Born north west England, UK
1974
First experiments with tape, voice, water and objects
1976
First experiments with altered-acoustic guitar, record deck and echo units
1980-1991
Prog-punk, post-rock and improv experiments - as bass player, using electronics and extended techniques; plus, to a lesser extent, electric and acoustic guitars and synthesiser. Development as a songwriter, composer and poet
1988-onwards
Experiments with photography and darkroom processes
1989-1991
Formation of Gnarl - post-prog/punk five-piece, featuring two bass-players; various uk gigs, including support to Dr. Phibes and the House of Wax Equations. BBC radio session. Appearance on the IDEA album. Release of various self-produced audio-tapes
1991-2002
Academia - BA (Hons) onto M.Phil onto Ph.D, at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
1992
Developed idea of Murmury, and thus, by-the-by, Murmurists; developed idea of Classwar Karaoke; both concepts applied visually and exhibited in various galleries thoughout UK
1993
Classwar Karaoke briefly and sporadically becomes improvising group - variously as a quartet and as a quintet; early experiments with unorthodox and non-musical approaches to making music; inclusion of comedic and surrealistic elements, also
1994
Gained BA (Hons) from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
1994-2002
Numerous international exhibitions (throughout Europe, the Americas, Russia, Uzbekistan, India, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and Ghana) of visual artworks, soundartworks and installation - variously as Murmurists and as Classwar Karaoke. Curated several exhibitions at galleries in UK. Several artist-residencies and visiting lecturerships
2002
Gained Ph.D from Manchester Metrolopitan University, UK
2003
Tentative steps at assembling more formal Murmurists improv group - with David Cunliffe, Bill Richards and Anthony Welland. Personal formal switch from 4 string bass to 6 string contrabass (tuned B E A D G B)
2004
Murmurists becomes an established improvising quartet, then trio, then duo. Intense period of development as an improviser, using 6 string bass/electronics/synthesiser/loops/minidisc/voice
2005
Murmurists duo, of myself and David Cunliffe, plays Sonorities festival, Queens Univeristy, Belfast, UK, supporting Renzo Spiteri. House-move from Northwest UK to East Midlands UK. Murmurists trio, of myself, David Cunliffe and Bill Richards, supports Thulk. Joined Dischage collective - now in its 6th incarnation
2006
Abortive attempt to reform Murmurists locally as an improvising trio; some gigs, and a live radio appearance on the Garden of Earthly Delights
2006-2007
Intense period of personal development. Murmurists becomes more forthrightly a solo project again, with numerous on-line releases, an extensive blog - with writing and visuals, and the first short-films appearing. Collaboration with Colin John Conass on the album, 'Dead, See', released by Colin Johnco Records in 2007
2008
Formation of improvising quartet, Vultures, later Vultures Quartet - with Dan Beattie, Matt Chilton and Will Connor. First Vultures gig. Formation of improvising trio ithyphall.brel.gory, with Spittle Rattle and Ghoul Detail, and gigs in support of Jaap Blonk and PAS; personal exploration therein of prepared zither/live electronics/agit prop percussion set-up. Formation of the.clinamen, with Zafer Aracagök (Sifir). Three the.clinamen albums made during the year: 'KOG', 'Knock Knock' and 'Kujo n-1'. 'KOG' is performed live at Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK, as part of an international conference on the work of Giles Deleuze. Founding of label and collective, Classwar Karaoke - now co-curated Jaan Patterson; with label element being primarily organised around quarterly releases, dubbed surveys. These surveys have, to-date, featured the likes of Bob Ostertag, Fred Frith, Otomo Yoshihide, Michael Giles (ex-King Crimson), Lol Coxhill, Petter Brotzmann, Evan Parker, Nate Young (Wolf Eyes), Terry Bozzio (ex-Frank Zappa), Keith Tippett, Geoff Leigh (ex-Henry Cow), Bryan Lewis Saunders, Phil Minton, Astral Social Club, Gerd Bessler, Jochen Arbeit, Crank Stugeon, Adam Bohman, Leif Elggren, Leafcutter John, Gino Robair, Zoviet France, Dom Lash, John Russell and Steve Beresford. Joined Translated Text of Automatic Form group. Collaboration with One Minute Wanda. Collaboration with Spittle Rattle
2009
Many gigs with Vultures Quartet, in England, Scotland, The Netherlands and Germany - supporting Faust (at their Avantgarde Festival, Schiphorst, Germany, with PAS), Z'ev, John Butcher, John Russell, Nurse with Wound, Adam Bohman, Blistrap, Steve Noble/Alex Ward, and Diva Abrasiva; some in collaboration with Steve Beresford, PAS, Rebecca Bogue, Sandeep Mishra, Alpesh Moharir and Jo Quail. 'KOG' by the.clinamen is released by White-Label Music. Kujo n-1 is released by Mille Plateau. Completion of first in the Beneath is Translation series of Murmurists collaborations, 'I Cannot Tell You Where I Am Until I Love You'; forthcoming from Classwar Karaoke. First Vultures album, '56'29', released by Born in Mind. First Classwar Karaoke live showcase - 6 bands feature. Became editor of Reverse Metal - Discharge's editorial blog. Joined the Title We Just Forgot group. Joined Unrecordists group. Prose-work published in the book, Avant Garde for the New Millennium, edited by Forrest Armstrong, published by Raw Dog Screaming Press. Poems published by Blood Pudding Press. Poems feature in various Discharge publications. Experiments with prepared fretless classical guitar. Development of Goya Moog idea. First improv gig with Dom Lash. First improv gigs with Steve Beresford. First improv gig with Dave Tucker. Collaboration with Bryan Lewis Saunders. Collaboration with Jaan Patterson. Collaboration with Pixyblink. Collaboration with PAS. Collaboration with Igor's Roomy Lab Coat
2010
Murmurists piece included on the album, 'Near Death Experience', by Bryan Lewis Saunders, released by Erratum Musical. Vultures Quartet performance with ex-Can vocalist, Damo Suzuki, and dancer, Rebecca Bogue. Vultures Quartet play two gigs in Paris, France, as part of Black Mass Rising festival. Vultures Quartet feature as part of Anton Mobin's 'A Maizing Session' series, Paris, France. Vultures Quartet play with PAS at the Faust-organised Avantgarde Festival, Schiphorst, Germany for second year running - this time with Mike Durek (of PAS) and guest vocalist, Andre Gutsmuths. The festival is reviewed in The Wire by Daniel Spicer (#319, September 2010, p.80); with a very favourable section on the PAS/Vultures Quartet performance itself. Vultures Quartet/PAS feature on Faust compilation from 2009 Avantgarde Festival, along with Faust and Nurse With Wound. Second improv gig with Dom Lash. First improv gig with Kay Grant. First Ship of Fools gig, supporting Neavus, Tony Wakeford and Andrew King. Vultures Quartet featured on the Tursa/Coldspring album, 'With Friends Like These'. Vultures collaboration with Ampersand, 'Vultures Vs Ampersand', released by Born in Mind. Two Murmurists releases with Jaan Patterson's suRRism-Phonoethics label - 'Joseph Boi' and 'Dandruff of the Orator'. Further collaborations with Jaan Patterson. Multi-media project, Lux P0G0, founded with Adrian Beentjes and Jaan Patterson. Four collaborative pieces, with PAS, on the PAS album, 'Such Things... Complete Oneself'. Release of the watershed 0009 and 0010 surveys of Classwar Karaoke. Murmurists feature on Stillstream radio. Invention of fretless half-guitar, and its subsequent use live with Vultures Quartet. Personal shift to 4 string acoustic bass and the increasing minimisation of the use of effect pedals and other electronic gadgets. Murmurists material included in the project, Sound Donation, by Shaun Blezard. Vultures Quartet support Fuck Off Batman! Vultures Quartet play three-night residency at last weekend of Shunt, London; including performances with Steve Beresford, Rebecca Bogue and Dayvid Q. Second Vultures Quartet gig at Black Forest Radio, again supporting Z'ev, and with an augmented line-up including Neil Packer (of YMMV etc.). A second gathering of acts associated with Classwar Karaoke takes place, this time at a rural location and with the emphasis upon recording as opposed to live-performance. Recordings are made. I am interviewed by Alexander Mclean for his book/DVD project, Under Your Skin; which also features the likes of Fred Frith, Anthony Braxton, Bill Frisell, Jack deJohnette, Foetus, John McLaughlin, Carla Bley, Lydia Lunch and Stanley Clarke. Collaboration with Neil Packer. Played Spark festival at the University of Minessota, Minneapolis, USA with Vultures Quartet, supporting Fred Frith and Furt. Vultures Quartet collaborate on a studio recording with Schuyler Tsurda of Shield Your Eyes Pray For Death, at the University of Minnesota, Mineapolis, USA. Vultures Quartet play Tate Britain, London, UK, with Ernesto Tomasini. Vultures Quartet become a trio, with core members Matt Chilton, Will Connor and Anthony Donovan, and with a formal revolving fourth member policy.
2011
The respected Belgian label SubRosa release the album Tourbillion d'Obscurité, by Vultures Quartet and Philippe Petit, as part of their New Framework Series. Classwar Karaoke releases 0013, 0014 and 0015 surveys - including work by new contributors Bob Ostertag, Fred Frith, Phil Minton, Otomo Yoshihide, Bolide, Jochen Arbeit, Michael Giles Mad Band with Keith Tippett, One True Dog and Zolan Quobble. I join PAS to play the Cocart Festival in Torun, Poland. As Murmurists, release Joseph Boi / Dandruff of the Orator CDR on Dead Meadow Recordings. Two pieces featured on the Zos Kia Recordings Oxfam compilation for the victims of the Japanese earthquake - one as Murmurists, one with Vultures Quartet. Vultures Quartet join Zos Kia label. Vultures join Sombre Soniks label. I have two pieces with Bryan Lewis Saunders on his album, Stream of Unconscious Volume 2, released by Stand-Up Tragedy Records. Began collaboration with Clive Graham (of Morphogensis) - a live improv project. Began collaboration with dancer Rebecca Bogue and voice artist Sharon Gal. More works by Lux P0G0 and Donovan.Montag.Pearson. Contributed several pieces to Hal McGee's International Email Audio Art Project, including collaborations with Lux P0G0 and Neil Packer. Spidy Agutter recording and film collaboration with David Cunliffe begun. At the invitation of Anton Mobin, contributed to the French HAK collective. Collaboration with Matt Chilton begun. Played Transient Constellations at The Others and Outsider at the Montague Arms, both London, UK, with Clive Graham. Played the Faust-organised three-day Avantgarde Festival, in Schiphorst, Germany for third year running, this time with Susanne Hafenscher and Hopek Quirin, as MaCu. Impromptu improv with Annie Dee, David Cunliffe, Ed Coyle and Neil Packer, on return from this, via Hamburg, spawns MitGas short-film and recording, appearing on 0015 survey of Classwar Karaoke. Material for proposed Murmurists travelogue film shot in Poland, Germany and UK. Performed at Stranger Than Fiction, in London, UK, with Rebecca Bogue and Jane Munro. Performed at Colour Out of Space, Brighton, UK, with Clive Graham. Performed at Ship of Fools and Boat-Ting, London, UK, with Vultures Quartet. Vultures Quartet begin performing and recording several of John Zorn's Game Pieces at Zorn's invitation, towards a formal release on his Tzadik label.0016 survey of Classwar Karaoke published, attracting over 3000 downloads for its music, and respectable viewing figures for its film element. The initial collaboration with Rebecca Bogue and Sharon Gal develops into the four-piece Familiars, with Bogue, myself, Graham Dunning and Jane Munroe - with the intention of mixing movement and improvised music. After an initial rehearsal, a first performance takes place at Siobhan Davies Dance, London, UK. Vultures Quartet plays Ship of Fools, London, UK; followed by its 50th performance, which takes place at Boat-Ting, London, UK. Recordings are made for two Vultures Quartet ZosKia albums, with artist Bill Tracy Richards as fourth member - to be titled 'What's Wrong With Me.' and 'What's Wrong With Me?', and released on vinyl/download and CD, respectively. Collaboration begun with John Hyatt. Vultures Quartet recording session with violinist Noura Sanatian, for the proposed album on Tzadik of John Zorn game pieces.
2012
Collaboration with Matt Chilton begun - titled as Manthrewny. More sessions with Vultures Quartet and Noura Sanatian, towards the album(s) of John Zorn game pieces to be released by Tzadik. Appearances, as Murmurists, on compilations curated by Ian Simpson (as Electronic Music) and Graham Dunning. 0017 survey of Classwar Karaoke is published 29th February: 86 pieces of music, 13 short-films. The previous survey, 0016, had, by March, attracted over 4000 downloads. Two appearances as part of Vultures Quartet adding sound to Tom Bailey's play, Johnny-Head-in-Air - in February, at Arnolfini, Bristol, with Butoh dancer Thomas Bacon, and in March at Camden People's Theatre, London, with Butoh dancer Macarena, respectively. Completion of work on Vultures Quartet album, What's Wrong With Me., collaborating with artist, W.T. Richards. Further rehearsals with Familiars.Vultures Quartet appear on Graham Dunning's radio-show, Fractal Meat on a Spongy Bone, with recording from 50th gig and Will Connor and myself interviewed. Murmurists appears on Meld 7 - the seventh in series of a collaborative project founded and run by Igor Jovanovic, as Lezet. Murmurists included in Thee Human Abyss show, from Warfare Radio, Portugal.Filmwork by Murmurists is show in New York, USA, as part of festival organised by Certain Circuits magazine. Prose-work included in Certain Circuits magazine. Four day Classwar Karaoke festival held in Paris, France - including myself, Adrian Beentjes, David Cunliffe, Ian Linter, Hopek Quirin, Colin Johnco, Thomas Fernier, Ayato, Anton Mobin and Josephine Muller; with a performance on Epsilonia radio-show, and at La Miroiterie and Les Voutes. The latter involved the premier performance of Ian Linter's Octaedre Resonant - a way of organising large-group improvisation, in this case 10 people. Sessions held with Anton Mobin in London, recording with Vultures Quartet, and playing two sessions on Resonance FM and a gig at The Miller, London, also with Jo Quail on the bill. 0018 survey of Classwar Karaoke published 31st May 2012 - 110 participants / 91 pieces of music and 26 short-films. More collaboration with the HAK collective. Performance at V22, London, with Steve Beresford, Noura Sanatian and Clive Graham. Members of Vultures Quartet (Will Connor and myself), of Ampersand (Stephen Oldfield, Bryan Bushell and Joe Oldfield) and of PAS (Robert Pepper and Amber Brien) combine for a performance at Avant-garde Festival, Schiphorst, Germany - my fourth consecutive year of performing there; also performed in a duo with Ronny Wearnes, and as part of Thomas Zunk's UFO ensemble, with Zunk, Wearnes, Geoff Leigh, Cathy Heyden and Morhide Sawada. Began 'Elements' project - a series of collaborations with improvisers, whose material I compose with. Several examples included on 0018 survey of Classwar Karaoke - featuring Hopek Quirin, David Fenech, Paulo Chagas, Oblivion Substanshall and Anton Mobin. Contributed to collaborations initiated by Thomas Zunk and by Eg0cide. Collaborated with Oblivian Substanshall on the project Anthony and Substanshall, creating two albums, both released by Ergo Phizmiz on his Chinstrap label.0019 and 0020 surveys of Classwar Karaoke, released in August and November, respectively. The project itself is by now attracting 10s of 1000s of hits, with artists like Lol Coxhill, Fred Frith, Otomo Yoshihide, Terry Bozzio, Rhys Chatham, Gino Robair, Bob Ostertag, Zoviet*France and Peter Brotzmann featuring. Collaborations with Zilmrah. Murmurists features on several compilations by 23 Seconds ov Time. Co-organised Secret Anarchy Garden event with My Dance the Skull, held at Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, UK, featuring myself and Bryan Lewis Saunders, Adam Bohman and Adrian Northover, Sharon Gal, Dan Spicer, Tom White, Tom Roberts and Blood Stereo. Performance with Sharon Gal and Matt Chilton
2013
Murmurists album 'I Cannot Tell You Where I Live Until I Love You' released by Alrealon. Formal partnership with Jaan Patterson - both co-curating Classwar Karaoke and suRRism-Phonoethics; between them responsible for the release of 1000s of pieces of experimental music and film. Several performances with Ampersand - at Stubnitz, Minesweeper and Noise=Noise, in London, UK, and at Outsider in Margate, Kent, UK. Vultures Quartet split. Vultures Quartet and Schuyler Tsuda album 'Sui Generis' released by Zoharum. Performance in Gdansk, Poland with Matt Chilton, presented, by Zoharum, as ex-Vultures Quartet. Work on Spidey Agutter album with David Cunliffe. Collaboration with Ruela Pinho. 0021, 0022 and 0023 surveys of Classwar Karaoke released, in February, May and August, respectively. More work on John Zorn game-pieces for eventual release on Tzadik. First pieces by Destroyevsky - myself and Annie Dee - appear as part of 0022 survey of Classwar Karaoke and Aro Sehen Sei's Fungus Sonambulus PSS Primera Ola Creativa project. More Elements pieces - the project now ongoing, and more than 12 pieces made. Live performance in Berlin, Germany, with Sound Inspectors: Jochen Arbeit, Anthony Donovan, Kris Limbach, Hopek Quirin and Thomas Zunk. Recording with Kris Limbach and Hopek Quirin in Berlin, Germany. Performed as part of Thomas Zunk's UFO Kollectiv, at the 10th Avantgarde Festival, Schiphorst, Germany - with Thomas Zunk, Lars Nicolaysen, Cathy Heyden, Alan Holmes, Elke Postler, Hoshiko Yamane, Ronny Wearnes, Morihide Sawada, Uwe Bastiansen and David Nesselhauf. First live performance by Spidey Agutter - myself and David Cunliffe - with special guest Chris Smith, at Avantgarde Festival, Schiphorst, Germany. Contributed track to Chris Silver T's 'Native Sounds of Friendship' project. With Jaan Patterson, as undRess Beton and Murmurists, contributed piece, 'The Genome Chomsky', to Hal McGee's project, 'The Museum of Microcassette Art'.
2014
Landmark 0025 survey of Classwar Karaoke is published - comprising 159 contributors with 136 pieces of music and 32 short-films. Two live performances with Matt Chilton and Graham Dunning – a project retrospectively named Rindmice - results in a limited edition tape release. The same trio, with the addition of David Cunliffe and Anthony Osborne, by-the-by, develops into a live version of Murmurists, eventually becoming, less than a year later, a 16 person ensemble, including improvising musicians, dancers, actors and voice artists. This first stage five piece Murmurists plays two gigs in London; using graphic scores and a timer to improvise versions of composed passages from my Murmurists albums 'I Cannot Tell You Where I Am Until I Love You' and 'I Am You, Dragging Halo'. This technical breakthrough becomes the method by which I at last am able to draw together what I do as a composer and poet and what I want to do as a live performer. The ongoing live series, 'An Evening With Classwar Karaoke', begins, including performances by Murmurists, Pas Musique, Ampersand, Adam Bohman, Ryan Jordan and many others. A collaboration with Philippe Gerber (John 3:16) results in the album 'Of the Hex and Its Likenesses', released as a CD and digitally by Flood Sounds of Japan. This features my sung vocals for the first time; a personal breakthrough which adds in turn to the Murmurists live project, wherein I, reluctantly at first, take on the mantle of main voice. Trio with Noura Sanatian and Matt Chilton spawns a series of live performances. Trio with Charlie Collins and Ian Simpson, dubbed Kurouzu, plays concert in Sheffield. Classwar Karaoke special broadcast on Radio Escobar, Germany. Interviewed about Classwar Karaoke by Graham Dunning, on his on Fractal Meat on a Spongy Bone programme on NTS Radio. Guitarist Flavio Virzi premiers my work for solo electric guitar and backing track, Their bodies, at Senigallia, Auditorium Rotonda a Mare for Contemporary Jukebox festival, Italy. Contributed a piece to Jukka-Pekka Kervinen's 'How To Be Ok With Having a Communist Friend' release. Contributed to Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque III, organised by Igor Jovanovic. A prose work of mine is performed by Neal Retke in Toronto, Canada. Collaborations with AG Davis, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Paul Mimlitsch, LIL, Sean Derrick Cooper Marquardt and numerous others. More pieces for ongoing Elements project are made. Contributed musical parts to and the title for Shaun Blezard's Some Some Unicorn CD, 'The Golden Periphery', a collaborative project featuring the likes of Martin Archer, Stephen Grew, Ian Simpson, Jim Telow and Graham Dowdall. Mastered '1990' by George Junk and Auston K, released by Poverty Electronics. Georg Miskos hosts a special Classwar Karaoke-themed edition of his At The Edge of Prog radioshow. Contributed a piece to Jaan Patterson's album, 'Contemporary Teleportation'. My album, 'Your Broken Neck is an Underworked Superlative', is released by suRRism-Phonoethics. Contributed pieces to a number of Linear Obsessional compilation releases, including ‘Air Buttons’. Released four albums under my own name on bandcamp - 'OU_pi Golgotha.undead', 'Phosphene', 'Xenakis of Chimera' and 'INRI MATISSE 144''. These affectively archived the best of my earlier material released by now defunct netlabels, some of which I reworked, re-titled and combined, often with chance procedures.
2015
Murmurists develops apace as a live act, over a series of performances, now including Martin Archer, Rebecca Bogue, Mark Browne, Lawrence Casserley, Annie Dee, Graham Dunning, Jane Munro, Anthony Osborne, Rosie Osborne and myself. My plan was always to expand Murmurists into a large-scale multi-media ensemble, and, with projects for 2016 in mind, Michael Clough, Tim Drage, Geoff Leigh, Grahame Painting, Noura Sanatian and Walt Shaw agree to be recruited into the fold. This is the realisation for me of the whole Murmurists project, and I begin work on a new 30 minute piece called 'Beneath is Translation', to be premiered in London by this mighty 16 person ensemble, in February 2016. Work on the second Murmurists album, 'I Am You, Dragging Halo' is completed; the Polish label, Zoharum, agrees to release it as a CD. Began work on third Murmurists album, 'i,m [sic], W/e'. The live series, 'An Evening With Classwar Karaoke', develops, including performances by Murmurists, Lawrence Casserley, Guy Harries, Yumi Hara, Adam Bohman, Tim Drage, Clive Graham, Gagarin, balkh, Ampersand, Oblivian Substanshall and many others. From this, at my suggestion, the 'drone orchestra' In Phlogiston Veil is formed. A concert under the same Classwar Karaoke rubric takes place in Berlin, Germany, and includes balkh, Hopek Quirin, Kris Limbach and Sean Derrick Cooper Marquardt. I launch the Classwar Karaoke crowdfunder, with the intention of financing a double compilation CD of CWK artists. The year sees 49 full-length albums donated by the likes of Øystein Jørgensen, Jaan Patterson, PARAL-LEL, Pas Musique, Daniel Heikalo, {AN} EeL, Crush!!!, AG Davis, Dental Dames, Arthur Henry Fork, Lezet, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Cousin Silas, Berthelot, Eun-Jung Kim & Charlie Collins, Stormhat, Fiver's Stereo, Spidey Agutter, Jeremy Gluck, Ronny Wærnes, Damien Olsen, Paul Mimlitsch, Art Electronix, Subversive Intentions, LIL, Sound Inhaler and weltAusstellung. I launch the 'Almanac Classwar Karaoke' idea - to be an annual publication, in book-form, comprised of prose, artwork, reviews, essays etc. The Anthony Donovan and JOHN 3.16 CD, 'Of the Hex and Its Likenesses', is heavily reviewed. Live trio, Kurouzu, with Charlie Collins and Ian Simpson, plays Mopomoso, at The Vortex, London. I have one of my Items prose-pieces included in the 'AbstractExt' anthology, published by David Quiles Guilló's Abstract Editions imprint. Collaborations with Bonnie MacAllister, Jim Tuite and others. Made 'Open By Cutting (Me)' album. My piece, '11 Bullets in the Body', is included on the Alrealon sampler CD released with #383 of Wire Magazine. As ever, four Classwar Karaoke surveys are released; with highlights including appearances by Adrian Belew and Scanner.
