Thursday 14 March 2024, 7.30pm
Unpredictable Series presents a special evening of music and unique performances with a solo by Leafcutter John, a solo with Elaine Mitchener, and an audiovisual duo with Leafcutter John and Blanca Regina.
Bradford-born, Wakefield-raised, Leafcutter John has performed and collaborated widely, including as part of mercury-nominated band Polar Bear, and solo at places like Jarvis Cocker’s meltdown and Planet Mu raves. John first found recognition twenty three years ago through Mike Paradinas’s Planet Mu record label – a gold standard for the experimental fringes of electronic music. His discography ranges from the experimentalism of The Housebound Spirit, to the folk-infused Forest and the Sea – the latter containing “Seba '' which James Acaster named in his top nine essential tracks.
John moved up to Sheffield a few years ago and quickly fell in love with climbing. In this rare London performance John will explore using actual gritstone in his performance.
Elaine Mitchener is a veteran of vocal expression in the global Black Avant Garde, traversing free improvisation, cross-disciplinary music theatre and contemporary composition with clarity and joy.
Her debut album SOLO THROAT released in May 2024 under Café Oto’s OTOROKU label has been described as “An uncompromisingly imaginative approach to text that does credit to the power of the human voice, as well as the mind that pushes it on to previously unheard paths.” (Jazzwise)
Experimental musicians and improvisers she has worked with include Moor Mother, Joelle Leandre, Hamid Drake, William Parker, Pat Thomas, Black Top, David Toop, Xhosa Cole. Elaine is founder of the collective electroacoustic unit The Rolling Calf. Composers, visual artists and poets she has worked with include: George E Lewis, Jennifer Walshe, Matana Roberts; visual artists The Otolith Group, Christian Marclay, Sonia Boyce; Jay Bernard, Roy Claire Potter, Dante Micheaux; chamber ensembles Apartment House, ICE, Ensemble MAM, Klangforum Wien, Van Huynh Co.
Blanca Regina is a dynamic interdisciplinary artist, educator, and independent curator celebrated for her work in multimedia, projection art, experience design, and book arts. She creates captivating audiovisual performances, sound pieces, installations, and films that invite audiences into her imaginative world, using voice, objects, and visuals to craft spontaneous compositions. Blanca specializes in immersive and interactive experiences through multimedia installations and projection mapping, and she has taught many video mapping workshops. Her live performances blend sound, visuals, and spatial performance, making each event a unique experience. In addition to multimedia art, she creates experimental publications in book arts and curates events like the "Unpredictable Series," highlighting diverse voices. Blanca’s collaborations include working with Leafcutter John on "Miga" and producing albums with Steve Beresford, Laetitia Sadier, Matthias Kispert, Benedict Taylor, Peter Cusack, Terry Day, Aneek Thapar and others. Her work has been showcased internationally at venues such as Turner Contemporary, Barbican, and Tate Modern, and she has led engaging workshops at Roundhouse and other creative spaces. Blanca Regina's artistic journey is all about exploration and collaboration.
