thanks: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) at On The Way Out, Brooklyn

Videography: Don Mount.

Thanks to our hosts Freddy’s and, in particular, Michael Evans of On The Way Out for their generosity in offering us the stage to perform last night (July 24, 2012). Thanks also to Jesse Stacken and Don Mount for the recording and documentation, to Christine Bard’s cast of thousands for sharing the stage, and to all who came to listen.

And of course my thanks to the always creative Nick Didkovsky and endlessly imaginative Catherine Sikora. After the swift, seemingly effortlessness of the first performance by Eris 136199, this was much more of a struggle for me (in the best possible sense), ranging as it did from the loud, heavy machinery noises to the quiet, delicate sounds. Thanks, Nick, Catherine, for pushing and pulling the music into ever more interesting spaces. Really looking forward to the next time we get to play!

Side effects of Eris 136199 may include temporary deafness, involuntary teleportation, spontaneous combustion, and molecular implosion. In addition, lab animals have been shown to dance without skill to the sound of double guitars and saxophone. …But you’ll love what it does to your brain! 😉

updates

02–13–13: updated video: complete performance now available to view.

reminder: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) at On The Way Out, Brooklyn

Nick Didkovsky, Catherine Sikora and Han-earl Park
This coming Tuesday (July 24, 2012), 8:30pm: a performance by Eris 136199: The Ultimate Nick Didkovsky (guitar), The Uncanny Han-earl Park (guitar), and The Astonishing Catherine Sikora (saxophones). The event is presented by On The Way Out takes place at The Backroom @ Freddy’s Bar (627 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215) [map/directions…].

This is one hell of a trio. Don’t believe me? Well, this is what we sounded like last time we played:

site update: Eris 136199

Nick Didkovsky, Catherine Sikora and Han-earl Park
The (provisional) project page for Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) is now live:

Eris 136199 is the noisy, unruly complexity of composer, computer artist and guitarist Nick Didkovsky, the corporeal, cyborg virtuosity of constructor and guitarist Han-earl Park, and the no-nonsense melodic logic of composer and saxophonist Catherine Sikora. Eris 136199 plays on the crossroads of noise, melody, rhythm, space, density, contrast, synchronicity, asymmetry, serendipity and contradiction.

A composer who enjoys blurry boundaries, Nick Didkovsky founded the avant-rock big band Doctor Nerve, and is a member of Swim This with Gerry Hemingway and Michael Lytle. He is a pioneer of small-systems computer music, and has composed music for ensemble including Bang On A Can All-Stars and the California EAR Unit.

Described by Brian Morton as “a musical philosopher… a delightful shape-shifter”, Han-earl Park is drawn to real-time cyborg configurations in which artifacts and bodies collide. He has performed with some of the finest practitioners of improvised music, is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, and Numbers with Richard Barrett.

Catherine Sikora is “a free-blowing player’s player with a spectacular harmonic imagination and an evolved understanding of the tonal palette of the saxophone” (Chris Elliot, Seacoast Online). She has long-standing duo projects with Eric Mingus and with Ziv Ravitz, and performs as part of ensembles led by Elliott Sharp, François Grillot and Matt Lavelle.

Together, Didkovsky, Park and Sikora forges an improvisative space where melody can be melody, noise can be noise, meter can be meter, metal becomes metal, bluegrass turns to bluegrass, jazz transforms into jazz, all there, all necessary without imploding under idiomatic pressures.

[Eris 136199 page…]

Eris 136199 is performing later this month (July 24, 2012) at Freddy’s Bar (Brooklyn). See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

performance diary 07-01-12 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
July 24, 2012 The Backroom @ Freddy’s Bar
627 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
8:30pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones), plus Christine Bard (drums, percussion and electronics), Bill McCrossen (bass) and Mercedes Figueras (saxophones), presented by On The Way Out.
Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[Freddy’s page…]
[facebook event…]
September 7, 2012 The Stone
16 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009
8:00pm Performance by Tim Perkis (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Harris Eisenstadt (percussion).
Admission: $10 (students 13–19: $5; children <12: free).
[Details…]
[The Stone calendar…]
[facebook event…]
September 8, 2012 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217
8:00pm Performance by Michael Evans (drums), Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Brad Henkel (trumpet), and Angelika Niescer Quartet (Angelika Niescer: alto sax; Florian Weber: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; and Tommy Crane: drums) presented as part of Save The Date #8.
Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
late 2012 North America Numbers (Richard Barrett: electronics; and Han-earl Park: guitar) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, late 2012.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
2013 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, 2013 for the cyborg ensemble of interactive, semi-autonomous, technological artifact and machine musician io 0.0.1 beta++ (itself) with human musicians Han-earl Park (guitar), Bruce Coates (saxophones) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophones). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]

Continue reading “performance diary 07-01-12 (Brooklyn, New York)”

performance: Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora at On The Way Out, Brooklyn

Nick Didkovsky, Catherine Sikora and Han-earl Park
Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 8:30pm (set: 10:00pm): a performance by Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) presented by On The Way Out takes place at The Backroom @ Freddy’s Bar (627 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215) [map/directions…]. Also performing: at 8:30pm, Christine Bard (drums, percussion and electronics), Bill McCrossen (bass) and Mercedes Figueras (saxophones). $10 suggested donation.

Super excited about playing with the Ultimate Didkovsky and the Astonishing Sikora again. Come down to the gig; if it’s anything like the last time we played, it’ll be very, very special.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Freddy’s page…] [facebook event…]

details

The trio of noisy, unruly complexity of composer, computer artist and guitarist Nick Didkovsky, the coporeal, cyborg virtuosity of constructor and guitarist Han-earl Park, and the no-nonsense melodic logic of composer and saxophonist Catherine Sikora plays on the crossroads of noise, melody, rhythm, space, density, contrast, synchronicity, asymmetry, serendipity and contradiction. The group forges an improvisative space where melody can be melody, noise can be noise, meter can be meter, metal becomes metal, bluegrass turns to bluegrass, jazz transforms into jazz, all there, all necessary without imploding under idiomatic pressures.

Annihilator of the boundaries between heavy metal and the avant garde, Nick Didkovsky founded the avant-rock big band Doctor Nerve, and is a member of Swim This with Gerry Hemingway and Michael Lytle. He is a pioneer of small-systems computer music, and he has composed music for ensemble including Bang On A Can All-Stars and the California EAR Unit.

Described by Brian Morton as “a musical philosopher… a delightful shape-shifter”, Han-earl Park is drawn to real-time cyborg configurations in which artifacts and bodies collide. He has performed with some of the finest practitioners of improvised music, is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, and Numbers with Richard Barrett.

Catherine Sikora is a “a free-blowing player’s player with a spectacular harmonic imagination and an evolved understanding of the tonal palette of the saxophone” (Chris Elliot, Seacoast Online). She has long-standing duo projects with Eric Mingus and with Ziv Ravitz, and performs as part of ensembles led by Elliott Sharp, François Grillot and Matt Lavelle.

performance diary 06-11-12 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
June 22, 2012 Dustin Carlson’s home
285 Midwood Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
8:00pm (doors: 7:00pm) Han-earl Park (guitar) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), plus Anna Webber and Mariel Berger, and Natura Morta (F.L., Sean Ali and Carlo Costa).
[Details…]
June 24, 2012 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert #12 with Jack Wright (saxophones), Ben Wright (bass), Andrew Drury (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
July 24, 2012 The Backroom @ Freddy’s Bar
627 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
8:30pm Performance by Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones), plus Christine Bard (drums, percussion and electronics), Bill McCrossen (bass) and Mercedes Figueras (saxophones), presented by On The Way Out.
Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[Freddy’s page…]
[facebook event…]
September 7, 2012 The Stone
16 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009
8:00pm Performance by Tim Perkis (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Harris Eisenstadt (percussion).
Admission: $10.
late 2012 North America Numbers (Richard Barrett: electronics; and Han-earl Park: guitar) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, late 2012.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
2013 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, 2013 for the cyborg ensemble of interactive, semi-autonomous, technological artifact and machine musician io 0.0.1 beta++ (itself) with human musicians Han-earl Park (guitar), Bruce Coates (saxophones) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophones). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]

Continue reading “performance diary 06-11-12 (Brooklyn, New York)”

thanks: Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora at ABC No Rio, New York

Nick Didkovsky, Catherine Sikora and Han-earl Park
Thanks to Blaise Siwula of COMA: Citizens Ontological Music Agenda and everyone at ABC No Rio for hosting the performance on Sunday (May 27, 2012). Thanks to Jim Goodin, Frederika Kreier, and the Rocco John Iacovone ensemble for sharing the stage.

Mono kudos to the Ultimate Nick Didkovsky and the Astonishing Catherine Sikora for the noise, melody, rhythm, space, density, contrast, synchronicity, asymmetry, serendipity and contradiction. For forging a space where melody can be melody, noise can be noise, meter can be meter, bluegrass can be bluegrass, all there, all necessary without imploding under idiomatic pressures. To Nick’s noisy, unruly complexity, where ‘extended technique’ doesn’t mean you can’t jam-on-C. To Catherine with her big, big sound, formidable technique, and impeccable melodic sense, who to quote Michael Lytle’s description of the performance “sailed around and through” the “sound machines.” Let’s return to this trio soon!

And if you’re wondering what we sounded like…

reminder: Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora at ABC No Rio, New York

Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora
This Sunday (May 27, 2012), event starting at 6:00pm: a performance by Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) as part of COMA: Citizens Ontological Music Agenda takes place at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002) [map/directions…]. Admission is $5. [Details…]

performance diary 05-14-12 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
May 27, 2012 ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) presented by COMA: Citizens Ontological Music Agenda.Also performing: Jim Goodin, Frederika Kreier, and the Rocco John Iacovone ensemble.Admission: $5.
[Details…]
[ABC No Rio page…]
[facebook event…]
June 7, 2012 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert #11 with Andrew Drury (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Bow Duo (Adrian Knight and Chris Cerrone).
Admission: $10.
[Details…]
June 22, 2012 Dustin Carlson’s home
285 Midwood Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
8:00pm (doors: 7:00pm) Han-earl Park (guitar) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), plus Anna Webber and Mariel Berger, and Natura Morta (F.L., Sean Ali and Carlo Costa).
[Details…]
July 24, 2012 The Backroom @ Freddy’s Bar
627 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
8:30pm Performance by Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) presented by On The Way Out.
More info to follow…
September 7, 2012 The Stone
16 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009
8:00pm Performance by Tim Perkis (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Harris Eisenstadt (percussion).
Admission: $10.
late 2012 North America Numbers (Richard Barrett: electronics; and Han-earl Park: guitar) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, late 2012.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
early 2013 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, early 2013 for the cyborg ensemble of interactive, semi-autonomous, technological artifact and machine musician io 0.0.1 beta++ (itself) with human musicians Han-earl Park (guitar), Bruce Coates (saxophones) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophones). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]

Continue reading “performance diary 05-14-12 (Brooklyn, New York)”

performance: Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora at ABC No Rio, New York

Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 6:00pm: Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) perform the penultimate set of COMA: Citizens Ontological Music Agenda. Also performing are Jim Goodin, Frederika Kreier, and the Rocco John Iacovone ensemble. The event starts at 6:00pm, takes place at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002) [map/directions…], and admission is $5.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [ABC No Rio page…] [facebook event…]

performances: London*2 and Scarborough

Mark Hanslip, Dominic Lash, Phillip Marks and Han-earl Park
Performances coming up, May 2012, in London and Scarborough including a performance by a relatively new project (Numbers with Richard Barrett), by the closest thing to ‘my band’ (Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith), and a new improvisative meet (with Mark Hanslip, Dominic Lash and Phillip Marks). See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Hope to see you at these events!

And for those back in New York, later in May I’ll be performing as part of an exciting trio with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora at ABC No Rio [details…].

CD cover of ‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd) with Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park (copyright 2012, Creative Sources Recordings)

‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd) is available from Creative Sources Recordings [details…]

Performers: Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

© + ℗ 2012 Creative Sources Recordings.

‘Mathilde 253’ (SLAMCD 528) CD cover (copyright 2010, Han-earl Park)

Mathilde 253 (SLAMCD 528) is available from SLAM Productions [details…]

Performers: Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn) plus Lol Coxhill (saxophone).

© 2010 Han-earl Park.
℗ 2010 SLAM Productions.

updates

04–30–12: add facebook event pages.

$100 Guitar Project: handover to Taylor Levine

Han-earl Park, the $100 guitar and Taylor Levine
After recording my sixty-seven second ditty for the $100 Guitar Project, the instrument gets handed over to Taylor Levine. [About my track…] [more about this project…]