"Many look to AMM's past for clues of a tenor which, based on the group's intent to explore the future, is ironic: like a Fluxus poem, the history of AMM is right now, and the present is a curious one. Working for years as a duo, founder Eddie Prévost and John Tilbury (joined in 1980) augment this set with former member Christian Wolff on bass guitar, piano and melodica, cellist Ute Kanngiesser and John Butcher on sax. The results are terrific but understandably varied, the crew abstaining from abrasive angst in favor of mature methods of subversion during this 52-minute performance." - Dave Madden --- John Butcher / tenor and soprano saxophones Ute Kanngiesser / cello John Tilbury / piano Christian Wolff / piano, bass guitar and melodica Edwin (Eddie) Prévost / percussion --- Recorded at the 'Freedom of the City' festival, Conway Hall, London on Sunday the 3rd of May, 2009

The music is extremely light-footed, and unlike some British free improv or AMM music, it is "free jazz" as its name suggests, in the sense that there are themes, there is rhythm, but the openness of texture, the gentle breaking of boundaries and the sonic explorations already hint at another kind of music. In that sense the title is apt, taking good jazz memories from the past, and taking the best of it to make the music of the future. No paradox here, just some forward thinking. - Free Jazz Blog --- Tony Moore - cello Eddie Prévost - drums Paul Rutherford - trombone Harrison Smith - tenor / soprano saxophone & bass clarinet --- Tracklisting: 1. A Fertile Valley - 4:46 2. Pulsate - 8:37 3. Summoning - 7:39  4. Octavian Law - 3:45 5. Vibrational - 9:56 6. Memories Of The Future - 7:24 7. Harmonious Relations - 7:23 8. Blurring Of Boundaries - 5:08 --- Recorded at a concert given at St George's, Brandon Hill, Bristol during 1992.

Master drummer and improvisor Eddie Prévost is joined by Ross Lambert on guitar and Seymour Wright on alto, for two long pieces, together more than eighty minutes long. Its open textured approach, and the musicians' listening skills and subtle interaction make this a strong performance." - The Free Jazz Collective   "One shouldn't approach this record under the influence of an 'AMM MAN PLAYS JAZZ STANDARDS' headline. There's no headline, just a continuation of a long and thoughtful story whose chief premise is the denial of the single expressive self - though Prévost's unaccompanied performances, like the solo tam-tam record entelechy are fascinating documents - in favour of a collective exploration that changes the case of cogito (or invenio) ergo sum to the plural. None of these players would claim to be making a historic document, and one senses in them different kinds of diffidence to the act of making a record in the first place, but in its (mostly) quiet way the recording marks a modest epoch in the evolution of great music." - Brian Morton  --- Eddie Prévost / drums Ross Lambert / guitar Seymour Wright / alto saxophone --- Recorded live at Cafe OTO on 8th February 2009 by Shane Browne and Anna Tjan. Mixed and mastered by Sebastian Lexer. Cover art concept by Seymour Wright and designed by Myah Chun.

The piano is doomed, in my opinion, said the younger. The piano-tuner also, said the elder.The pianist also, said the younger.  Samuel Beckett in Watt "Right from the beginning a sensitivity is brought to bear on the sound-sources. Tapping. Rooting around for sounds. Prospecting for sounds. Testing the ground. Sound-diviners. We are experiencing the birth pangs of melody. I no longer share Beckett's gloomy prognosis. In the hands of Sebastian Lexer, with his piano and his computer, good music is being created. Is there any other criterion?" John Tilbury, May 2009.  "While reed instruments are all about air and pressure, the piano is essentially about sustain. The silky elegance one usually associates with the instrument is a result of careful engineering, so that one string sounds seamlessly after the previous one. On "Dazwischen", the whole mechanism is opened up to the forces of chance and chaos, picking up all kind of ethereal vibrations - a true ghost box." - Derek Warmsly, The Wire --- Sebastian Lexer / piano +, Max/MSP --- Recorded at the Electronic Music Studios, Goldsmiths, London, on 16th November 2008.  Max/MSP programming, recording and mastering by Sebastian Lexer.

Recording of the long overdue meeting of Prévost & Schlippenbach.  On Eddie Prévost's drum solo - "...absolutely masterful dissertation in jazz drumming with roots in Roach and Blackwell; it might be one of the finest jazz percussion solos on record. He does take something from the AMM experience in that he dwells in a handful of specific areas for minutes at a time, not flying willy-nilly over his set (thus recalling Jerome Cooper's wonderful solo performances from the 70s). So he begins with brushes on drumheads, gradually adds in cymbals, proceeds to sticks on toms and rims, has a brief episode with the full set, then eventually concentrates on the cymbals to end things. Throughout, he maintains a quick rhythm with a light touch, a thread that helps the entire piece cohere beautifully. His melodic touch is astonishing-Roach would be proud. This track alone makes purchase of "Blackheath" mandatory." - Brian Olewnick  "In his early period, Prévost was jokingly referred to as the "Art Blakey of Brixton", while Schlippenbach emulated the Jazz Messengers during the early 60's. "Art Blakey was one of our idols," says the pianist. We transcribed and copied the songs of Jazz Messengers records in the Manfred School Quintet.” - Christoph Wagner.  --- Eddie Prévost / drums Alexander von Schlippenbach / piano  --- Recorded at a concert given at Blackheath Halls, London, England on 30th March 2008 by Sebastian Lexer. Mastered by Sebastian Lexer.

"The idea of music can inhibit musical development. The musical practice that Seymour and I share, and aspire to develop, is the experimental. It is an open engagement with the materiality, in our case especially materials that can make sounds. It is, I suggest, a mixing of materiality without general sensibility of enquiry. We wish to know the nature of things, we wish to invest ourselves into the nature of things. We observe responses to sounds and we want to develop a processive philosophy in which the investigative ethic is given full rein. We know from our experience that new human relationships can develop within such a collaborative practice. This is the art to which we apply our imaginations." - Eddie Prévost --- Eddie Prévost - roto toms  Seymour Wright - alto saxophone --- Recorded at Trinity College of Music, Greenwich, England on 2nd of April 2008 by Sebastian Lexer. Mastered by Sebastian Lexer. Cover art by Paula Wright.

Flawlessly recorded in 2008, this is Eddie Prevost and John Tilbury with guest John Butcher in quiet mood; every tiny sound counts and every shade of timbre has space to make its presence felt.  "The tiniest sound is amplified by intention. Other noises are transformed into counterpoint. The music begins. Tentative suggestions are offered, politely ignored, admonished or not noticed. Serendipitous slips of the wrist are canonised -- pursued by conflagrations and spectacular shell bursts. Momentum is achieved. The music has an energy with which the musicians can wrestle, deflecting its trajectory or being thrown inconsequentially aside. Tempo defied temporality. Logic limps away. As suddenly as the turbulence arose it subsides, hovering portentously, unpredictable and uncontrollable in all those ways a serialist doesn't trust. The musician waits, trying to anticipate and out-think the unthinking but thinkable direction the sounds will take. Construction overtakes the constructionist, who can only nod approvingly as the piers and girders of musical form slot automatically into place. Here is the invisible handshake, enjoined before a motion was ever formulated. The music makes itself -- just as man makes himself. Here are volition, intention, determination tempered by acceptance of eventuality. Here is definition by action. I am what I am because I do what I do, acted upon and acting upon. The sound returns. The contra-bass drum resounds, its deep vibration sympathising with the solar-plexus. The echo grows weaker and richer at the same time, as its lingering residue settles into the crevices of perception. The drummer raises the beater; then slowly and with conscious care withdraws the intention. No more sound is need." - Eddie Prevost --- Eddie Prevost / percussion John Tilbury / piano John Butcher / soprano & tenor saxophone --- Recorded at Trinity College of Music, Greenwich, on 13th January 2008 by Sebastian Lexer. Mastered by Sebastian Lexer. Cover 'Lamberton Court' by Andrew Prevost.

Interlace/Ongaku presented this live show at the Shunt Lounge in the labyrinth under the London Bridge station in November of 2006. Three groups performed: the e-a improv quartet of Tom Chant, Ross Lambert, Sebastian Lexer and Matt Milton; the trumpet/Indian harmonium duo of Jamie Coleman and Mark Wastell; and the AMM duo of Eddie Prevost and John Tilbury. --- Ross Lambert / guitarSebastian Lexer / piano, computerTom Chant / soprano saxophone, tenor saxophoneMatt Milton / violinSeymour Wright / alto saxophoneMark Wastell / harmonium Jamie Coleman / trumpetEddie Prévost / percussionJohn Tilbury / piano --- An Interlace/Ongaku presentation at Shunt Lounge, London Bridge on 9th November 2006. With kind support of Shunt Lounge and EMS Goldsmiths’ College. Title taken from John Ruskin, Modern Painters Vol.V Part IX ‘Of Invention Spiritual’ 1860

Brotzmann/Bailey peer Alan Wilkinson on alto and baritone, Joe Williamson, who's worked with Chadbourne, Tony Buck, etc on the double bass, and AMM / Matchless bossman AMM alumni Mr Eddie Prévost in a short, single  --- Alan Wilkinson / alto saxophone, baritone saxophone  Joe Williamson / double bass   Eddie Prévost / drums   --- Recorded at Freedom of the City Festival, London, 2006, by Sebastian Lexer. Photograph by Stefano Tedesco.

"Alan Wilkinson’s best known for his work with the high-energy Hession-Wilkinson-Fell trio. His discography includes just two duets, both with guitar players, but anyone who can stand up to both Derek Bailey and Stefan Jaworzyn comes out of a large and resource-rich bag. He is by far the most energy-oriented player to join Prévost in this particular ring, but the latter’s overriding determination to play exactly what the music of the moment requires serves him well here. Despite what I said a moment, ago, don’t get the idea that there’s any sparring going on here; while Wilkinson hits hard on both alto and baritone sax, this is a record where the two men work together, not against each other. Each is respectful of the other’s individuality and ability. Wilkinson does contribute some feral blowing; his unbridled snorts and whinnies on the title track are positively Ayleresque in their dimensions. But Prévost’s contributions take the music to a different place, unstable yet completely assured. His work in AMM has labeled him a percussionist, and rightly so, but listen to “Supa, Supa;” with its shuffling high-hat and dancing brushes – this is idiomatically aware jazz drumming of a very high order. Some of the best music occurs when they bring things down. On the lengthy and languorous “For Marlene,” baritone first sings quietly and then bubbles while toms rumble; a melody winds and twists whilst discovering itself in empty space. Exquisite." - Bill Meyer, Dusted Magazine --- Eddie Prévost / drums Alan Wilkinson / alto & baritone saxophones --- Recorded at Barefoot Studios, London, on 10th January 2006, by Mark Richie. Front cover by Gina Southgate.

5 pieces for tam-tam. "Entelechy is virtually autonomous. The tam-tam was suspended upon its usual rectangular frame. In this instance a battery driven electric motor was set up alongside the tam-tam with wire threads fanning out from a small rotating wheel. I set this in motion and retired to the control room as the tam-tam (as it were) told its own story." --- Eddie Prévost - tam-tam  --- 1. Mixd - 18:09 2. Beaten - 6:24 3. Scraped - 6:12 4. Bowed - 5:57 5. Entelechy - 32:52

"From the music's opening gestures, the soundworld invokes all things interior and meditative. The improvisations certainly do not sound like AMM, but some of that legendary aggregate's sonic mystique is in evidence, as each sound seems to exist, for the most part, as a force to be reckoned with in and of itself. Drones ebb and flow as Butcher explores his astonishing brand of multiphonics and Prevost is right there with him every step of the way. Indeed, the two musicians create orchestral textures at many points throughout this absorbing set, stereo placement being the only way to tell who's making a particular sound." - All About Jazz --- Eddie Prévost - tam-tam and other percussion John Butcher - tenor and soprano saxophones ---  Recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston-upon-Thames, England on July 17th 2005 by Steve Lowe. Front cover "Prospect of Whitby" by Terry Ellis.

First solo recordings from Lou Gare, founding member of AMM.  "Toward the end of his fine short essay for Laminal, AMM's 30th Anniversary set, Jim O'Rourke asks in relation to the experience of simultaneously hearing the record and viewing the accompanying photograph of AMM's The Crypt, "where was the saxophone?" Here, almost 40 years later, it is. Solo exposed, unfettered, no strings attached. A long way from where it was, or might have been, then, and has been carried, blown, viewed qua saxophone, and not (for a time with AMM played bugle-like with bottom end pads and keys removed) since. Fecund, heavy with ideas and the weight of everywhere and everything it's been in between...Without cease, traces, quotes, paraphrases and retellings run through this music, shaping and propelling its form and ideas. The appearance and development of melodies, motifs and often standards which are then worked, stretched, worried at, broken down, put back together and played with before being let drift away, is, Lou suggests more influenced by Indian music than the jazz tradition. Two examples here are "Loose Blues" and "Good Morning Mr. Rollins" which appears to acknowledge an unplanned musical meeting with a sound and through it the idea of an old musical acquaintance, as if unexpectedly bumping into someone on the way to do something else." - Seymour Wright.  --- Lou Gare / tenor saxophone --- Recorded at Firefly Studios, Thowleigh, Devon, England on 13th and 20th April 2005. Recording engineer Richard Knapp. Front cover photograph by Penny Gare.

The inventive and lively community of students at the University of East Anglia's sadly defunct School of Music designated improvisation as the 'theme' for the curriculum in 2005, and invited John Tilbury and Edwin Prevost to Norwich to give lectures, workshops and the first AMM concert in East Anglia. Simon Waters (senior lecturer at the time) writes: "Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the experience for me was it's immediate memorability. Even before replaying the recording I had a clear aural memory of the sequence of events / sounds - a response shared by the audience - and I found myself anticipating the musical development with an eerie accuracy. There's something extraordinarily 'composed' about their activity, albeit composed in real-time. I think it's the unequivocal quality of what they do that makes this performance so immediately memorable." --- John Tibury / piano Eddie Prévost / percussion --- Tracklisting: 1. track 1 - 8:33 2. track 2 - 13:33 3. track 3 - 8:15 4. track 4 - 12:30 5. track 5 - 11:44 --- Recorded at a concert given at the School of Music, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England on 14th February 2005. Recorded by Simon Waters. Front cover Janice Tilbury.

Solo reed recordings from the fourteenth ONGAKU: enjoy-sound event.      "Solo wind playing relies entirely on the musician putting the forces of production into motion, by the interaction of breath with reed and mouthpiece, and of hands or other objects of the body of the instrument. Sounds can't be reduced in this context, they can only be processed at a lesser rate of occurence, or not at all. Come. Listen." - ONGAKU: enjoy-sound   ---   Nathaniel Catchpole / tenor saxophone John Butcher / tenor saxophone Seymour Wright / alto saxophone Kai Fagaschinski / clarinet Lou Gare / tenor saxophone Evan Parker / soprano saxophone --- Tracklisting:  1. Maurice Brinton (NC) - 18:51 2. All Wright! (SW) - 12:17 3. Saxophony (LG) - 16:53 4. Manchmal glaube ich schon, daß es überhaupt keine Liebe mehr gibt (KF) - 8:53 5. Ich kann im Fortschrift keinen Fortschift sehen (KF) - 13:50 6. 291/5 (JB) - 18:44 7. Solo for Hugh Davies (EP) 19:00 --- Recorded at 291 Gallery, in Hackney, London, UK on the 9th of January 2005 at an ongaku: enjoy_sound production. Recording engineer Ross Lambert. Front cover photograph by Alan and Meg Kemp - "Naturalists and Nomads."

John Tilbury presents interpretations of two radio pieces by Beckett - Cascando and Rough for Radio 1. For the first he speaks both parts and plays subtly electronically modulated piano, for the second he is joined by Christina Jones (speaking) and Eddie Prevost and Sebastian Lexer (music, or rather sound interludes).  ---- Samuel Beckett / composition John Tilbury / piano and voice Sebastian Lexer / electronics Christina Jones / voice --- Tracklisting: 1. Cascando - 22:442. Rough for Radio - 19:01  --- Recorded at Trinity College of Music, Greenwich, and the Electronic Music Studios of Goldsmiths College, London between 2004 and 2005. Front cover: 'Script' by Janice Tilbury.

Apogee chronicles both a first-time meeting of AMM and MEV (Musica Eletronnica Viva), and one of the last performances of that longest-running version of AMM. apogee 1, 2 and 3 are studio recordings of the two groups together; the second pairs performances by each individual group: a thirty-nine-minute piece by AMM entitled 01.05.04, and a thirty-six-minute piece by MEV, also entitled 01.05.04 (perhaps mere date, but also May Day), both recorded at London's Freedom of the City Festival. MEV includes Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski, and Richard Teitelbaum. “AMM and MEV go back together almost as far as AMM itself. In 1969 or so, Earl Brown released an LP on Mainstream Records called Live Electronic Music Improvised which had AMM on one side and MEV on the other. It was a great and forward looking idea, but unfortunately the labels (on MOST but not ALL copies) somehow got reversed. That, if nothing else, tied us together for decades." - Richard Teitelbaum --- John Tilbury / pianoKeith Rowe / guitar & electronicsEddie Prévost / percussionAlvin Curran / electronicsFrederic Rzewski / pianoRichard Teitelbaum / keyboard --- 'apogee' 1, 2 and 3 recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England on 30th April 2004. '01.05.04' were recorded at Freedom of the City festival, Conway Hall, London on 1st May 2004 by Sebastian Lexer. Artwork designed by Ian Walters.  To buy the physical CD, head to to Eddie Prévost's CD store, Matchless Recordings.

French improvisational group, featuring: Frédéric Blondy, Bertrand Denzier, Jean Luc Guionnet, Jean-Sébastien Mariage, Edward Perraud. "Hubbub works on the sound matter and creates an expanded space inhabited by stripes, interlaced designs, resonances, tanglings, points and strokes, at the border of acoustic and electric worlds." "From a line, and from's it's slowness, that vibrates, that, trembles, I say, that it is, no more talkative, than a cloud, of its likeness, or than a, gust of wind, in the trees, Now, felling, compelled, to produce words, I say, that it is no, more silent, than a fearful dog, than a satisfied cat, or, than a disturbed, cow, then all bark, purr, or moo, One calls, and the world, answers, One keeps silent, and the world, calls us. This is to be, at the heart, of a line, that vibrates, that trembles, The line dwells, on the side, of the, w o r l d." HOIB liner notes.  --- Jean-Luc Guionnet / alto & soprano saxophones  Edward Perraud / drums, percussion Jean-Sébastien Mariage / guitar Frédéric Blondy / piano Bertrand Denzler / tenor saxophone --- Recorded on September 2002 at Le Grand Mix by Jean-Pierre Bouquet. Mixed and mastered by Jean-Pierre Bouquet. Liner Notes [Translation] by Patrick McGinley. Painting and text by Marc Perron-Bailly. Photography by Yvan Clédat.