Stet Lab: on hiatus

Stet Lab logo
In case you hadn’t guessed, Stet Lab—at one time, Cork’s monthly space for improvised music—is, and has been for some time, on indefinite hiatus:

As previously stated, this site [www.busterandfriends.com/stet] exists as an archive of Lab activities between November 2007 and April 2011: you can listen to the recordings, and read the reports.

If you are an improviser looking for performance opportunities in and around Cork, please contact the former curator Han-earl Park who may be able to help.

[original article…]

about Stet Lab

Between November 2007 and April 2012, Stet Lab successfully brought together improvising musicians with varied experiences and from far afield. Over forty Stet Lab events featured more than eighty performers including twenty-four visiting artists. Cork’s monthly improvised music event, Stet Lab was a space in which improvisers (novice, veteran; student, teacher; part- or full-time; amateur, professional; local or visitor) could meet, play and learn from one another.

Prepared Guitar: 13 Questions

13 Questions (Han-earl Park. Harvestworks, NYC, October 29, 2013. Photo copyright 2013 Emilio Vavarella.)
Han-earl Park (Harvestworks, NYC, October 29, 2013). Original photo © 2013 Emilio Vavarella.

For Miguel Copón, Prepared Guitar is a “metaphor about metamorphosis” and a “place to support independent artists”. Prepared Guitar recently published my response to Copón’s 13 Questions, so you can now read, among other things, about my first guitar, my musical roots (as contradictory as they may be), and what I’m currently working on:

A CD with Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton in the works. Looking to fire up a couple of European projects after a hiatus: the duo with Richard [Barrett], and Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith.

But the thing that’s tugging at me right now is the possibilities of the score in the context of improvisative performance. Ideas, some specific, some nebulous, all as yet untested about what might be possible…

I’m not sure at all where this is leading, but having through some combination of ideology and necessity (ain’t it always the way?) found myself somewhat involuntarily in the ‘Total Improvisation’ camp, I’m beginning to look on the other side of the fence. Let me be clear, the, to borrow Lewis’ term, Eurological conception of the score and the practice that surrounds it (theorized in detail by Small, Cusick, Nicholas Cook and others), with its limited models of control and dogma of reproducibility, and naive notions of aesthetics, does not interest me at all.

However, I’m feeling a gravitational tug. Maybe it’s due to coming into close contact with musicians who have a much more sophisticated (if often, from an non-practitioners POV, misunderstood and under theorized) relationship with the score and the possibilities of notation. But it’s a distinct pull. Still working—struggling—through some ideas, and studies, and have far, far more questions than answers about the possible role notation and the score might have in an improvisative context, but that’s the new thing that’s exciting me at the moment. [Read the rest…]

You can also read my struggle with a question about the necessity of music, my take on the current digital music scene, and the politics of ‘extended technique’:

So what’s being ‘extended’ by ‘extended technique’? Is it akin to, say, a colonial explorer extending their influence and territory; ‘discovering’ a land (regardless of whether some other people were there first)?

Had an interested online exchange with Hans Tammen on the subject, and it struck me how much the term ‘extended technique’ is a way to distinguish pioneers from the rest of us. Where you draw those lines (between common practice and extended technique) says much more about your own history and prejudices than some essential quality of the technique in question.

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith once pointed out how Stockhausen claimed the invention of certain ‘extended techniques’ for the trumpet that were patently false if you had even a passing knowledge of practices outside of West European traditions. Did Stockhausen, and his supporters, claim these techniques because of a kind of ignorance, or as a deliberate erasure of other traditions? Either way, it requires a heavy dose of privilege to ignore, to justify your ignorance, or to mark peoples and cultures as irrelevant. [Read the rest…]

Looking through the list of respondents to the 13 Questions, I’m honored to find my name among those guitarists whose work I admire. I’m grateful that Miguel Copón asked me to participate.

performance diary 04-20-14 (Cork, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
May 3, 2014 St Anne’s Church
Shandon
Cork, Ireland
2:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of Sonic Vigil 8. Also performing: Natalia Beylis, Tore Boe, Andrea Bonino, Danny McCarthy, Cave, The Quiet Club, Massimo Davi, Áine O’Dwyer, Derek Foott, John Godfrey, Claire Guerin, Paul Hegarty, Iride Project, Anthony Kelly, Fergus Kelly, Vicky Langan, Tony Langlois, Iarla O Lionard, Laney Mannion, Monica Miuccio, MiXile, Irene Murphy, Olesya Zdorovetska, Robin Parmar, Karen Power, David Stalling, Queef, Nick Roth, Softday, Mick O’Shea, Antje Vowinckel and Jeffrey Weeter. Admission free.
[Details…]
May 18, 2014 Gulpd Café
Triskel Arts Centre
Tobin Street
Cork, Ireland
9:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar), Kevin Terry (guitar) and Dan Walsh (drums) as part of CIMC.
Admission free.
[Details…]
June 6, 2014 The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
3:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) as part of ISIM: Cross-Cultural Improvisation III.
Conference fees from $25 (single event) to $200 (entire conference [more info and get tickets…]. [Details…]
June 8, 2014 Why Not Jazz Room
14 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
7:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Tom Rainey (drums) as part of Andrea Wolper’s Why Not Experiment? Series. Also performing: TransAtlantico (Lamy Istrefi: drums, percussion, sound efx; Lawrence Leathers: drums, sound efx; Brahim Fribgane: percussion, goumbri, oud, sound efx). Recommended donation: $10 per set.
[Details…]
2014– Europe I am based in Europe as of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
September–October 2014 Europe Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) is seeking performance opportunities late-September and October 2014. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 04-20-14 (Cork, New York)”

performance: Sonic Vigil 8, Cork

Sonic Vigil 8 poster (copyright 2014 Mick O’Shea)
Poster © 2014 Mick O’Shea.

Saturday, May 3, 2014: Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of Sonic Vigil 8. Also performing are Natalia Beylis, Tore Boe, Andrea Bonino, Danny McCarthy, Cave, The Quiet Club, Massimo Davi, Áine O’Dwyer, Derek Foott, John Godfrey, Claire Guerin, Paul Hegarty, Iride Project, Anthony Kelly, Fergus Kelly, Vicky Langan, Tony Langlois, Iarla O Lionard, Laney Mannion, Monica Miuccio, MiXile, Irene Murphy, Olesya Zdorovetska, Robin Parmar, Karen Power, David Stalling, Queef, Nick Roth, Softday, Mick O’Shea, Antje Vowinckel and Jeffrey Weeter.

The event takes place between 2:00pm and 8:00pm, at St Anne’s Church (Shandon, Cork, Ireland). Admission is free.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

tonight: Javier Areal Velez, Jack Wright, Andrew Drury and Han-earl Park, Brooklyn

Tonight (Thursday, April 3, 2014), at 7:00pm: a performance by Javier Areal Velez (guitar), Jack Wright (saxophones), Andrew Drury (percussion) and Han-earl Park (guitar) as part of Soup and Sound House Concert takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Above video: first time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

reminder: Han-earl Park, Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora at Spectrum, New York

Han-earl Park, Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora
This Wednesday (April 2, 2014), at 9:30pm: a performance by Han-earl Park (guitar), Mike Pride (drums) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) takes place at Spectrum (121 Ludlow Street, Floor 2 (ring bell for 2), New York, NY 10002) [map…]. $15 ($10.00 students and seniors).

performance diary 03-29-14 (Brooklyn, Cork, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
April 2, 2014 Spectrum
121 Ludlow Street
Floor 2 (ring bell for 2)
New York, NY 10002
9:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar), Mike Pride (drums) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones).
$15 ($10 students and seniors).
[Details…]
April 3, 2014 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert with Javier Areal Velez (guitar), Jack Wright (saxophones), Andrew Drury (percussion) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Recommended donation: $15.
May 3, 2014 St Anne’s Church
Shandon
Cork, Ireland
2:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of Sonic Vigil 8.
Free admission.
[Details…]
June 6, 2014 The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
3:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) as part of ISIM: Cross-Cultural Improvisation III.
Details to follow…
June 8, 2014 Why Not Jazz Room
14 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
7:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Tom Rainey (drums) as part of Andrea Wolper’s Why Not Experiment? Series. Also performing: TransAtlantico (Lamy Istrefi: drums, percussion, sound efx; Lawrence Leathers: drums, sound efx; Brahim Fribgane: percussion, goumbri, oud, sound efx). Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10 ($15 both sets).
2014– Europe I am based in Europe as of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
September–October 2014 Europe Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) is seeking performance opportunities late-September and October 2014. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 03-29-14 (Brooklyn, Cork, New York)”

thanks: Han-earl Park with Justin Yang and Caroline Pugh at Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast

Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast, March 12, 2014
Quick thanks for all involved in the seminar/performance at the Sonic Arts Research Center earlier this month. My hat goes off to all the administrative and technical folk: Chris Corrigan, Pearl Young, Marian Hanna, and, especially, Craig Jackson (who got the A/V up and running for the presentation). Kudos also to Miguel Angel Ortiz Pérez for acting as host when Justin was busy with other business.

Finally, big thanks to Caroline Pugh for the noise, out of the box choices, the occasional melody, and the momentary glimpse of semantics, and to Justin Yang for sharing the stage, and for inviting me in the first place.

Next up: performances coming on April 2 with Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora at Spectrum, New York. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

tomorrow: Han-earl Park with Justin Yang and Caroline Pugh at Sonic Arts Research Centre, Belfast

Han-earl Park, Justin Yang and Caroline PughTomorrow (Thursday, March 13, 2014) at 1:10pm: a performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) with Justin Yang (saxophones) and Caroline Pugh (voice) takes place at the Sonic Lab, (Sonic Arts Research Center, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland) [map…]. Free admission. Here’s the program:
QR code (URL)
And at 1:00pm today (Wednesday, 12 March), Han-earl Park will be giving a seminar presentation at the Sonic Lab.

performance: Han-earl Park, Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora at Spectrum, New York

Han-earl Park, Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora
Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at 9:30pm: a performance by Han-earl Park (guitar), Mike Pride (drums) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) takes place at Spectrum (121 Ludlow Street, Floor 2 (ring bell for 2), New York, NY 10002) [map…]. $15 ($10.00 students and seniors).

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

unnecessary blurb

Of all the ways to practice, structure or perform music, why might we choose improvisation? There’s no right answer to this question, but addressing it may help us to… a real-time, interactive improvisative meeting of guitarist Han-earl Park, drummer Mike Pride, and saxophonist and Catherine Sikora, the performance… nomadic tribes of Acirema… “Would it be fair to say ‘invaluable insight’?” “Of course not,” she replied, “it’s never fair….” And yet there’s always this….

Click….

On his returning to New York, Park sees an… “but they’re missing something essential, because the planes don’t land…” runaway winners… and as the only drummer to have performed with both… embrace a wide spectrum… Sikora, far too generous to be performing with… “pushes the boundaries, or plushes the boundaries…?” the asymmetrical soft-clipping stage which consists of the the diodes tied back-to-back in the feedback path of the… and as Eco may have asked: bad dream or bad simulation…? Canada’s 5 feet and 6 inches… as far as it goes.

about the performers

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park has been crossing borders and performing fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, always traditional, open improvised musics for over fifteen years. He has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries, concert halls, and (ad-hoc) alternative spaces in Austria, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

Park is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora, and Numbers with Richard Barrett. He is the constructor of the machine improviser io 0.0.1 beta++, a project performed in coalition with Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder. He has recently performed with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Dunmall, Lol Coxhill, Mark Sanders, Gino Robair, Tim Perkis, Pat Thomas, Andrew Drury, Josh Sinton, Dominic Lash, and as part of ensembles led by Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker, and Pauline Oliveros. Festival appearances include Freedom of the City (London), Sonorities (Belfast), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), and CEAIT (California). His recordings have been released by labels including Slam Productions and Creative Sources.

Park taught improvisation at the UCC Department of Music, and founded and curated Stet Lab, a space for improvised music in Cork.

Born and raised in Southern Maine, but based out of New York City since 2000, Mike Pride currently leads From Bacteria To Boys, and the 7-drummer installation-band Drummer’s Corpse.  Both record for AUM Fidelity.  Pride is renowned for his ability to excel in a wide range of genres and ensembles. He has worked with everyone from improvised music icon Anthony Braxton to punk legends Millions Of Dead Cops, toured extensively on four continents and appeared on more than 85 recordings.

A short list of his collaborators includes Mick Barr, Boredoms, Eugene Chadbourne, Nels Cline, Andrew D’Angelo, Trevor Dunn, Dynamite Club, Peter Evans, Milford Graves, Mary Halvorson, Curtis Hasselbring, Nona Hendryx, Jon Irabagon, Haino Keiji, Kirk Knuffke, George Lewis, Bill McHenry, Tony Malaby, Sam Mickens, Butch Morris, Joe Morris, William Parker, Matana Roberts, Herb Robertson, Jamie Saft, Sonny Simmons, Jason Stein, Nate Wooley, and Otomo Yoshihide.

Pride’s versatility doesn’t end with his eclectic résumé as a popular sideman and leader/co-leader of many active ensembles spanning the worlds of modern-jazz, avant-rock, noise and doom metal improv. He is also a busy educator and clinician, a soundtrack composer for TV shows, video games and independent films, and an experienced and exhibited visual artist.

Since making her way to New York City from West Cork, Ireland to study abstract improvisation, Catherine Sikora has become a well-known face and sound in New York creative music circles. She has worked with Elliott Sharp, Eric Mingus, Michael Evans, Matt Lavelle, Jeremy Bacon, François Grillot and Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, among many others. Her undeniably unique approach sets her apart from everyone else, even when surrounded by the most original and creative voices in New York City. Sikora is a contributing writer to the book “Silent Solos-Improvisers Speak” (Buddy’s Knife Publishing, Köln, DE) and is currently working on producing a solo recording.