Thursday 26 November 2026, 7.30pm
Huge triple bill from local label Infinite Expanse with three OTO debuts: enigmatic London improvisers 46,000 Fibres, Brussels-based guitarist Megabasse and his double-neck drones, and Norwich's Alex Howard fronting a new ensemble.
46,000 Fibres are a UK-based improvisational group, formed in 1993 out of a collective called Koven-oe, which originally included Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner). Following Rimbaud's departure, the remaining trio of Richard Clarke, Tonal Davidson (aka Tonal D), and Leon Maurice-Jones shifted from structured material to explore electro-acoustic free improvisation. Operating on a philosophy of pure musical telepathy - foregoing pre-arrangement or discussion to create "something unique" without clichés - their sound evolved into diverse landscapes ranging from ethereal delicacy and gamelan stylings to hard industrial, space rock, radical jazz, and dark funk. While the lineup remained fluid over the decades, centered around the core of Tonal D and Leon Maurice-Jones, the group has maintained a rich history of collaboration with avant-garde luminaries such as Nik Turner, Lol Coxhill, Scanner, and Ashley Wales. Best Kept Secret, a retrospective of the group's live recordings made around London between 1993 and 2003, is out on Infinite Expanse in November.
Megabasse is the solo moniker of French-born, Brussels-based guitarist Pierre Bujeau, an artist known for his "rough, do-it-yourself psychedelia" and hypnotic, long-form compositions. A key member of the enigmatic French experimental groups Tanz Mein Herz and Omertà, Bujeau launched Megabasse as a vehicle for exploring alternative tunings and the sculptural possibilities of sound. His signature approach centers on the use of a double-neck guitar and twin Fender amplifiers, producing overlapping, melodic drone structures that transform the instrument into what critics describe as an "orchestra of bells" or a "fog of majestic soundscapes". Eschewing standard effects, he relies on the physical resonance of his instruments to create deeply immersive journeys that sit in a lineage between the folk-inflected guitar work of John Fahey and the durational experiments of La Monte Young. After years of rare cassette releases and CD-Rs, Megabasse gained wider recognition through his debut vinyl LP, Discorde (2024), and retrospective collections like Flamenca on the Efficient Space label.
Alex Howard is a Norwich-based solo artist whose work explores the intersections of minimalist electronic music, modular synthesis, and atmospheric drone. His compositions are deeply rooted in the sonic geography of the East Anglian landscape, blending long-form textures with artificial soundscapes. A key figure in the regional experimental community, Howard frequently collaborates with Luke Cowan, whose music utilizes stark, repetitive structures to evoke the vastness of the Norfolk and Suffolk countryside. Howard is also a recurring participant in the Fenland Drone Workshop, a collective dedicated to communal, improvisational sound-making. His debut full-length album, Chalk Stream, is out on Infinite Expanse in early 2027.
