Thursday 19 June 2014, 8pm

Woven Entity + DJ Mike Keelin

No Longer Available

Woven Entity was formed around the eclectic percussive talents of Patrick Dawes, Lascelle Gordon and Paul May in 2010. Adding bassist Peter Marsh in 2012 and working with a rota of guest saxophonists including Led Bib's Chris Williams, improv titan Alan Wilkinson and rising star Julie Kjaer, the band have been busy serving up an unpredictable, improvised stew of spiritual jazz, dubby post punk, lo-fi electronics and eccentric ethnological forgeries. Comparisons have been made to Sun Ra, Can and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. An album for the Babel Label is in the can. The band will be joined by regular electronics and keyboard operator Ben Cowen and Julie Kjaer on alto saxophone and flute for two sets.

DJ Mike Keelin (one of the brains behind NTS' 'Music To Ease Your Disease') will be spinning an eclectic selection of obscure vinyl wonderment.



WOVEN ENTITY

Woven Entity began life in 2010 after percussionist, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Lascelle Gordon had crossed paths with fellow percussionist Patrick Dawes and with drummer Paul May and suggested the three try playing together. Soon the trio were organically evolving an improvised music that wasn't afraid to groove. With appearances from a regular pool of guests such as Led Bib's Chris Williams, Snorkel keyboardist Ben Cowen, bassist Peter Marsh, trumpeter Andy Knight and saxophonist Alan Wilkinson, the trio began playing the usual leftfield London hotspots on a semi-regular basis. Audiences were enthusiastic, warming to the band's unpredictable and unforced stew of spiritual afro jazz, dubby post punk, lo-fi electronics and eccentric ethnological forgeries. Adding Marsh to the core unit in 2012, Dawes, Gordon and May continued gigging, making several memorable appearances improvising live soundtracks to silent movies as well as working on what was to become their debut album.

Featuring contributions from guests Alan Wilkinson, Ben Cowen and Danish saxophonist/flautist Julie Kjaer, Woven Entity is a restless, playful record Opening with the brief 'C358X' which comes on like a chance meeting between Sun Ra and The Art Ensemble of Chicago, the band shift gears throughout, from free jazz to deep, propulsive grooves ('Me=You'), fragile, spacey electro-acoustic dub ('Trisssh', dedicated to Broadcast's Trish Keenan) or ritualistic astral jazz (Who's Who', 'Earth/Crisis'). Throughout it's the percussion that most often catches the ear, piling up dense textural barrages that morph into intricate rhythmic workouts, cajoling and commenting on the contributions from winds, strings and keys.




LASCELLE GORDON

Lascelle (often known as Lascelles Lascelle) began his musical career as a DJ at London's Wag Club in the 1980s, where his eclectic taste made him a favourite among the elite punters. After touring as A Certain Ratio's DJ, he went on to form the Brand New Heavies, one of the biggest bands of the Acid Jazz movement. Leaving the band some five years later he formed Heliocentric World, scoring a hit single for Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud label before joining indie rockers and NME darlings Campag Velocet as their drummer. From there, Gordon went ton to provide percussion live and in the studio for such diverse acts as Mr Scruff, The Sandals, Beth Orton and Gossip - he's also worked extensively with producer Trevor Jackson and with Ben Cowen as 7 Hurtz, whose collaborators include Peaches. More recently Lascelle has toured with indie popsters Le Volume Courbe, supporting My Bloody Valentine on their 2013 tour, as well as forming improvising collectives Flight and Vibration Black Finger.


PATRICK DAWES

Patrick Dawes has been working for over two decades as a percussionist, beginning his career working alongside DJs in clubs such as the Ministry of Sound. In 1995 he began a four year stint recording and touring with The Herbaliser before joining Groove Armada as their live percussionist for the best part of a decade. As well as working alongside the likes of the legendary Richie Havens as well as co-fronting quirky jazz-popsters Patrick and Eugene and recording two albums with them, Dawes has released two albums for Tummy Touch, Circus Train and in 2013, Raising Stone, a collaborative record featuring contributions from a diverse range of talents from improvising vocalist Maggie Nicols to Acoustic Ladyland saxophonist Pete Wareham and early music specialist William Summers.




PAUL MAY

Paul May is one of the most respected drummers on the improvising circuit. His CV includes work with the likes of Alexander Hawkins, Tim Hodgkinson, Klaus Filip and Matthias Eick, as well as working with bassist Peter Marsh in electro-acoustic improvisers Sonnamble and trios Elvers (with trumpeter Ian R Watson) and Found Drowned (with guitarist James O' Sullivan). May has enjoyed a long working relationship with pianist Carolyn Hume which has resulted in several well received albums on Leo Records and led to the formation of improvising quartet Fourth Page. May also plays and records regularly with avant bluesman Duke Garwood as well as songwriter Petra Jean Phillipson.


PETER MARSH

Marsh has often been heard alongside Paul May in recent years, forming the rhythm section for a bewildering variety of improvising bands from Clang Sayne to Fourth Page to Sonnamble among others. As well as playing a more conventional role backing singer Petra Jean Phillipson, they've also worked with a huge range of improvisers from Alan Wilkinson, Martin Siewert to Klaus Filip. They also record as a duo, with a debut album released in 2013 on Linear Obsessional. Previously Marsh also played in avant fusion band Lob, spent time depping in The Tiger Lillies, has played a lot of folk music from Brittany to Macedonia and has worked providing soundtracks to films by artists including Laura Cooper and Sami van Ingen. He has played with improvisers including Lol Coxhill, Steve Williamson, Paul Rutherford. Robert Dick, Roger Turner and David Toop to name a few.

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