THE WIRE — “An unwavering belief in the power of the groove and an uncanny facility for generating one riff after another.”
THE SOUND PROJECTOR — “Telepathic magic…. Hayward is one of the most life-affirming people who stalks this dark globe.”
CHARLES HAYWARD
CHARLES HAYWARD is known as the pioneering drummer with This Heat and Camberwell Now, an ever growing list of solo concerts and CDs (most recent release Abracadabra Information on Locus Solus label), special collaborative performances, and is in Massacrewith Bill Laswell and Fred Frith.
Throughout the 90’s up to the present he has initiated a bewildering array of events and performances, including the widely acclaimed series Accidents + Emergencies at the Albany Theatre, Out of Body Orchestra (too much sound, not enough space, not enough time), music made from the sound of the new Laban dance centre being built which was choreographed for the official opening, music for a circus (part of the National Theatre’s ‘Art of Regeneration’ initiative), the full-on installation/performanceAnti-Clockwise (with Ashleigh Marsh and David Aylward) for multiple strobes, maze structure of diverse textures, 2 drummers, synthesizers and your nervous system. Recent developements include the Continuity evenings as part of Camberwell Arts.
Committed to song ‘but the shapes have to change,’ his current one-man show is an intoxicating mix of percussive attack, swirling electronics and lyrical fragment collage.
CAPILLARY ACTION “Capillary Action’s songs have the pacing of a brawl, with quiet moments to catch your breath followed by furious passages of pounding rhythm and dissonant swells. [There are] wicked rhythmic turns, hints of jazz, and mind-bending guitar runs but this time they’re all subordinated to songs [with] Pfeffer’s even, baritone vocals adding a strong melodic center for the listener.” - Pitchfork
“Imagine Prokofiev re-arranging Red Krayola…Capillary Action offered the spectacle of virtuosity, with technical mastery of their instruments and a sophisticated understanding of melody and harmony.” - The Wire
Equal parts samba school density and Beefheartian primitivism; pure pop bliss and chamber ensemble precision, Capillary Action are an American musical ensemble that cannibalize a wide variety of sources to synthesize a cubist, confrontational take on classic pop forms.
Led by composer/singer/guitarist Jonathan Pfeffer, Capillary Action’s music is typified by its frenetic pace, dense harmonies, broad dynamics, elastic rhythmic interplay, and confessional tone. Far from pastiche or collage, central to Pfeffer’s modus operandi is the challenge of eliminating the distinctions between chaos and clarity, art and pop, consonance and dissonance to communicate complex, ambiguous, and extremely personal experiences through song.
Since 2005, Capillary Action have maintained a staunch DIY approach to its operation, releasing music on its own Natural Selection imprint and sharing stages far and wide alongside Beirut, Dirty Projectors, Rhys Chatham, Shudder to Think, and Les Claypool, among others.
Like the remixes they’ve produced for Hot Chip, Jon Hopkins, James Yorkston and David Holmes, Geese’s music is constructed entirely from the sounds of cellos, violas and violins. Now with the addition of drummer Chris Vatalaro, they are…..a lot louder.
"The music can alternately sound as though you’re looking out from on high and observing miles and miles of beautiful wilderness, or like you’re trapped in a room with no doors. For its quality, uniqueness, and full gamut of emotions, Geese is something to hear". – in your speakers
