Tag: Catherine Sikora

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performance diary 08-01-13 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
August 13, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance by Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Chris Pitsiokos (saxophone) and Philip White (electronics); and Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics). Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
September 19, 2013 The Stone
16 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009		 10:00pm Performance by Evan Parker (saxophones) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Admission: $15 $20 (students 13–19: $10; children <12: free).
[Details…]
[The Stone calendar…]
September 22, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet). Also performing: Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums). Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
October 27, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002		 6:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones). Details to follow…
November 17, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002		 6:00pm Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow…
October 2013 New York and surrounding areas I am seeking opportunities to perform Metis 9 in small and large ensemble contexts with, at its core, the trio of Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton. In particular, I am seeking performance opportunities for Gargantius Effect +4 (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean with Gino Robair, Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]
2013 North America Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, and, in 2014, elsewhere in the world.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]
2014 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, 2014 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…]

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performance diary 07-17-13 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
July 26, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance by Swim This (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Gerry Hemingway: drums; and Michael Lytle: bass clarinet) with Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Patty Franceschy (vibraphone) and Kate Gentile (drums). Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
August 13, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance by Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Chris Pitsiokos (saxophone) and Philip White (electronics); and Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics). Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10.
[DSMC page…]
September 22, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet). Also performing: Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums). Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10.
[DSMC page…]
October 27, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002		 6:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones). Details to follow…
November 17, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002		 6:00pm Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow…
October 2013 New York and surrounding areas I am seeking opportunities to perform Metis 9 in small and large ensemble contexts with, at its core, the trio of Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton. In particular, I am seeking performance opportunities for Gargantius Effect +4 (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean with Gino Robair, Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]
2013 North America Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, and, in 2014, elsewhere in the world.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]
2014 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, 2014 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…]

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The Wire: Han-earl Park with Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders, with Gargantius Effect, with Franziska Schroeder, and with Catherine Sikora and Ian Smith

The Wire (July 2013): Han-earl Park with Gargantius Effect, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders, Franziska Schroeder, Catherine Sikora and Ian Smith
I don’t expect my approach to real-time, interactive play and improvisative noise overlaps much with Richard Pinnell’s tastes, but Pinnell takes time to write a short overview of some of my download releases in the July issue of The Wire:

Four ‘name your price’ downloads from… guitarist Han-earl Park in various improv formations situated at the more traditional, loquaciously active end of the spectrum…. The sense of energy and joy in Park’s playing spills over into this flurry of online activity… fans of the talkative brand of improvised music will find something of value.

Traditional? Talkative? Vague? Relentless? Claustrophobic? What do you think?

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

Recommended price: $5+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Also available for download [more…]

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Marian Murray (violin).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Marian Murray.

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11) [details…]

Performers: Jin Sangtae (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums and electronics).

(cc) 2012 Jin Sangtae/Han-earl Park/Jeffrey Weeter.

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performance diary 07-03-13 (Brooklyn)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
July 26, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance by Swim This (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Gerry Hemingway: drums; and Michael Lytle: bass clarinet) with Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Patty Franceschy (vibraphone) and Kate Gentile (drums). Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
August 13, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance by Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Anna Webber (saxophone and flute), Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics); and more. Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10.
[DSMC page…]
September 22, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217		 8:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet). Also performing: Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums). Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10.
[DSMC page…]
October 2013 New York and surrounding areas I am seeking opportunities to perform Metis 9 in small and large ensemble contexts with, at its core, the trio of Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton. In particular, I am seeking performance opportunities for Gargantius Effect +4 (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean with Gino Robair, Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]
2013 North America Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, and, in 2014, elsewhere in the world.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]
2014 Europe Seeking performances in Europe, 2014 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 07-03-13 (Brooklyn)”

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thanks: Eris 136199 (DSMC, Brooklyn) and Lytle-Park (ABC No Rio, NYC)

Nick Didkovsky: “Wow. That was weird!”

Belated set of thanks for the performances earlier this month (June 5th and 9th). The biggest thanks to Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora who made this Eris 136199’s stragest performance so far, with unexpected and unpredictable turns and juxtapositions; and big thanks to Michael Lytle who invited me to join him for a duo performance at ABC No Rio. Thanks also to Blaise Siwula for organizing and curating COMA: Citizens Ontological Music Agenda, and to the other musicians who shared the bill and both events. In particular, kudos to Ras Moshe, Shayna Dulberger and John Pietaro for stepping up and contributing a fantastic set (plus John said one of the nicest things about my playing after Eris’ set: “You’re the Rashied Ali of the group!”); and to Craig Flanagin and Frank Marino for their great vibe on and off stage. Special thanks to Scott Friedlander for his indefatigable and expert documentation—audio, video and photographic—and a hat tip to Don Mount for helping Eris come up with a title for our first improvisation. Last but not least, thanks to all who came to listen and witness the noise, complexity and play.

Next up: performance in July with Swim This (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Gerry Hemingway: drums; and Michael Lytle: bass clarinet). See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

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reminder: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

This Wednesday (June 5, 2013), at 8:00pm: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) again visits the crossroads of noise, melody, rhythm, space, density, contrast, synchronicity, asymmetry, serendipity and contradiction. Also performing are Ras Moshe (saxophones), Shayna Dulberger (bass) and John Pietaro (percussion). The event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

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live review: Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

In Jazz Right Now’s review of the evening of duos that took place on May 16, Kris Davis and Andrew Drury’s performance was a “whirlwinds of sound”, and Catherine Sikora and Stanley Jason Zappa’s improvisation was “intense” and “intertwined”. Regarding Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park’s performance:

The saxophonist [Laubrock] displayed characteristic versatility with her instrument, while the guitarist [Park] played in his unique percussive style. The two had a resonance in their sound immediately, producing a pensive breathiness with foreboding overtones throughout the 40 minute performance. They seemed to cast away vulgar, simplistic attempts at clarity, preferring to open a liminal space between the benign expected and chaotic nothingness: a glimmer of deeper and deeper windows into the unexplained and undefined, all the while delving towards utter truths in their exploration. Laubrock’s percussive intensity that ultimately erupted into brilliant exclamations over Park’s mellower staccato ultimately merged into receding thunder. [Read the rest…]

Above video by Don Mount.

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performance: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at 8:00pm: a performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. Also performing: Ras Moshe (saxophones), Shayna Dulberger (bass) and John Pietaro (percussion). $10 suggested donation.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [DSMC page…]

about Eris 136199

Eris 136199 plays on the crossroads of noise, melody, rhythm, space, density, contrast, synchronicity, asymmetry, serendipity and contradiction. 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.

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 a long-standing duo project with Eric Mingus, 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.

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audio recordings: downloads and recommendations (series 1)

download album artwork: Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray (Cork, 07-29-10); Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11); Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09); and Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park (Cork, 04-04-11)
With the release of the recording with Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders, I’ve completed the current series of download albums, and I’ve been taking a break from releasing new recordings. The albums so far—all Creative Commons licensed, and free or ‘name your price’—are collated here and on the downloads page. With a break in the release schedule, I’ve taken the opportunity to overhaul the downloads page; the most significant update since I started, in September 2010, formally offering complete concert recordings online.

One notable update to the downloads page is the addition of the recommended Bandcamp albums that accompanied the current series. As I wrote previously, there are some very fine and inspiring creative, improvised and experimental music on Bandcamp, but it isn’t always easy to find the recordings. Here’s my small contribution to help people get started. Enjoy, download, share—support creative musicians!

Keywords: improvised music, creative music, jazz, free jazz, free improvisation, experimental music, electronic music, electroacoustic.

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Two non-stop sets of improvised music. This live recording juxtaposes the formidable creativity and muscular technique of veteran improviser-saxophonist Paul Dunmall, the imaginative cyborgian virtuosity of guitarist Han-earl Park, and the ever inventive playing of Mark Sanders, arguably the most sought-after improviser-drummer of his generation. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Han-earl Park, Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

The Gargantius Effect is the brainchild of Murray Campbell and Randy McKean. This album documents Gargantius Effect’s August 2011 tour of Northern California with special guest and fellow Sonologist Han-earl Park, plus Bay Area veteran improviser, composer and electronic artist Gino Robair, and hyperpianist Scott R. Looney. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

A solo performance by guitarist-constructor Han-earl Park exploring, with feedback and resonant buzzes, the complex, cavernous acoustics of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, and the interactions between artifact (guitar) and the body (guitarist). For ‘Strokes and Screwballs,’ Park is joined by violinist-improviser Marian Murray for a conversational improvisation. [More info…]

Recommended price: $5+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

A stark, real-time evolution of on-stage relations. The performance took place during Seoul-based experimental electronic musician Jin Sangtae’s European tour. Featuring clanking hard drives, buzzing electronics, noisy guitars and machine gun percussion, this recording captures Jin’s meeting with guitarist-improviser Han-earl Park, and composer, drummer and intermedia artist Jeffrey Weeter. [More info plus the 24-bit edition…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

“Sounds reverberate and carry in unexpected ways, and music improvised here [The Glucksman Gallery] runs the risk of losing all definition. That [Han-earl] Park and his co-improviser Franziska Schroeder gracefully avoided this testifies to their alertness, sensitivity and experience working together in other spaces…. Indeed the evening had the feeling of conversation, with the instrumentalists demonstrating the improvisatory give-and-take of a convivial exchange of ideas.” [More info…]

Recommended price: $5+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

A performance by Catherine Sikora, a saxophonist with a striking, compelling sound. She has been described as “a free-blowing player’s player with a spectacular harmonic imagination and an evolved understanding of the tonal palette of the saxophone”. Sikora was joined by cofounder of the London Improvisers’ Orchestra, trumpeter Ian Smith, and guitarist Han-earl Park. Smith and Park had just come off the tour as part of the power-trio Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward) with Wadada Leo Smith. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

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thanks: Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Necessity is the mother of invention. Catherine Sikora initially approached me about a ‘cryptic gig’, saying that Stanley Jason Zappa would be in town. As a last minute event, with little time for organization, I proposed an evening of duos. Pragmatically, if I’d asked for larger ensembles, people would have to check the availability of a larger number of people; something that can be time consuming in this town. So I asked Ingrid Laubrock, who I’d just been talking about playing with when I saw her at Gowanus Company in April, if she’d be interested in a duo. I also asked Andrew Drury if he could put somthing together, and he got Kris Davis onboard. When the dust settled, catching my breath, I looked at the lineup of the evening, and realized what a kick-ass group of musicians we had for the event.

Thanks to all involved in the May 16 event. For the music: Ingrid, Catherine, Andrew, Stanley and Kris; and for pitching the initial idea for the event: Catherine; for the documentation: Don Mount and Kevin Reilly (what we may lack in other resources, we more than make up for in documentation 😉 ; and for the help: Kevin. Thanks for listening: all who came to witness music in real-time!

Next up: performances coming up in June as part of Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora), and with Michael Lytle. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

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reminder: Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park
This Thursday (May 16, 2013), at 8:00pm (our set: 9:00pm): Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones) and Han-earl Park (guitar) perform as part of an evening of duo improvisations. Also performing are Kris Davis (piano) and Andrew Drury (drums), and Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Stanley Jason Zappa (saxophones). The event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

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site update: Metis 9

The (provisional) project page for Metis 9 is now live:

Metis 9 is a collection of improvisative tactics, and higher-level interactive macros for ensemble performance designed, designated and specified by Han-earl Park.

Metis 9 has ‘glorious noise’ or ‘frenzy’ at its root, yet it is not so much structuring the noise as it is a meta-layer of complexity that performers can introduce at will. Metis 9 does not tell the performer what to play, or provide all the details of how to interact, but it is an additional network protocol for interactive possibilities. Group improvisation is always the primary protocol; Metis 9 provides secondary or tertiary tactics that create an additional focused complexity. The decision for each bloop and bleep is still retained by the ensemble. These macros enable specific interactionist schemes to be expressed in an open improvisative context; it is improvisative play channeled by group consent.

Metis 9 builds on my experience teaching improvisation at University College Cork, and performing as part of large ensembles led by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker and Pauline Oliveros. Metis 9 includes tactics developed from performances and practices of Cecil Taylor, Tony Oxley, John Zorn and Anthony Braxton, in particular, and the form of its practice (training and instruction) is inspired by the ensemble improvisation-composition works of George E. Lewis among others.

[Metis 9 page…]

I am seeking opportunities to perform Metis 9 in small and large ensemble contexts with, at its core, the trio of Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton. In particular, I am seeking performance opportunities for Gargantius Effect +4 (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean with Gino Robair, Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton) in October 2013 in North America (contact me for other locations and dates). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!