sinfonieorchester and EX Orkest to duos with Akio Suzuki, Keiji Haino, David Toop, Sophie Agnel, Fred Frith, and Joe McPhee. Recent compositions include “Penny Wands” for Futurist Intonarumori, two HCMF commissions, “Good Liquor…” for the London Sinfonietta, and “Tarab Cuts” (shortlisted for a British Composer’s Award) www.johnbutcher.org.uk

Genre-defying percussionist Beibei Wang is an acclaimed international virtuoso percussionist with both a Chinese and British musical education background. Beibei has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the classical music world, receiving international praise for her performances. She was listed in the top 50 Chinese musicians in the “Sound of East” project by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, as well as endorsed by the Arts Council, England receiving an Exceptional Talent visa from the British Government. Following a successful world tour, Beibei now leads a traditional Chinese percussion programme at SOAS, University of London. In 2020, Beibei was named Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Most recently Beibei was appointed as percussion professor of the Crossover Studies Faculty at London Performing Academy of Music. www.beibeimusic.com

Pierre Bouvier Patron is a visual artist based in London. He is currently working with different media, such as digital video and film, exploring the boundaries between them and creating moving image works, performances, and installations. He has developed various practices and skills in experimental film, documentary films, music videos, etc.
He is involved in video screenings and video performances, solo or in collaboration, with musicians such as Syd Kemp, Steve Beresford, Neil Charles, and artist Blanca Regina, among others. His work has been shown in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, etc.
His latest works include Unpredictable: Conversations with Improvisers, a series of 12 videos about improvisers in the UK, music videos for Ben Marc. His work also includes extensive participation with collectives such as Unpredictable Series, Strange Umbrellas, and several festivals such as Sonic Waterloo, Art of Improvisers, Alterations Festivals.