Awakenings: live ambient and electronic music

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Awakenings: Performers

2009 Performers
4m33s

Appearances: 10.06.05, 09.12.06, 19.04.08, 18.04.09 & 10.07.10

Personnel:
John Sherwood 

Further info: Most of his music is dark, droney, and tinkly, but when he plays live he usually makes it more accessible, even beaty, adding in some tracks from his alter-ego Yorky. He uses keyboards, guitar and software instruments on stage, two or three at a time, mixed live. 4m33s 

Airsculpture
Appearances: 02.12.05 & 10.07.10

Personnel:
Adrian Beasley, John Christian and Peter Ruczynski

Further info:
Airsculpture play live, improvised electronic music. All aspects of the music are performed live with no preperation whatsoever. Their pieces are usually lengthy and drifting dreamscapes marked by sprawling cycles of layered sequencer patterns. Harmony and melody add fullness and focus but the main attributes of this music remains texture and mood.

Altres

Appearances: 23/30.10.10 (TBC)

Personnel: 
Joseph Donnelly - synths, Kevin 'L' Guthrie - synths, Brian Hutton - guitar, Michael Nelson - guitar, Electra 'C' Smith - vocals

Further info: 
ALTRES are a band from Dundee, Scotland who originally formed in 1983, playing mostly instrumental, improvised electronic music at a time when very few bands, if any, were making this type of music in the UK. This line-up split in 1985, but after a short break lasting 17 years, ALTRES reformed in 2003.

Astrogator

Appearances: 02.12.05, 08.07.06, 09.12.06, 28.06.08, 22.11.08 & 06.02.10

Personnel:
Jez Creek and Steve Humphries

Further info: 
Astrogator are UK synthesists Steve Humphries (Create) and Jez Creek (Modulator ESP). They produce electronic music inspired by such artists as Airsculpture, Arcane, Jean Michel Jarre, Radio Massacre International, Redshift, Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. The music of Astrogator is mostly improvised and ranges from abstract ambient soundscapes to intensely rhythmic sequences overlaid with melodic and progressive elements.

Edge Effect
Appearances: 27.09.08, 26.09.09 & 13.03.10

Personnel:
Andy Preston: Synths, Electronics, Video, Computers.

Further info:
The work of Edge Effect is an attempt to blend high-art sensibilities with Punk Rock's do-it-yourself ethic. My main focus is dark-ambient electronic music, but I'm also engaged in video work & other artistic projects.  
 

 

Ethereal Electric Elixir
Appearances: 21.02.09 & 18.09.10

Personnel:
John Sherwood, Lee Shepherd and Steve Palmer

Further info:
A new project from John Sherwood to fill the gap brought about by Cult of Ashand's Steve being unable to play. Features John and two guitarists. Should be interesting.

Hashtronaut
Appearances: 22.11.08,  24.10.09 & 18.09.10

Personnel:
Mick Daniel (& Lee Shepherd)

Further info:
Hashtronaut is currently earth based in Liverpool, England. Plays synthesizers, guitar and bass. He is also a member of Pylene 50 and Cerberus

Ion

Appearances: 27.09.08, 24.10.09 & 23/30.10.10 (TBC)

Personnel:
David & Jules

Further info:
Ion is a new solo venture by the established UK musician, David J. Hughes. Ion is an attempt to get back to basics, to shift the emphasis away from keyboard chops and screaming solos and towards a more symphonic and more mature and  more relaxed state of mind.
 

Modulator ESP
Appearances: 03.10.04, 07.11.04, 22.04.05, 08.07.06, 23.02.08, 28.06.08, 18.04.09, 21.11.09, 17.04.10 & 23/30.10.10 (TBC)

Personnel:
Jez Creek

Further info:
Modulator ESP produces improvised experimental soundscapes using synthesizers, sampling, sequencing, looping and processing to create strange worlds of sound somewhere between '70s space music, noise and dark ambient drone. He is also a member of Astrogator, Cerberus and Quadra

Norman Phay

Appearances: 06.02.10

Personnel:
Norman Phay

Further info:
Electronic sketches played on analogue synthesizers and diverse instruments by Norman Phay of Vietgrove.

The Omega Syndicate

Appearances: 10.06.05, 08.07.06, 18.04.09 & 18.09.10

Personnel:
Dave Gurr (of Demeter Falls, The Phoenix Project, C.H.A.O.S and Architexture), Xan Alexander plus special guests including John Sherwood and Rob Clynes

Further info:
David and Xan met through a mutual friend and began working together in June 2002. The music of The Omega Syndicate is constantly evolving and the line-up is constantly expanding to include a diverse range of musicians.

Pollard, Daniel & Booth

Appearances: 06.05.06, 26.09.09 & 17.04.10

Personnel:
Brendan Pollard, Mick Daniel and Phil Booth aka Pollard/Daniel/Booth

Further info: 
Brendan is half of Rogue Element, he is a big fan of vintage gear and makes his music using Mellotrons, modular synthesizers and other analogue goodies. His music evokes that of '70s Tangerine Dream at their peak.

Radio Massacre International
Appearances: 10.06.05 & 13.03.10

Personnel:
Steve Dinsdale, Duncan Goddard and Gary Houghton

Further info:
Radio Massacre International perform retro improvisational EM and space rock usings sequencers, synths, samplers, guitar, bass and drums. 'From seemingly minimal templates, RMI generate complex patterns of electronic textures that merge and mutate to become pleasantly crafted harmonics of cosmic proportion.' (MATT HOWARTH Sonic Curiosity).

Nick Robinson

Appearances: 30.09.05, 06.05.06 & 06.02.10

Personnel:
Nick Robinson

Further info:
Repetition and Intuition are the key factors behind Nick's music. He uses the guitar as an organic sound source in conjunction with looping technology and treatments to build soundscapes. His pieces are born, evolve and die away.

Peter Tedstone

Appearances: 28.06.08, 27.06.09 & 17.04.10

Personnel:
Peter Tedstone

Further info:
Peter uses a mixture of real vintage analogue synthesisers and virtual analogue software synthesizers for his live performances. For Awakenings, Peter will be donning his retro hat.

A skillful mixture of Berlin School style EM, fastened with the driving forces of England School aggressiveness and percussion was how Peter's music was described in one review. 

Previous Performers
Xan Alexander & Stuart Judd

Appearances: 27.06.09

Personnel:
Xan Alexander & Stuart Judd

Further info: 
Xan does solo stuff and performs as a member of The Omega Syndicate, Stuart does solo stuff as Chromengel and has also played with The Omega Syndicate. This is a new joint venture to try something a bit different.

Awen

Appearances: 08.07.05

Personnel:
Richard Wentk

Further info:
The music of Awen features a mixture of old and new electronic styles, from ambient to trance.

Binar
Appearances: 08.07.05

Personnel:
Andy Pickford and Paul Nagle (and special guest Phil Smillie)

Further info:
Binar were originally rather jokingly called Spank the Dark Monkey, but thought they wouldn't be taken seriously as STDM, hence the name change. 
Their music is improvised live on the night from prepared material and spans the entire spectrum of electronic styles.  

 

Ron Boots
Appearances: 22.04.05

Personnel:
Ron Boots and Harold van der Heijden

Further info:
Ron Boots is from Eindhoven in Holland. He considers himself part of the so-called third generation of electronic musicians. He is the co-owner of the Groove record label and also the organiser of the Dutch E-Live festival. This will be Ron's first visit to these shores for 10 years, his last being at the third EMMA festival in 1995. Live he is joined on electronic percussion by Harold van der Heijden.

Cerberus

Appearances: 21.02.09

Personnel:
Jez Creek, Mick Daniel & Phil Booth

Further info: 
Dark improvised experimental electronic music borrowing from styles as diverse as Ambient, Space Rock and the Berlin School. Will perform their entirely improvised set to the film 'The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari'

Peter Challoner
Appearances: 21.02.09

Personnel:
Peter Challoner

Further info:
Peter Challoner is an electronic musician from the UK creating textural ambient and rhythmic contemporary electronic music. Peter will be performing his first ever solo live set at Awakenings. The set will include elements from the new ambient album plus some rhythmic and sequencer elements too.  

Create
Appearances: 07.11.04, 12.08.05, 08.07.06 & 22.11.08

Personnel:
Steve Humphries

Further info:
Steve made his first live appearance at the second Awakenings gig in Nottingham on 7.11.04. Though his debut CD (available from Groove) 'Reflections From The Inner Light', which is a tribute to the Berlin School of EM,  was wholly created using Reason software, his live rig is augmented with plenty of proper hardware.

Entity
Appearances: 02.12.05,  06.05.06 and 19.04.08

Personnel:
Steve Munslow and John Sherwood

Further info:
Entity is Steve Munslow (HyperEx Machina) ably assisted by John Sherwood (4m33s). They make live electronic music. 

 

The Glimmer Room

Appearances: 12.08.05 & 27.09.08

Personnel:
Andy Condon

Further info:
Andy refers to himself as a bedroom recording artist, keyboard fetishist and convicted technophile. The Glimmer Room's sound weaves chopped up breaks and beats with lush synthesis and melodic instrumentation to form atmospheric, layered soundscapes. Live he is joined by OJ of The Jupiter 8 on guitar and laptop.

HyperEx Machina
Appearances: 11.02.05, 28.10.06 & 19.04.08

Personnel:
Steve Munslow

Further info:
HyperEx Machina is the ambient alter-ego of the harder edged Hyperdriver aka Steve Munslow from London. His music is ambient with sequences and arpeggios, drifting soundscapes and unnerving contrasts. Occasionally it breaks out into moderate beats, but is always very melodic and involving.

Mooch

Appearances: 28.06.08

Personnel:
Stephen Palmer - guitars, synths, ethnic things, plus production

Further info:
Mooch were formed in 1992 by Steve Palmer. There have been a number of different line-ups over the years, but now Mooch is back to just Stephen. Mooch is space rock, psychadelic, electronic or whatever else Stephen fancies. 

Second Thought

Appearances: 30.09.05

Personnel:
Ross Baker

Further info:
Ross is an electronic and often ambient artist from various locations in the United Kingdom. His music conjours images and soundtracks of various places in his head, via ambient soundscapes, industrial rhythms and a heavy load of field recordings.

Skin Mechanix

Appearances: 11.02.05, 02.12.05 & 28.10.06

Personnel:
David Hughes

Further info:
Skin Mechanix make music with dance rhythms fused with throbbing retro sequences and fiery electronic soundscapes, strong melodies and challenging arrangements, all fused together into a magical melange, to occupy a new territory which is perhaps unique in the UK synth music scene. 

Spiraleye

Appearances: 25.10.08

Personnel:
Peter Challoner and Neale Haddon

Further info:
Spiraleye produce contemporary improvised electronic soundscapes. Neale plays guitar and guitar synth whilst Pete plays keyboards, synths and does the rhythms.  

Vietgrove

Appearances: 30.09.05, 28.10.06 & 21.11.09

Personnel:
Norman Phay (synths/ guitar/ bass/ programming) and Mark Bailey (guitar/ bass/ programming)

Further info:
Originally formed in 1986 this line-up has been in place since the 1997 release 'Orbus Tertius'. They have just released the follow-up 'A Little Apocrypha' after 8 years. Vietgrove's music is like a cross between Prog Rock and traditional EM.

Von Haulshoven

Appearances: 24.10.09

Personnel: 
Eppie E Hulshof

Further info: 
Von Haulshoven does not like the average "top 40" music but loves electronic soundscapes and sequenced rhythm parts. He makes stone age sequences combined with smack you in the face FX and orbit strings. Doing this for over 30 years. Making music just for fun, "I aint no business man"

Terje Winther

Appearances: 26.09.09

Personnel:
Terje Winther

Further info: 
Terje is from Norway is a member of WintherStormer. He uses old and new analogue synthesizers to create his music. Inspired by the Berlin school of electronic music, with influences from Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and Ashra as well as prog-rock and kraut-rock of the 1970s. Terje improvises vast electronic sound-spaces. His first performance in the UK was at the Hampshire Jam Jam in 2008

Almost Performers
Cult of Ashand

Appearances: due to play 21.02.09

Personnel:
John Sherwood & Steve Munslow

Further info: 
A dark fusion of rock and electronic music. 'Ambient meets rock in a dark place'

Geigertek

Appearances: due to play 27.06.09

Personnel: 
Neil Fellowes

Further info: 
The music of Neil Fellowes and Geigertek Project is conceived and created in a contemporary recording environment using computer-based synthesizers and sound processors, to produce subtle blends of ambient soundscapes with melodic intervals and synthetic rhythms.

The Jupiter 8

Appearances: due to play on 21.11.09

Personnel: 
OJ

Further info: 
The Jupiter 8 is a solo project featuring OJ on bass, guitar and software synths. Live OJ will be joined by Andy C of the Glimmer Room. There’s not 8 of us and we don’t come from Jupiter Welcome to The Jupiter 8

['ramp]

Appearances: due to play 21.11.09

Personnel:
Stephen Parsick

Further info: 
['ramp] is now Stephen Parsick who is an electronic musician from Germany. Over the years he has performed experimental Ambient/Drone work solo and more Berlin School/Ambient music as a member of RPM/ ['ramp]

René van der Wouden

Appearances: due to play 18.04.09

Personnel:
René van der Wouden

Further info: 
Composer and producer of electronic based music. Founding owner of REWO Records. Started with making music when 5 years old and taking piano lessons from the age of 8. Both parents very musical and supported René from the very first beginning.

All content copyright 2005 John Sherwood and Jez Creek
All music copyright belongs to the respective artists