Over the last several months I’ve been busy behind-the-scenes working on a solo guitar project. In a few months I hope to announce some exciting developments. In the meantime, you can catch up with some short videos of solo guitar improvisations by following #lockdownminiature both on Twitter and on Facebook.
This project is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.
I am very proud and very grateful to find Peculiar Velocities, the latest album from Eris 136199, in the best-of lists of a Jazz Noise (which, elsewhere, described the music as “serenity on the edge of a breakdown”), and of Avant Music News. And no one is more surprised than I that a Kickstarter-only limited edition live album got on to a best-of-year list!
Elsewhere Corey Mwamba (Freeness, BBC Radio 3) describes “exquisite music-making” with musicians that “fuse and create this gorgeous glitchy stew together”, and, writing in Vital Weekly, Nick Roseblade describes Peculiar Velocities as an album in which “everything feels pushed as far is it can go”:
Like what rock music could, and possibly should, have sounded like it if musicians like Ornette Coleman became the norm. There is a freeness to the playing that is astounding, but there is also organisation. During sections, the guitars work together to give Sikora something tangible to stand on. When this happens ‘Eris 136199: Peculiar Velocities’ becomes something very special indeed. ‘Polytely I’ sees the guitars constantly churning to create vortex-esque soundscapes why Sikora’s light and airy saxophone wafts above it. Like stream on a freshly brewed tea. This is an album that reminds you of how good it is when musicians don’t care about the rules and just play. [Read the rest…]
And while Brady Gerber’s ‘7 For Seven’ finds a space in which “a nervous guitar fills an orange sky and empty beach”, and Takeshi Goda in JazzTokyo writes of velocities, perception, collisions, fusions, joy and brain-reforming experiences:
相手のプレイを意識して、コール&レスポンスで反応しながら音楽の流れを作るのは即興演奏のひとつのスタイルである。しかし彼らのアンサンブルの方法論は異なる。その場で適切と各自が判断する奏法・旋律・リズムを個人の責任で奏でることに専念して、3人のプレイが衝突と融合を繰り返すことで、結果的に予測不能なサウンドを生み出すことを信条としている。3つの異なる平行した自然のプロセスが同時に起こることで知覚される集団即興演奏は…
それはあたかも地球外の異境から到来した明滅する運動エネルギーによって脳外科手術を施されるような驚喜の頭脳改革体験である。 [Read the rest…]
And finally, Ken Shimamoto/The Stash Dauber writes about sounds that “slither and spatter like radio interference, shimmer like molten silver, or ring like a cymbal’s decay” music in which “the spirit of electricity becomes a living thing”:
The best type of musical conversation, abstract and oblique as it might be at times…. I’ve listened to this thing a half dozen times since I started writing yesterday, and am happy to have its company to help me get through what looks like it’s going to be a very tough winter… and the hopeful spring to follow. [Read the rest…]
[About this album…] [Get the CD/download (Bandcamp)…] [All reviews…]
CD: €11 minimum (‘name your price’) plus shipping.*†
Download: €8 minimum (‘name your price’).†
* 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.
And one more thing: In his survey of solo guitar recordings, Paul Acquaro at Free Jazz reviews my recording released by, and in support of, The Vortex Jazz Club:
[Han-earl Park’s] playing was unusually expressive…. On Two+ Bagatelles, this same musical spirit that has stuck with me for so long, has been captured…. Melodies becoming almost like the sounds of an 8-bit shower. [Read the rest…]
[About this EP…] [Download (Bandcamp)…]
Available from The Vortex’s Bandcamp page, all purchases of Two+ Bagatelles go towards helping their continued work presenting the very best jazz, improvised, and experimental musics.
Awesome news! I am excited to announce that I am a recipient of the Arts Council of Ireland Music Bursary Award, and that I will be creating a suite of improvisative, obliquely narrative, pieces for solo guitar, working with mentors Richard Barrett and Annette Krebs, and consultant Han-Ter Park to build a new compositional approach, and create companion pieces to my teaching work. As wrote in my proposal:
I will create a suite of new improvisative, obliquely narrative, experimental pieces for the solo guitarist. The bursary award will grant me time to research ways in which to effectively incorporate elements transposed from narrative forms (e.g. the manipulation of genre expectations) into my solo practice with its physical techniques and interactive tactics that I have developed systematically over twenty years. In addition, I will explore the ways in which studio-based techniques (editing, montage, etc.) may be used as a fluid compositional strategy in the context of improvisative work….
My solo practice was built on my studies with improviser-composers such as Wadada Leo Smith, and periods of independent study in 2003 during which I transposed to the guitar improvisative techniques of pianists such as Marilyn Crispell and Keith Tippett, and in 2008 during which I incorporated techniques from drummers such as Rashied Ali and Tony Oxley. I aim to expand on this practice by transposing to the musical domain, elements of genre manipulation found in works by writers such as Jeff VanderMeer and film-makers such as Bong Joon-ho. In addition, I aim to amplify these possibilities via the interactions between improvisation and studio-based compositional strategies.
To this end, in addition to my independent studies, I will consult with film-maker Han-Ter Park to explore aspects of cinematic techniques relevant to this project, and work closely with mentors improviser and composer Richard Barrett, and composer and sound artist Annette Krebs. Barrett and Krebs have unique insights into the intersection of improvisation and composition, the incorporation of programmatic and/or narrative elements, and studio-based techniques.
I am very, very grateful for the support of the Arts Council, and my collaborators. I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to work on this project, and I am very much looking forward to sharing this work with you. Please stay tuned: I will be announcing soon ways you can follow this work-in-progress.
This project is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.
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.
| date | venue | time | details |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2020 | The Lamp Tavern Barford Street Birmingham B5 6AH England |
7:30pm | [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 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 [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) | [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”
Listen to some fresh-off-the-pick music, and support an awesome, not-for-profit music venue at the same time!
Out now: solo guitar studies/bagatelles by Han-earl Park. Available from The Vortex’s Bandcamp page, all purchases go towards helping their continued work presenting the very best jazz, improvised, and experimental musics.
Catherine, Nick and I had a fantastic time when we performed at The Vortex in August, and I am very happy to be able to support the venue (with its amazing crew) in this way. Plus, for those who’ve been asking me for a solo recording, here’s a super rare chance to pick up a new one.
Album available to stream via the free Bandcamp app, and download in multiple formats including lossless.
Han-earl Park (guitar).
Zero (01:03), One (10:27), Two (05:28). Total duration: 16:59.
Music by Han-earl Park.
Recorded Berlin, October 2019.
Cover photo © Jazz em Agosto / Petra Cvelbar.
Recorded and mastered by Han-earl Park.
© + ℗ 2019 The Vortex / Han-earl Park.
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…]
This Sunday (July 21, 2019) at 8:00pm: CIMC presents Han-earl Park (guitar) at plugd, Upstairs @ The Roundy (Castle Street, Cork, Ireland). Also performing is Chris Engel. Admission: €5 at the door.
See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Facebook event…]
| date | venue | time | details |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 21, 2019 | plugd Upstairs @ The Roundy Castle Street Cork, Ireland |
8:00pm | Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by CIMC. Also performing: Chris Engel. Admission: €5 at the door. [Details…] |
| August 8, 2019 | Vortex Jazz Club 11 Gillett Square London N16 8AZ England |
8:00pm | Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar). Tickets: £10. [Details…] [Vortex page…] [Get tickets…] [Special offer…] |
| August 11, 2019 | Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Av. de Berna, 45 A Lisbon, Portugal |
6:30pm | Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar) as part of Jazz em Agosto. [Details…] [Jazz em Agosto page (info/tickets)…] |
| August 12, 2019 | The Fumbally Stables Fumbally Lane Dublin 8, Ireland |
8:00pm | Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar) presented by Improvised Music Company in association with Note Productions. Also performing: Zeropunkt (Fergus Cullen, Jamie Davis and Damien Lennon). Tickets: €12 online/€15 at the door. [Details…] [IMC page…] [Get tickets…] |
| September 15, 2019 | Hošek Contemporary MS Heimatland Fischerinsel 3 10179 Berlin Germany |
5:30pm (doors: 5:00pm) | Han-earl Park (guitar) as part of Improvised & Experimental No. 73. Also on the program: Simona Blahutová (sound installation), Gloria Damijan (toy piano), and Johnny Chang (viola). Donations €5–10. [Hošek page…] |
Continue reading “performance diary (Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Lisbon, London) 070619”
Friday, March 22, 2019, at 1:10pm: FUAIM: Music at UCC presents “guitar noise, improvisation and cyborg virtuosity” with a solo performance by Han-earl Park. The performance take place at the Aula Maxima (University College Cork, Cork). Admission is free.
See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [FUAIM page…] [Facebook event…]
Described as a ‘musical philosopher’ and ‘delightful shape-shifter,’ guitarist Han-earl Park is no stranger to the FUAIM series, having last performed at UCC with his ground-breaking ensemble, Sirene 1009, back in Spring 2017.
We are delighted to welcome him back this Friday for a solo concert that promises to be a ‘revelatory listening experience that infuses modern aesthetics with the spirit of the ancient.’ Please join us!
Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (박한얼) has been crossing borders and performing fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, always traditional, open improvised musics for twenty years. As soloist, he has performed in recent years in New York, Munich, Seoul and elsewhere, and his ensembles have performed across Europe and the USA.
Park is the instigator and mastermind behind ensembles such as Eris 136199 (with Catherine Sikora and Nick Didkovsky) and Sirene 1009 (with Dominic Lash, Mark Sanders and Caroline Pugh), and co-conspirator in projects with Richard Barrett and others. Park is the constructor of the machine improviser io 0.0.1 beta++, and of Metis 9, a playbook of improvisative tactics. He has performed with Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Dunmall, Evan Parker, Pauline Oliveros, Lol Coxhill, Ingrid Laubrock, Josh Sinton, Gino Robair, Louise D.E. Jensen, Pat Thomas and Franziska Schroeder. His ensembles have performed at festivals including Freedom of the City (London), Brilliant Corners (Belfast), ISIM (New York), CEAIT (Los Angeles) and Sonic Acts (Amsterdam).
“Guitarist Han-earl Park is a musical philosopher…. Expect unexpected things from Park, who is a delightful shape-shifter….”
Brian Morton (Point of Departure)
“Though short, percussive, hard-to-notate sounds dominate Han-earl Park’s sound, he does utilize the totality of the guitar’s sonorities—just not in the proportions demanded by the nostalgic (retrospective, reactionary, etc.) owners of major media….”
Stanley Zappa (The New York City Jazz Record)
“A colorful, sometimes violent and revelatory listening experience that infuses modern aesthetics with the spirit of the ancient.”
John Morrison (Jazz Right Now)
Admission is free. All welcome!
03-19-19: quote FUAIM newsletter.
| date | venue | time | details |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 22, 2019 | Aula Maxima University College Cork Cork, Ireland |
1:10pm | Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by FUAIM Music at UCC. Admission free. [Details…] [FUAIM page…] [Facebook event…] |
| August 11, 2019 | Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Av. de Berna, 45 A Lisbon, Portugal |
6:30pm | Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar) as part of Jazz em Agosto. [Details…] [Jazz em Agosto page (info/tickets)…] |
| August 2019 | TBA Europe |
TBA | Eris 136199 (Han-earl Park: guitar; Catherine Sikora: saxophones; and Nick Didkovsky: guitar). European tour! We have a single available date (9 August) remaining. Interested venues, programmers and promoters, please get in touch! Details to follow… |
| September 15, 2019 | TBA Berlin, Germany |
TBA | Details to follow… |
Continue reading “performance diary (Berlin, Cork, Lisbon, Europe) 012619”
Thursday, July 12, 2018, at 9:30pm (doors: 9:00pm; Han-earl’s set: 10:30pm): CIMC presents Han-earl Park (guitar) at plugd, Upstairs @ The Roundy (Castle Street, Cork, Ireland). Also performing are Mike McGrath-Bryan’s Correspondent. Admission: €5 at the door.
See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Facebook event…]
