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Mountain Full Edition & Absolute Purity
Footage of road movies and studio works from Japan's Mountain / Full Edition collective and Chinese band Absolute Purity.
Akira Sakata & Rie Nakajima - Christmas Message
A special dispatch from Akira Sakata, Rie Nakajima and some water fleas.
Seymour Wright Solo
Our first live stream after lockdown - Seymour Wright rattling windows with 3 saxophones and a lot of feedback.
OTO Radio - Tommy Denys Takuroku
Friend and Les Ateliers Claus' artistic director Tommy De Nys is back with the second part of his TakuRoku mix - playing new music recorded in lockdown by Ikue Mori, Secluded Bronte, Rachel Musson & Corey Mwamba, David Toop & Avsluta and Cath & Phil Tyler.
OTO RADIO - Terry Day
Free improvising drummer and visual artist Terry Day talks us through his archives, selecting cuts from his extensive performance history going back to 1965 to the present.
Steve Beresford in Conversation with Robert Worby
As part of his 70th birthday celebrations Steve Beresford chats to broadcaster, writer and sound artist Robert Worby about wet cardboard, Misha Mengleberg, the Melody Four and searching for sounds.
Lao Dan's Auction Live Stream
We were very lucky to have flutist and saxophonist Lao Dan perform live from a cave tunnel in China as part of our fundraiser auction - watch it back here.
OTO Auction Mixes
Listen back to all of the incredible mixes made by staff, supporters and friends of OTO as part of the 12th birthday fundraiser auction - including mixes by Beatrice Dillon, Angharad Davies and Tim Parkinson, Simon Reynell, Crys Cole and People Like Us.
Tenniscoats Live Auction Stream
We were delighted to connect with old friends Tenniscoats in Tokyo and join them for a very early set in aid of our fundraising auction!
OTO Radio - Auction special with Tommy Denys
Friend and Les Ateliers Claus' artistic director Tommy De Nys put together a super mix of music from artists who have donated to the Cafe OTO Covid-19 auction.
Elaine Mitchener (solo) + Kerry Yong (solo)
A week of live streams comes to a close with the wonderful Elaine Mitchener and a very special Messiaen performance from Kerry Yong.
YEAH YOU from the Motorway
Yeah You's Sunday night Wild Pop performances from the motorway - a refreshing Tango Ice Blast from the M1.
JOHN EDWARDS & STEVE NOBLE - SOLOS AND DUO
Heartstopping solo sets from bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble before they rip up a top flight duo.
Matt Wright / Hannah Marshall / Alexander Hawkins (trio) + Alexander Hawkins (solo)
Fantastic improvising trio of composer and sound artist Matt Wright, cellist Hannah Marshall and pianist Alexander Hawkins preceeded by a customarily hypnotic solo set from Alex.
CHARLES HAYWARD + RIE NAKAJIMA + MERLIN NOVA + ALEXIS TAYLOR
And on the fourth night the lord said 'bring us four solo sets from local London artists!' Merlin Nova, Charles Haywood, Rie Nakajima and Alexis Taylor each perform solo to an empty OTO.
Alastair Roberts Solo
Very lucky to find Alastair Roberts in town on Wednesday, and really happy to welcome him to an empty Cafe OTO to deliver a gorgeous solo set.
Daniel Blumberg Solo
For day two of our fundraising week, we were really pleased to have Daniel perform a very special pair of solo piano and guitar sets, joined up by drawing.
Steve Beresford / Thurston Moore (duo) + Crystabel Riley / Seymour Wright / Ute Kanngiesser (trio)
Watch our first live stream back in full - and look out for a special guest!
John Russell Solo
A very special matinee performance from the great improvising guitarist John Russell, in support of John Edwards', Mark Sanders' and John Butcher's album release show, in very strange times.
Steve Noble in Conversation with Joe McPhee
Old friends Steve Noble and Joe McPhee sit down to chat before performing as Decoy as part of Joe's residency in 2019.
Inclusive Listings February 2020
Musician, author, and educator Robyn Steward talks through February's program with our senior programmer, Fielding Hope.
OTO Radio - Old Heaven Special
Listen back to our monthly hour on Resonance FM, this time playing tracks that we got hold of from the fantastic Old Heaven Books label.
OTO Radio - Ahmed
Seymour Wright joins Fielding and Abby at Resonance FM to chat about the music of the late Ahmed Abdul-Malik.
The Trouble With Jazz History - Pat Thomas
Pianist Pat Thomas finds vital links between the musical traditions of muslim West Africa and the Jazz and Blues traditions of Afro-Americans, so far ignored by many Jazz historians.
EXERCISE 3: WEAK KNEES – BAMYA
As part of Still House Plants' residency in February, the band invited good friends Bamya to play on the Sunday. We recovered a tiny bit of footage of a surpirse reading of 'henmcjonny'.
Luke Fowler in Conversation with Leon Redler
Luke Fowler chats to Dr Leon Redler - a practitioner who worked alongside R.D Laing at Kingsley Hall in London's East End - as part of Dee Sakar's 'R.D. Laing at 50' event.
Plus-Minus Ensemble perform Catherine Lamb's 'Prisma Interius VIII'
Plus-Minus Ensemble perform the eighth work in Lamb's 'Interius' series.
NKISI & John T Gast - Coldwar
After working together in 2014, we were excited to hear Nkisi was going to work on Coldwar, her project with John T Gast as part of her residency here in March. Jonathan Crabb caught some images of the two together on the night.
OTO Radio - Nathaniel Mackey & the Creaking Breeze Ensemble
We're joined on the backseat of the 141 bus by Seymour Wright, Ute Kangeisser and Evie Ward - 3/5ths of the Creaking Breeze Ensemble to talk about their upcoming performances with writer Nathaniel Mackey.
OTO Radio - Jen Allan, Annea Lockwood & Nate Wooley
Abby Thomas & Fielding Hope are joined by Jen Allan in the studio to chat about Kammer Klang's recent Annea Lockwood residency, curated by Jen.
Annea Lockwood in conversation with Nate Wooley
Jen Allan joins composer Annea Lockwood and trumpeter Nate Wooley to chat about the process of composing Becoming Air and the mutual connections found in their individual practices during their collaboration.
Mix - Joe McPhee
As we look forward to our 4 day Joe McPhee residency, we put together some of our favourite McPhee tunes, featuring blast heavy classics and lesser known experiments.
Mix - Luc Ferrari
In anticipation of our 10 day Luc Ferrari fest, Fielding Hope puts together some of his favourites from the French composer and musical pioneer.
OTO Radio - Angharad Davies
A pleasure to be joined on Resonance FM by violin player Angharad Davies. We were treated to audio from her family's archive, sound sketches of lle celf Capel y Graig Artspace, and had a really good chat about the changes in Angharad's practice over the years.
Angharad Davies and Lina Lapalyte
Listen to longtime collaborators Angharad Davies and Lina Lapelyte's 'Sound Matter' performace, recorded all the way back in 2014.
Áine O'Dwyer & Graham Lambkin perform Unheimlich Schön
O'Dwyer & Lambkin perform Luc Ferrari's one sentence composition 'Unheimlich Schön (Very Beautiful, 1971)' as part of our Ferrari festival, 'Stereo Spasms'.
Brunhild Ferrari in conversation with David Grubbs
Composer Brunhild Ferrari talks about her own work, and the work of her late husband Luc Ferrari with writer, musician and teacher David Grubbs.
OTO Radio - Nkisi
Delighted to have Nkisi on the show ahead of her residency, playing Congolese rumba, chatting gabber, the UK rave scene, policed venues and clubs and ideas of a utopian future.
Tom Wheatley - Solo Bass
Following his freshly self-produced solo record, Tom Wheatley continues his dissection of the double bass.
OTO Radio - Still House Plants mix
An hour of phone recordings from three piece Still House Plants, dating back to the day they started writing together.
Bamba Pana & Makavelli by Sarah White
Shots by Sarah White of Sounds of Sisso associates Bamba Pana & Makavelli sending up nearly two hours of singeli fire.
OTO Radio - Glorias Navales mix
An hour of Chilean and Peruvian traditional music and field recordings put together by Tomás Salvatierra - one fifth of Chilean group Glorias Navalas.
Laurie & Olly - 26.9.18
Listen back to new work from composer Laurie Tompkins and cellist Oliver Coates.
OTO Radio - Penultimate Press
Abby Thomas sits Penultimate Press' Mark Harwood down to chat about the huge year he and his label have had. Music from Francis Plagne, MP Hopkins, Arek Gulbenkoglu and Henning Christianson.
Anton Bruhin Spills The Beans
Watch the whole evening of music, language and mouth-harp from Swiss artist, poet and musician Anton Bruhin.
Padre Himalaya: Renato & Silvestre
Stream two sets from acts on the Lisbon label Padre Himalaya - the label that brought us Mohammad Reza Mortazavi's 'Focus'.
OTO Radio - Steve Lacy Part Two
Fielding Hope and Abby Thomas return to Resonance FM to play their favourite records from soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's late career.
Carl Stone in conversation with Vicki Bennett
Twenty years on from being a guest on his Berkley radio show, Vicki Bennett chats to Carl Stone about the impact that dramatic shifts in technology has had on their music making today.
Evan Parker and Seymour Wright play Steve Lacy
On the day after soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's birthday Evan Parker and Seymour Wright played and discussed his music on saxophones and discs, joined by very special and surprise guest Frederic Rzewski.
OTO Radio - Steve Lacy Part One
Fielding Hope and Abby Thomas play their favourite records from the late Steve Lacy's early career, ahead of a performance of his music at OTO presented by Evan Parker and Seymour Wright.
Alterations Festival by Fabio Lugaro
Ahead of the Alterations Festival 2018 edition, photographer Fabio Lugaro shares some of his images from the 2016 edition. Alterations are: Peter Cusack, David Toop, Terry Day and Steve Beresford.
Farmers Manual - Strategies for the exploration and mapping of space
9 hours of agent-based exploration algorithms transfered into the context of sound, music, and performance.
Extra Normal Records: Tomaga 20.8.15
Listen back to Tomaga go forth with their improvised, industrial minimalism and Krautrock-inspired motorik.
Nina Power and Seth Kim-Cohen in Conversation
Nina Power and Seth Kim-Cohen sit down to discuss the under-heralded work of conceptual artist Christine Kozlov and hash out issues in cultural politics then and now.
STARAYA DEREVNYA - 13.10.17
Russian / Israeli collective Staraya Derevnya project live animation behind their fusion of objects, percussion, homemade instruments, live animation and vocals - making for incomparable listening and an immersive psychedelic film.
Anthony Braxton in Conversation with Alexander Hawkins
Longtime student and performer of Anthony Braxton's work, Alexander Hawkins initiaties a forty minute insight into the logic behind ZIM music.
Daniel Blumberg - Madder / Minus
Daniel Blumberg, Billy Steiger and Tom Wheatley play material from their new record - Minus - joined by cellist and close collaborator Ute Kanngiesser.
Martin Rev by Sarah White
London-based photographer Sarah White brought her camera along to Rev's two day funky bonanza and captured some of the madness on film.
Heather Leigh - 28.2.12
Heather Leigh performs solo in support of Keiji Haino and Steve Noble, back in 2012.
Amy Dickson - Playing in the Street
Beautiful footage of Amy Dickson's performance as part of In House - an evening drawing a connection between practice, performer and OTO as a performance space.
Xenia Pestova Performs Alvin Curran
Xenia Pestova performs Alvin Curran's Inner Cities 2 as part of her LOOPS, DRONES AND LANDSCAPES series focusing on meditative and transformative works for piano and toy piano.
Midnight Mines - 20.5.17
Live set from London's Midnight Mines feat. 2-note riffs, fried dub, feedback, atonal harmonies, transistor organs and repetitive mantras.
Joe McPhee Solo
Listen to Joe McPhee performing a trumpet solo as part of John Corbett's Microgroove book launch.
Bent Fang - 20.01.17
Listen back to Bent Fang (Patrick Dahn) perform in support of Pekka Airaksinen in early 2017. Somewhere between, dub, music concrete, french poetry & slow jams, Bent Fang plays OTO on 31st January 2018.
Art Ensemble in Conversation with Kevin Le Gendre
Read or listen to the whole conversation between Kevin Le Genre and the Art Ensemble of Chicago as they discuss making jingles for the juice company 'Odwalla', growing up in Chicago and taking control of their own music.
Kan Mikami / Alex Neilson / John Edwards - AOSHI
Watch Japanese bluesman Kan Mikami perform 'Aoshi' with John Edwards and Alex Neilson. Part of the trio's new release on our own OTOROKU - "Live at Cafe OTO'.
Kan Mikami's debut OTO show
Kan Mikami played his first shows at OTO back in September 2008, and filmaker Gianmarco Del Re was here to capture his visceral sound on film.
Mike Cooper - Sonic Close Up
Film-maker Gianmarco Del Re talks to Cooper about his lap steel and live environmental recordings for the recently re-issued '99 record Kiribati.
Philip Corner & Phoebe Neville 'Understanding'
Watch composer and Fluxus founder Philip Corner and his wife Phoebe Neville improvise a piece called 'Understanding' as part of their debut OTO show.
Pat Thomas in conversation
Listen back to Kevin Le Gendre discussing Pat's solo performance of Duke Ellington, Ellington's influence on Cecil Taylor, Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis, and Pat's own move from classical training to free improvisation.
Laura Cannell - Modern Ritual
Listen to a live set from HOOFUS and a 30 minute snare drum roll from Charles Hayward - performed as part of Laura Cannell's Modern Ritual series.
Keiji Haino and Peter Brötzmann
Beautiful footage of Tokyo legend Keiji Haino and Peter Brötzmann from back in 2011.
Stream Otomo Yoshihide solo
Ahead of his quartet with wizard noise unit FEN (Far East Network) Otomo lets rip on guitar for thirteen mins.
OTO Radio 2017
Repeat and repeat OTO radio shows, broadcast on London's Resonance Radio. Unreleased selections from the archive, recordings from around Ashwin Street, fresh and forthcoming OTOROKU releases and interviews with musicians.
Benedict Drew - The Start of A Bad Week
Deeply unsettling audio from Benedict Drew's show here in January.
Blurt by Pavel Lagonkov
Photographer Pavel Legonkov sent us his contact scans for the Blurt show back in November and they're as chaotic the trio themselves. Be sure to use the scroll bar.
Human Heads - 16.1.17
On the bill with Benedict Drew, Tom White & Marc Matter and Rob Lye, Human Heads delivered wonky song, gristley spoken word and cheap analogue keyboards right up into everyone's personal space.
Sun Ra by Gerald Jenkins
Gerald Jenkins has been photographing the Sun Ra Arkestra at Cafe OTO since they began performing here. Dig in to some of his archive here.
Grimm Grimm on Film
Watch Grimm Grimm perform "Kazega Fuitara Sayonara" with live visuals from Daisy Dickinson ahead of his return to OTO tonight.
Tiago Sousa on 'Um Piano nas Barricada'
Filmmaker Gianmarco Del Re interviews Portuguese composer Tiago Sousa about his conceptual links to Thoreau, the difficulty of finding 'new' ground with the piano, and his new album ''Um Piano nas Barricada''.
Accident Du Travail "Txwo"
Filmmaker Arthur Le Fol captures delicate moments from Accident Du Travail's set here in December.
Rie Nakajima's Sonic Close Up
Gianmarco Del Re interviews Rie Nakijama in the Project Space after her collaborative performance with Keiko Yamamoto as O Yama O.
Stream East Warsaw Ensemble
The East Warsaw Ensemble perform some of the most original music from Polish, Ukrainian and Russian traditions: archaic scales, harvest chants, old carols, polyphonic lyrical songs, as well as instrumental music. The perfect festive toaster.
Blood Music in the Project Space
Simon Pomery spent seven chilly days in the Project Space developing his on-going audio/visual investigation into Performance Writing - SPEED READING. He managed to stay warm by drumming - so much so that he's made a new mixtape which you can stream here. Thanks Pom.
The Ex by Pavel Legonkov
Photographer Pavel Legonkov captures The Ex's live energy and with double exposures at their show here back in April.
Stream Tetuzi Akiyama
Chugging, dark, spacey blues - Akiyama's solo guitar is focused "on the tone and wildness of the instrument." Stream the closing solo from the last night of Akiyama's residency here in 2010.
AMM All-stars with Jair-Rohm Parker Wells
Normally we write "listen to the whole show here", but Watson mixed down our 17 track recording to fifty minutes, maintaining that "improvisation shouldn’t cease at any point in musical production." Whatever was heard on the night was most definitely not this...
Senyawa in conversation with Clive Bell
Jogjakarta’s Senyawa go deep on previous projects, traditional Indonesian music, man vs nature and how to go into a trance.
Rie Nakajima & David Toop - Sculpture
Gorgeous photos, videos and sound from Rie Nakajima and David Toop's event series 'Sculpture'.
Jennifer Allum Solo
Sharing the bill with John Chantler and Eli Kezler, Jennifer Allum played a short solo set, resolutely free of flourish and mannerism.
Evan Parker solo
Evan Parker performs a rare solo piece as part of a fundraiser concert for Project Fukushima.
Black Top, William Parker & Hamid Drake in conversation with Stewart Smith
Black Top join Hamid Drake and bassist William Parker to chat first instruments, film, playing with Don Cherry and why bending genres is always best.
Tender Interval - Paul Abbott
Paul Abbott's 'Tender Interval' was a series of monthly solo performances in our Project Space. Each performance formed part of an ongoing investigation into questions of politics and aesthetics through rhythms, sounds and words -- and each is documented in depth here.
Charles Bullen solo
Fresh Bullen - get it here!
Pass the Distance
Simon Finn chats to Gianmarco Del Re about the making of his seminal 1969 album Pass the Distance, travelling North America in the 70's and how he got onto organic farming. "Such is life."
Stream Suzuki Junzo
Tokyo based guitarist Junzo Suzuki's stripped down form of 'ghost' blues and improvisation recalls Loren Connors and his fellow countryman Hisato Higuchi.
Tomokawa Kazuki
Tomokawa Kazuki performing 'Waltz' from his debut UK show in 2012.
Okkyung Lee & Christian Marclay
South Korean cellist, improviser, and composer meets artist Christian Marclay, and were caught on camera by film-maker Helen Petts.
Will Guthrie "Dil"
Hear Guthrie's solo set from back in 2013, when he supported Mika Vainio and Lee Gamble.
Dawid Laskowski
Bartender, big time Brotz-fan and sneaky snapper. Dawid Laskowski chats about how he gets his best shots.
Taku Sugimoto
Listen to the onkyo guitarist's solo set from his first show at OTO.
Stream OTO's first ever show
Paint still wet on the walls, Saya stopped off in London to play OTO's first ever show. A magical set, heard by an attentive crowd of just 70.
Giant Tank release Usurper
Malcy Duff and Ali Robertson's June 2015 show gets a Giant Tank release, and is availiable to stream right here.
Pat Thomas solo piano
One of the most unique pianists in ages, Pat Thomas also has one of the best laughs in music. His solo set from 2013 was properly wild, and you can listen to it here.
Adam Bohman
Gianmarco Del Re presents a documentary about the collagist and musician Adam Bohman.
Alan Cummings on Kan Mikami
Back in 2008, Japanese underground aficiondo Alan Cummings introduced Kan Mikami's first show at OTO. We recorded it, and Alan tracked down the images we couldn't show on the evening. Now it's a delighfully detailed illustrated talk.
Fabio Lugaro
Long time OTO photographer Fabio Lugaro to shows us the best of his archive. He talks about OTO's leaks and low lighting - what he politely calls 'the venue's idiosyncracies'.
Paal Nilsson Love' s Large Unit at Cafe OTO
Polish filmmaker Bart Dzidowski captures the huge ensemble's last visit to OTO.
Tony Marsh and Steve Noble Duo
Listen to an archival recording of the two drum legends, recorded back in 2011 when the pair supported Adam Linson.
Ghédalia Tazartès in conversation with Mark Harwood
Ghédalia Tazartès and Penultimate Press' bossman Mark Harwood talk about not making music, Michel Chion, fathers, the Sex Pistols and more.