STOP PRESS: QLH at Sowieso, Berlin

This coming Friday (October 1, 2021), at 8:30pm (doors: 8:00pm): QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) performs at Sowieso (Weisestraße 24, 12049 Berlin). [Reserve seat…]

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Sowieso calendar…] [Facebook event…]

Performance diary (Berlin) 092521

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 1, 2021 Sowieso
Weisestraße 24
12049 Berlin
Germany
8:30pm (doors: 8:00pm) QHL (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Luca Marini: drums).
[Details…]
[Sowieso calendar…] [Reserve seat…]

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STOP PRESS: The Names at Schillerpromenade, Berlin

This Friday (July 16, 2021), at 8:00pm: The Names (Heather Frasch: flute; Carina Khorkhordina: trumpet; Koen Nutters: upright bass; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Quentin Tolimieri: melodica), plus Duchamp & Wizard Ashdod, perform as part of the Keith Bar Open Air Music Series (Outside Keith Bar, Schillerpromenade 2, 12049 Berlin). Admission is free.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [echtzeitmusik calendar…]

Performance diary (Berlin) 071321

upcoming performances
date venue time details
July 16, 2021 Outside Keith Bar
Schillerpromenade 2
12049 Berlin
Germany
8:00pm The Names (Heather Frasch: flute; Carina Khorkhordina: trumpet; Koen Nutters: upright bass; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Quentin Tolimieri: melodica) presented as part of the Keith Bar Open Air Music Series. Also performing: Duchamp & Wizard Ashdod. Free admission.
[echtzeitmusik calendar…]

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Appearance cancelled: Birmingham, Cheltenham and London

I am sad to announce that I will unfortunately not be taking part in the events in Birmingham (March 17, 2020), Cheltenham (March 19), and London (March 21 and 22). All the events, however, are still taking place without me, so please support the fantastic community of local musicians and curators.

My warmest thanks to all the artists involved, big thanks to Jamie Dawson for again offering to lend me the use of his guitar amp, and special thanks to Tom Ward, Andrew Woodhead and Chris Cundy for inviting me to perform. I hope we can set up a rematch in the future.

performance diary (Birmingham, Cheltenham, London) 020520

upcoming performances
date venue time details
March 17, 2020 The Lamp Tavern
Barford Street
Birmingham B5 6AH
England
7:30pm Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by Fizzle. Also performing: Bruce Coates (saxophones), Sarah Farmer (violin), Walt Shaw (percussion) and Lee Boyd Allatson (drums). Admission: £7/5 at the door.
[Fizzle page…] The event is still taking place, but Han-earl Park will no longer be taking part.
March 19, 2020 Smokey Joe’s
16 Bennington Street
Cheltenham GL50 4ED
England
8:00pm Chris Cundy (reeds) plus Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by Radio Egypt.
Admission: £5 at the door. The event is still taking place, but Han-earl Park will no longer be taking part.
March 21, 2020 waterintobeer
Unit 2 Mantle Court
209–211 Mantle Road
Brockley
London SE4 2EW
England
7:00pm (doors: 6:30pm) Tom Ward (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by BRÅK. Also performing: Cath Roberts and Charlotte Keeffe, and Colin Webster and Matthew Grigg. Admission: one Bank of England note.
[BRÅK page…] The event is still taking place, but Han-earl Park will no longer be taking part.
March 22, 2020 Hundred Years Gallery
13 Pearson Street
London E2 8JD
England
4:00pm (doors: 3.30pm) Han-earl Park (guitar), Alex Bonney (trumpet and electronics) and Cath Roberts (baritone saxophone). Also performing: Ti/om (Tom Ward: bass clarinet and flute; and Tim Fairhall: double bass). Admission: one Bank of England note.
[100 Years Gallery page…] The event is still taking place, but Han-earl Park will no longer be taking part.

Continue reading “performance diary (Birmingham, Cheltenham, London) 020520”

Un trio d’une radicalité absolue (reviews: Eris 136199)

A “control of noise”, “saturated electricity” and “fighting… with the underground”? or “free-wheeling” with experiments in sound injected with lyricism? or “electronic mayhem” with “a full bodied sound”? In among the reviews of Eris 136199’s performance at Jazz em Agosto, David Cristol, writing in Jazz Magazine, follows “a trio of an absolute radicality”, and concludes by discovering “art music!”

Pour la dernière soirée, le directeur artistique Rui Neves nous a réservé un trio d’une radicalité absolue, proposition courageuse voire casse-gueule dans le contexte d’une salle de plusieurs centaines de places…. Et même pour les spectateurs aguerris, il s’est agi sans nul doute du concert le plus difficile d’accès du festival, présentant peu de repères auxquels se raccrocher. Il faut ici saluer la grande majorité des spectateurs, déterminés à suivre les musiciens dans leur recherche ou idée fixe, voir où le voyage va les mener. Le son est magnifiquement restitué. Park joue beaucoup de l’accordage de la main gauche, dans le registre de la basse. Les guitaristes dessinent des paysages métalliques, via un jeu non conventionnel, selon leurs propres codes, multipliant les dissonances…. Catherine Sikora est une révélation, son jeu oblique, sensible et lumineux offrant un contrepoint idéal aux élucubrations crépusculaires de ses partenaires. Le ténor adopte une approche décidément tonale et mélodique, et néanmoins exploratoire. D’un bout à l’autre un set sans concession aucune, dont on ressort essoré, mais ravi que de telles expériences soient tentées. Art music! [Read the rest…]

Meanwhile, Erik Ellestad, reviewing Eris’ most recent album, sketches a verisimilar portrait of the trio (Han-earl Park “functioning as the de facto rhythm section in Eris 136199”; Catherine Sikora’s “unvarnished and unapologetic sound… while at the same time maintaining a core of melodicism”, and Nick Didkovsky expressing “digitally warped washes of static-like sound and angry slashes of melody”):

It is 50-plus minutes of riveting music making from three fantastic and fascinating musicians. I’ve been listening avidly to Eris 136199 all week on my commute and have looked forward to it every day. Wondering what new thing I will discover in Sikora’s technique while at the same time trying to pay attention and tease out which guitarist is playing what.

Obviously, Eris 136199 isn’t Lawrence Welk, however, there is something in the players expressiveness and in their interactions which prevents it from being too harsh or overwhelming.

Rough enough to keep it exciting, yet tender enough to keep you coming back. [Read the rest…]

I think I might want “Eris 136199 isn’t Lawrence Welk” on a T-shirt.

[About this album…] [Get the CD/download (Bandcamp)…] [All reviews…]

CD: €11 minimum (‘name your price’) plus shipping.*†
Download: €8 minimum (‘name your price’).†

CD photo: ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork and photo copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)CD photo: ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork and photo copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)CD photo: ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork and photo copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)CD photo: ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork and photo copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)CD photo: ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork and photo copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)

* Limited edition glass-mastered CD. CD includes additional material (liner notes, artwork, etc.) not included in the download version of the album.

*† Both digital and physical purchases give you streaming via the free Bandcamp app, and option to download the recording in multiple formats including lossless.

Han-earl Park at Hošek Contemporary, Berlin

Han-earl Park’s plectra

Tomorrow (Sunday, September 15, 2019) at 5:30pm (doors at 5:00pm): Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of Improvised & Experimental No. 73 at Hošek Contemporary (MS Heimatland, close to Fisherinsel 3, 10179 Berlin). Also on the program are Simona Blahutová (sound installation), Gloria Damijan (toy piano), and Johnny Chang (viola). Suggested donation: €5–10.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Hošek page…] [Facebook event…]

Thanks: Eris 136199 (London, Lisbon and Dublin, August 2019)

Eris 136199 (Jazz em Agosto, Lisbon, 08-11-19)
Photo © Jazz em Agosto / Petra Cvelbar

First, my thanks as always to those who came to listen and witness musicking in real-time collisions. It was great to see so many old friends and new faces; to hear from so many of how you made your way into this music. My heartfelt thanks to you for embarking on the journey with us!

I am so very grateful to all our hosts: a big, big, big thanks to Jazz em Agosto for making all this possible. My deepest gratitude to Rui Neves for first inviting this unruly trio to perform at the festival, and to his unerring belief in the necessity of difficult music. Thanks also to the super-professional sound and stage team; to Petra Cvelbar for the awesome photography; to João Brilhante for all the media work; and to the unshakable patience and enthusiasm of Inês Nunes who got this trio from A-to-B and back again (I expect big things in all your future endeavors).

Catherine Sikora of Eris 136199 (Jazz em Agosto, Lisbon, 08-11-19)
© Jazz em Agosto / Petra Cvelbar

Warmest thanks everyone at The Vortex for their generosity and enthusiasm—what a true community! In particular, thanks to the amazing Kathianne Hingwan for her kindness and generosity, to Kim Macari for the invitation to perform, and to our fantastic sound engineer Ali Ward for the faster-than-light energy. (And of course Nutmeg for greeting the band!)

Thanks to everyone behind the scenes at the Dublin event: to Note Productions (to Matthew Nolan for putting together the program), and to Improvise Music Company (to Aoife Concannon, Adam Nolan, Kenneth Killeen, and, in particular for the Question & Answer, to Caitríona O’Mahony). Thanks also to Zeropunkt (Fergus Cullen, Jamie Davis and Damien Lennon) for graciously sharing the stage with us.

Kudos, Sean Woodlock, mastermind behind Hackney Road Studios for the smoothest, quickest, most professional of setups, and for creating the most musically, technically, logistically and acoustically satisfying studio recording experience I’ve ever had. Truly, if anyone needs a recording, hit Sean up. (And thanks to Colin Webster for recommending the studio.)

Han-earl Park of Eris 136199 (Jazz em Agosto, Lisbon, 08-11-19)
© Jazz em Agosto / Petra Cvelbar

Thanks to Laurent Carrier and everyone Colore for handling all the paperwork, and to the tireless Lee Paterson who helped negotiate the details, and guided this musician carefully through the whole paperwork process. You were just above-and-beyond, Lee! (And thanks to Ingrid Laubrock for introducing me to Lee, and to Alex Hawkins and Charles Hayward for BTS consultations.)

Kudos to Paul Acquaro and everyone at Free Jazz, to Mike Borella at Avant Music News, to Dave Foxall at a Jazz Noise, and Tim Owen of _____on Sound for their continued support, and help getting the word out about our music and these performances.

Eris 136199 (Jazz em Agosto, Lisbon, 08-11-19)
© Jazz em Agosto / Petra Cvelbar

Last, but certainly not least, thanks go to my travel companions, both in musical and geographical space (and in hypothetical lived simulations and dream states). A big thanks to Catherine for the big note, the moments of harmonic serendipity, and the unexpectedly expected interjections; and to Nick for the super-critical noise, the human-controlled virtual reverb chamber, and for the dreamy soundscapes (or is that the sound dreamscapes). Thank you both for observing and noting the synchronicity in our travels (of foxes, of tango, of almost forgotten ancestors, of frozen assets). As we discussed on multiple occasions on the tour, the ensemble is the composition, and it was a pleasure to study this composition more fully with each performance: experiencing the music of changes from energetic play of weight and light (Vortex, London), high-risk explorations of the outer reaches of idiom (Hackney Road, London), games of serendipity and of disjunction (Lisbon), and music of counterpoint and real harmony (Dublin).

By Eris 136199

Cover of ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)

Eris 136199 (BAF001) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophone) and Nick Didkovsky (guitar).

Track listing: Therianthropy I (≥ 3:43), Therianthropy II (8:56), Therianthropy III (3:55), Therianthropy IV (6:30), Adaptive Radiation I (6:44), Adaptive Radiation II (8:48), Adaptive Radiation III (5:54), Universal Greebly (10:58), Hypnagogia I (8:03), Hypnagogia II (4:45). Total duration ≥ 68:25.

© + ℗ 2018 Han-earl Park.

CD cover of ‘Anomic Aphasia’ (SLAMCD 559) with Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

Anomic Aphasia (SLAMCD 559) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones), Nick Didkovsky (guitar; tracks 1 and 5), and Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet; tracks 2–4).

Track listing: Monopod (27:19), Pleonasm (Metis 9) (17:08), Flying Rods (Metis 9) (7:41), Hydraphon (7:34), StopCock (10:54). Total duration: 70:33.

© 2015 Han-earl Park. ℗ 2015 SLAM Productions.

Tonight: Eris 136199 at Fumbally Stables, Dublin

Eris 136199: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (Hamburg, 11-01-17). Copyright 2017 Steffen Schindler
© 2017 Steffen Schindler

Tonight (Monday, August 12, 2019), at 8:00pm: the final date of the micro-tour, Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar), presented by Improvised Music Company in association with Note Productions, performs at The Fumbally Stables (Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8). [Get tickets…]

By Eris 136199

Cover of ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)

Eris 136199 (BAF001) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophone) and Nick Didkovsky (guitar).

Track listing: Therianthropy I (≥ 3:43), Therianthropy II (8:56), Therianthropy III (3:55), Therianthropy IV (6:30), Adaptive Radiation I (6:44), Adaptive Radiation II (8:48), Adaptive Radiation III (5:54), Universal Greebly (10:58), Hypnagogia I (8:03), Hypnagogia II (4:45). Total duration ≥ 68:25.

© + ℗ 2018 Han-earl Park.

CD cover of ‘Anomic Aphasia’ (SLAMCD 559) with Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

Anomic Aphasia (SLAMCD 559) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones), Nick Didkovsky (guitar; tracks 1 and 5), and Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet; tracks 2–4).

Track listing: Monopod (27:19), Pleonasm (Metis 9) (17:08), Flying Rods (Metis 9) (7:41), Hydraphon (7:34), StopCock (10:54). Total duration: 70:33.

© 2015 Han-earl Park. ℗ 2015 SLAM Productions.

Tomorrow: Eris 136199 at Jazz em Agosto, Lisbon

Eris 136199: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (Hamburg, 11-01-17). Copyright 2017 Steffen Schindler
© 2017 Steffen Schindler

Tomorrow (Sunday, August 11, 2019), at 6:30pm: Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar) perform as part of Jazz em Agosto. The event takes place at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Av. de Berna, 45A, 1067-001 Lisbon, Portugal).

Han-earl Park é daqueles músicos guiados por uma insatisfação permanente. Cada novo projeto a que se dedica é uma nova oportunidade para testar, com um empenho quase científico, os limites da melodia, do noise e da noção ciber-futurista da música que leva para palco. Em Eris 136199, o mistério começa desde logo na designação, alastrando depois à relação desafiante que a sua guitarra estabelece com o saxofone de Catherine Sikora e com a guitarra de Nick Didkovsky (fundador e líder do grupo Dr. Nerve, nome de referência da cena vanguardista da Downtown nova-iorquina). [Read the rest…]

Come along and hear what this gentlest of riotous ensembles can do is a beautifully acoustic environment. [Get tickets…]

Eris 136199 is also performing…

August 12: Dublin, Ireland. [Details…]

By Eris 136199

Cover of ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)

Eris 136199 (BAF001) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophone) and Nick Didkovsky (guitar).

Track listing: Therianthropy I (≥ 3:43), Therianthropy II (8:56), Therianthropy III (3:55), Therianthropy IV (6:30), Adaptive Radiation I (6:44), Adaptive Radiation II (8:48), Adaptive Radiation III (5:54), Universal Greebly (10:58), Hypnagogia I (8:03), Hypnagogia II (4:45). Total duration ≥ 68:25.

© + ℗ 2018 Han-earl Park.

CD cover of ‘Anomic Aphasia’ (SLAMCD 559) with Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

Anomic Aphasia (SLAMCD 559) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones), Nick Didkovsky (guitar; tracks 1 and 5), and Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet; tracks 2–4).

Track listing: Monopod (27:19), Pleonasm (Metis 9) (17:08), Flying Rods (Metis 9) (7:41), Hydraphon (7:34), StopCock (10:54). Total duration: 70:33.

© 2015 Han-earl Park. ℗ 2015 SLAM Productions.

Noisy. Discordant. Melodious. A succession of collisions. (IMC Artist Q&A with Han-earl Park)

Han-earl Park (Cork, 05-26-10)
© 2010 Stephanie Hough

Predilections, appetites, egos, histories and traditions? Can choices be apt to the point of prescient, or left-field to the point of inappropriate? What do I hope audiences get from my music? Does Jeff VanderMeer make another appearance in one of my interviews? and do I reveal myself a Marxist? Find out in Other Side Of The Tracks: Artist Q&A with Han-Earl Park, Eris 136199:

How would you describe the type of music that Eris 136199 creates?

Noisy. Discordant. Melodious. Pretty in its own not alway predictable way. And by discordant, I don’t mean in terms of harmonic intervals, but in terms of on-stage, real-time musical interactions; in terms of a kind of heterogeneity of idiom and tradition. For me, Eris’ is a music that doesn’t desire to create, necessarily, a synthesis or a coherence or even an agreement, but one which trusts, and takes pleasure, in interaction itself. It’s a music that’s, in a way, compromised, or a music which is a succession of collisions—of idioms, of traditions, of histories, of desires, of tactics. But the music creates a situation that is, in its own way, beautiful. [Read the rest…]

Many thanks to Caitriona O’Mahony at the Improvised Music Company for the questions.

Monday, August 12, 2019, at 8:00pm: Improvised Music Company in association with Note Productions presents Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar). The event takes place at The Fumbally Stables (Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8). [Get tickets…]

Eris 136199 is also performing…

August 8: London, England; and August 11: Lisbon, Portugal. [Details…]

By Eris 136199

Cover of ‘Eris 136199’ (BAF001) by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky (artwork copyright 2018, Han-earl Park)

Eris 136199 (BAF001) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophone) and Nick Didkovsky (guitar).

Track listing: Therianthropy I (≥ 3:43), Therianthropy II (8:56), Therianthropy III (3:55), Therianthropy IV (6:30), Adaptive Radiation I (6:44), Adaptive Radiation II (8:48), Adaptive Radiation III (5:54), Universal Greebly (10:58), Hypnagogia I (8:03), Hypnagogia II (4:45). Total duration ≥ 68:25.

© + ℗ 2018 Han-earl Park.

CD cover of ‘Anomic Aphasia’ (SLAMCD 559) with Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

Anomic Aphasia (SLAMCD 559) [details…]

Personnel: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones), Nick Didkovsky (guitar; tracks 1 and 5), and Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet; tracks 2–4).

Track listing: Monopod (27:19), Pleonasm (Metis 9) (17:08), Flying Rods (Metis 9) (7:41), Hydraphon (7:34), StopCock (10:54). Total duration: 70:33.

© 2015 Han-earl Park. ℗ 2015 SLAM Productions.