CD available: Numbers: Richard Barrett + Han-earl Park

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

Released as part of Creative Sources Recordings’ February 2012 CD catalog: ‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd), a duo recording by composer, performer and electronic musician Richard Barrett and guitarist, improviser and constructor Han-earl Park.

[Creative Sources catalog page…]
[Numbers project page…]
[Discography entry…]

description

Lively, relevant, dizzying electroacoustic music; music that seems to be daring us to try and catch it. [More…]

— François Couture (Monsieur Délire)

The fractured phrases that erupt throughout this disc often sound like just one musician playing…. Completely unique, exciting and engaging. [More…]

— Bruce Lee Gallanter (Downtown Music Gallery)

By means of an intricate web of sonic hiccups, scrapes, scouring, gluts, gargles and cuts, they build an acoustic lucid computational delirium, whose trajectory is impossible to outguess. [More…]

— Vito Camarretta (Chain D.L.K.)

Bazillions of events… for the joy of individuals who take pleasure in getting their brain zapped and scrambled by the rivalry between transonic beauty and extreme structural atomization. This is in fact a full hour of frantically jagged live improvisation…. [More…]

— Massimo Ricci (Touching Extremes)

Kaleidoscopic music, a rubato flux of superimposed noises in which lightning-fast progression from one galvanising sound event (noise thru silence) to another, and the musicians’ constant attention to overall form… it’s music of the moment, a process of constantly tweaked evolutionary recombination. [More…]

— Tim Owen (Dalston Sound)

[More reviews…]

Numbers is a high-energy, quick-footed, scatter-brained two hander—a looping, convoluted, interactive dance made audible—a musical fender bender involving electroacoustic complexities and (physio)logical splutter-cuts, jump-cuts and match-cuts—an intense white-knuckle extemporization unit—the duo of composer, performer and electronic musician Richard Barrett and guitarist, improviser and constructor Han-earl Park.

Celebrated for his dense, complex, intricate music, Richard Barrett is perhaps best known for his work with Paul Obermayer as part of FURT, as part of the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, and his close collaborations with the Elision Ensemble. At home in both composition and improvisation, Barrett’s music increasingly problematizes the distinction between them. 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, and is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith. First performing together as duo in at AUXXX, Berlin, October 2010, Barrett and Park engage in a continuing improvisative conversation; alternately claiming autonomy and independence, and group action and solidarity.

Track titles derive from the final section of numbers, an extended poem by Simon Howard, published in 2010 digitally by Mark Cobley and in book form by The Knives Forks And Spoons Press.

audio excerpts




Audio excerpts courtesy of Creative Sources Recordings.
Music by Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park.
Audio ℗ 2012 Creative Sources Recordings. Please do not distribute the audio files.

personnel

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

track listing

tolur (15:38), tricav (10:42), ankpla (10:46), uettet (5:17), creens (6:03), ll……. (11:42). Total duration: 60:00.

recording details

All music by Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park.

Recorded March 10, 2011 at the Institute of Sonology, The Hague.
Recorded by Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park. Mixed by Richard Barrett.
Design and artwork by Carlos Santos.
Produced by Ernesto Rodrigues.

© + ℗ 2012 Creative Sources Recordings.

about the performers

Richard Barrett (www.richardbarrettmusic.com) is internationally active as both composer and improvising performer, and has collaborated with many leading performers in both areas, while developing works and ideas which increasingly leave behind the distinctions between them. His long-term collaborations include the electronic duo FURT which he formed with Paul Obermayer in 1986 (and its more recent octet version fORCH), composing for and performing with the Elision contemporary music group since 1990, and regular appearances with the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble since 2003. Recent projects include “CONSTRUCTION”, a two-hour work for twenty performers and three-dimensional sound system, premiered by Elision in November 2011. He is based in Berlin and currently teaches at the Institute of Sonology in The Hague. His work as composer and performer is documented on over 20 CDs, including five discs devoted to his compositions and seven by FURT.

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (www.busterandfriends.com) works within/from/around traditions of fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, mostly open improvised musics, sometimes engineering theater, sometimes inventing ritual. He feels the gravitational pull of collaborative, multi-authored contexts, and has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries and concert halls in Austria, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

He is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, and is involved in ongoing collaborations with Bruce Coates, Franziska Schroeder, Alex Fiennes and Murray Campbell. He has recently performed with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Lol Coxhill, Pat Thomas, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders, Matana Roberts, Richard Barrett, Pauline Oliveros, Thomas Buckner and Kato Hideki. Festival appearances include Sonorities (Belfast), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), and CEAIT Festival (California). His recordings have been released by labels including Slam Productions and DUNS Limited Edition.

also by Han-earl Park

‘io 0.0.1 beta++ (SLAMCD 531) CD cover (copyright 2011, Han-earl Park)

io 0.0.1 beta++ (SLAMCD 531) [details…]

Performers: io 0.0.1 beta++ (itself), Han-earl Park (guitar), Bruce Coates (alto and sopranino saxophones) and Franziska Schroeder (soprano saxophone).

© 2011 Han-earl Park.
℗ 2011 SLAM Productions.

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

Mathilde 253 (SLAMCD 528) [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

10-04-13: add audio excerpts and reviews, plus some small formating changes.

Thanks: Maynooth, Berlin and Vienna

Lichtblik Kino (Berlin) 10-23-10

Thanks to Jesse Ronneau of EIMM, Hilary Jeffery and Richard Scott of AUXXX, Marco Eneidi of the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music for organizing the performances, and for hosting this itinerant musician. Thanks also to Jaap Pieters whose films added an extra interactive complication (in the best possible sense) to the AUXXX performance, Richard Scott for the informal recording session in Berlin, and to all the performers who were involved in EIMM and Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.

And a big, big thanks to Richard Barrett for the pushing/pulling me. I’m in awe of Richard’s skill and craft, and I hope I managed to keep up with his energy and creativity. I recall, during our twenty-five minute duet, at least four points during which I fumbled the ball, but I still think he got some of the best playing out of me. It was certainly a mental and physical workout, and I leaned a lot during that performance. Hope to play again!

As always, thanks to all who came to listen/watch—it was a pleasure to share the journey.

reminder: Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park at AUXXX

Han-earl Park and Richard Barrett (original photos by Stephanie Hough and Luis Neuenhofer)
Han-earl Park and Richard Barrett (original photos by Stephanie Hough and Luis Neuenhofer)

Tonight (Friday, October 22, 2010) at 10:00pm (doors: 9:00pm): Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Jaap Pieters (super 8 films) presented by AUXXX. The event takes place at Lichtblik Kino (Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin, Germany). Donation: €5. [Details…] [AUXXX page…]

Very, very much looking forward to this one. Hope to see y’all there!

performance: Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park at AUXXX

Friday, October 22, 2010, at 10:00pm (doors: 9:00pm): Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Jaap Pieters (super 8 films) presented by AUXXX. The event takes place at Lichtblik Kino (Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin, Germany). Donation: €5.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

[AUXXX page…]
[facebook event page…]

Han-earl Park and Richard Barrett (original photos by Stephanie Hough and Luis Neuenhofer)
Han-earl Park and Richard Barrett (original photos by Stephanie Hough and Luis Neuenhofer)

about the performers

Richard Barrett is equally active in electronic free improvisation and notated composition. Recent compositions have been premiered by the London Sinfonietta and the Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and in 2010 he has performed at the Venice Biennale, Inventionen (Berlin), Jazz em Agosto (Lisbon), Spark (Minneapolis), Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ (Amsterdam), MusikTriennale Köln and elsewhere. He is currently a guest professor at the Instituut voor Sonologie in Den Haag, where he leads a workshop in electroacoustic improvisation. Current work in progress includes CONSTRUCTION, a two-hour composition for voices, twenty instruments and electronics, which is the latest result of his twenty-year collaboration with the Elision Ensemble and whose premiere is planned for November 2011. He and Paul Obermayer have been working together as the electronic duo FURT since 1986 and formed the electroacoustic octet fORCH in 2005. He also performs regularly with vocalist Ute Wassermann, in the Evan Parker Electroacoustic Ensemble and in many other contexts, and has recorded for NMC, Matchless, Unsounds, ECM, Creative Sources, Psi and others.

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (박한얼) works from/within/around traditions of fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, mostly open improvised musics, sometimes engineering theater, sometimes inventing ritual. He feels the gravitational pull of collaborative, multi-authored contexts, and has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries, concert halls, and (ad-hoc) alternative spaces in Denmark, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA. He is involved in ongoing collaborations with Bruce Coates, and with Franziska Schroeder, fifteen year long associations with Alex Fiennes and Murray Campbell. Recent performances include ensemble Mathilde 253 (Park, Charles Hayward and Ian Smith) with Lol Coxhill, a duo concert with Paul Dunmall, a trio with Kato Hideki and Katie O’Looney, an improvisative meeting with Thomas Buckner and Jesse Ronneau, and the performance of Pauline Oliveros’ ‘Droniphonia’ alongside the composer. He has appeared at festivals including Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), the Center for Experiments in Art, Information and Technology Festival (California), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), Sonorities (Belfast) and VAIN Live Art (Oxford). Park founded and curates Stet Lab, a monthly improvised music space in Cork, Ireland, and teaches improvisation at the UCC School of Music.

performance diary 10-14-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Maynooth, Vienna)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 21, 2010 Renehan Hall
NUI Maynooth
Maynooth, Ireland
8:00pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) with others as part of EIMM (Evenings of Improvised Music, Maynooth).
Admission free.
October 22, 2010 Lichtblik Kino
Kastanienallee 77
10435 Berlin, Germany
10:00pm
(doors: 9:00pm)
Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Jaap Pieters (super 8 films) presented by AUXXX.
Donation: €5.
[Details…]
[AUXXX page…]
October 25, 2010 Celeste Jazz Bar
Hamburgerstrasse 18
Vienna, Austria 1050
9:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.
[Details…]
November 6, 2010 Sonic Arts Research Center
Queen’s University
Belfast, N. Ireland
9:30am
(my paper at 2:00pm)
Not exactly a gig, but a presentation, ‘Subject Matter: Improvising Cyborgs’ by Han-earl Park at the TWO Thousand + TEN symposium. More info to follow…
[Paper Abstract…]
[Details…]
November 7, 2010 Sonic Arts Research Center
Queen’s University
Belfast, N. Ireland
6:00pm Call them Improvisors! Performance as part of an ensemble led by Evan Parker. More info to follow…
[Details…]
November 15, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Stet Lab’s third birthday event featuring Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn).
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
November 25, 2010 Ó Riada Hall
UCC Music Building
Sundays Well
Cork, Ireland
8:00pm Performances by Matana Roberts (saxophone), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums) as part of the UCC concert series. More info to follow…
Admission: €10/5. Matana Roberts will also be presenting a talk, ‘Coin Coin: a Blood Narrative in Blacks, Browns, Reds and Blues’ at the UCC Music Building at 11:00 am on the day. The talk is free, and open to the public. [Details…]
December 6, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Final Stet Lab of 2010 featuring Corey Mwamba (vibrophone).
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
March 30, 2011 Venue TBC
Dublin, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the Improvised Music Company. Details to follow…
March 31, 2011 Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the UCC School of Music. Details to follow…

Continue reading “performance diary 10-14-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Maynooth, Vienna)”

performance diary 10-04-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 11, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Stet Lab returns! With Kevin Terry (guitar), Marian Murray (violin) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums), plus Han-earl Park (guitar), Claudia Schwab (violin) and Dan Walsh (drums).
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
October 22, 2010 Lichtblik Kino
Kastanienallee 77
10435 Berlin, Germany
10:00pm
(doors: 9:00pm)
Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Jaap Pieters (super 8 films) presented by AUXXX.
Donation: €5.
[Details…]
October 25, 2010 Celeste Jazz Bar
Hamburgerstrasse 18
Vienna, Austria 1050
9:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.
[Details…]
November 6, 2010 Sonic Arts Research Center
Queen’s University
Belfast, N. Ireland
9:30am
(my paper at 2:00pm)
Not exactly a gig, but a presentation, ‘Subject Matter: Improvising Cyborgs’ by Han-earl Park at the TWO Thousand + TEN symposium. More info to follow…
[Paper Abstract…]
[Details…]
November 15, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Stet Lab’s third birthday event featuring Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn).
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
November 25, 2010 Ó Riada Hall
UCC Music Building
Sundays Well
Cork, Ireland
8:00pm Performances by Matana Roberts (saxophone), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums) as part of the UCC concert series. More info to follow…
Admission: €10/5.
December 6, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Final Stet Lab of 2010 featuring Corey Mwamba (vibrophone).
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
March 30, 2011 Venue TBC
Dublin, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the Improvised Music Company. Details to follow…
March 31, 2011 Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the UCC School of Music. Details to follow…

Continue reading “performance diary 10-04-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)”

performance diary 09-14-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 2, 2010 Basement Project Space
1 Camden Place
Camden Quay
Cork, Ireland
1:00pm Solo (or guitar-guitarist duet) performance by Han-earl Park (guitar).
Free admission.
[Details…]
October 11, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Stet Lab returns!
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
October 22, 2010 Lichtblik Kino
Kastanienallee 77
10435 Berlin, Germany
10:00pm
(doors: 9:00pm)
Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by AUXXX.
Donation: €5.
[Details…]
October 25, 2010 Celeste Jazz Bar
Hamburgerstrasse 18
Vienna, Austria 1050
9:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.
[Details…]
November 6, 2010 Sonic Arts Research Center
Queen’s University
Belfast, N. Ireland
9:30am
(my paper at 2:00pm)
Not exactly a gig, but a presentation, ‘Subject Matter: Improvising Cyborgs’ by Han-earl Park at the TWO Thousand + TEN symposium. More info to follow…
[Paper Abstract…]
[Details…]
November 15, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Stet Lab’s third birthday event.
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
November 25, 2010 Ó Riada Hall
UCC Music Building
Sundays Well
Cork, Ireland
8:00pm Performances by Matana Roberts (saxophone), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums) as part of the UCC concert series. More info to follow…
Admission: €15/5.
December 6, 2010 The Roundy
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland
9:00pm
(doors: 8:45pm)
Final Stet Lab of 2010.
Admission: €10/5.
[Details…]
March 30, 2011 Venue TBC
Dublin, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the Improvised Music Company. Details to follow…
March 31, 2011 Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)). Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award and support from the UCC School of Music. Details to follow…

Continue reading “performance diary 09-14-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)”

performance diary 08-25-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 2010 (TBC) Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Stet Lab returns!
[Details…]
October 22, 2010 Lichtblik Kino
Kastanienallee 77
10435 Berlin, Germany
10:00pm (doors: 9:00pm) Performance by Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar) presented by AUXXX.
Donation: €5.
[Details…]
October 25, 2010 Celeste Jazz Bar
Hamburgerstrasse 18
Vienna, Austria 1050
9:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.
[Details…]
November 6, 2010 Sonic Arts Research Center
Queen’s University
Belfast, N. Ireland
9:30am Not exactly a gig, but a presentation, ‘Subject Matter: Improvising Cyborgs’ by Han-earl Park at the TWO Thousand + TEN symposium. More info to follow…
[Details…]
November 25, 2010 Ó Riada Hall
UCC Music Building
Sundays Well
Cork, Ireland
8:00pm Performances by Matana Roberts (saxophone), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums) as part of the UCC concert series. More info to follow…
We’re also looking for dates between 22 and 24 November. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
March 30, 2011 Venue TBC
Dublin, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)).
Details to follow…
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from the Arts Council of Ireland, and support from the Improvised Music Company.
March 31, 2011 Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)).
Details to follow…
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from the Arts Council of Ireland, and support from the Triskel Arts Centre and the UCC School of Music.

Continue reading “performance diary 08-25-10 (Belfast, Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)”

performance diary 08-16-10 (Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 2010 (TBC) Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Stet Lab returns!
[Details…]
October 22, 2010 Lichtblik Kino
Kastanienallee 77
Berlin, Germany
TBC Details to follow…
October 25, 2010 Celeste Jazz Bar
Hamburgerstrasse 18
Vienna, Austria
9:00pm Presented by the Neu New York / Vienna Institute of Improvised Music.
Details to follow…
November 25, 2010 Venue TBC
Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Matana Roberts (saxophone), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums) as part of the UCC concert series.
Details to follow…
We’re also looking for dates between 22 and 24 November. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
March/April 2011 (TBC) Venues TBC
Dublin and Cork, Ireland
TBC Performances by Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) with Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)).
Details to follow…
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from the Arts Council of Ireland, the Improvised Music Company, the Triskel Arts Centre and the UCC School of Music.

Continue reading “performance diary 08-16-10 (Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Vienna)”