QLH with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen, Berlin

This Thursday and Friday (January 6 and January 7, 2022): QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with guest artist Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone) perform in Berlin.

It’s been far, far too long since I played with Louise, and I’m excited to be performing with her again (and you should be too)!

Above video from the performance by Han-earl and Louise with the late Michael Evans, Downtown Music Gallery, New York.

Musikfonds / Neustart Kultur

Performance diary (Belfast, Berlin, Derry, Dublin, Letterkenny, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Wiesbaden) 121621

upcoming performances
date venue time details
January 6, 2022 Sowieso
Weisestraße 24
12049 Berlin
Germany
8:30pm (doors: 8:00pm) QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone).
[Details…] [Reserve seat…]
Musikfonds / Neustart Kultur
January 7, 2022 Secret Location*
Berlin
Germany * Contact me for details.
9:00pm (doors: 8:00pm) QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone). Also performing: Dirar Kalash. [Details…]
Musikfonds / Neustart Kultur
January 13, 2022 Au Topsi Pohl
Pohlstraße 64
10785 Berlin
Germany
8:00pm QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar). Also performing: Jasper Stadhouders (guitar) and Christian Marien (drums). [Au Topsi program…]
Musikfonds / Neustart Kultur
January 14, 2022 Petersburg Art Space
Kaiserin Augusta Allee 101
10553 Berlin
Germany
8:00pm QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with Catherine Sikora John Dikeman (saxophone). Also performing: Deep Turtle (Conor Cunningham, Alessandro and Joey Gavin). [PAS program…]
Musikfonds / Neustart Kultur
January 15, 2022 TBA
Wiesbaden
Germany
TBA QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar).
Details to follow…
March 19, 2022 Gosforth Civic Theatre
Regent Farm Road
Gosforth
Newcastle NE3 3HD
England
7:00pm (doors: 6:30pm) Han-earl Park (guitar). A solo performance, plus a discussion (with Corey Mwamba) as part of The Sound of Science. Also performing and presenting: Johnny Hunter’s Pale Blue Dot with Mark Hanslip, Seth Bennett, Gemma Bass, Aby Vulliamy and Michael Bardon. Presented by Jazz North East.
Free but ticketed.
[Details…]
[Gosforth Civic Theatre page/tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 20, 2022 Cafe OTO
18–22 Ashwin Street
Dalston
London E8 3DL
England
8:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar), Lara Jones (saxophone) and Pat Thomas (keyboards).
£12, £10 advance, £6 members.
[Details…] [OTO page/tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 22, 2022 Hyde Park Book Club
27–29 Headingley Lane
Leeds LS6 1BL
England
8:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: James Banner and Stephanie Lamprea. Presented by Fusebox.
£5 (free to Leeds Conservatoire students).
Details to follow…
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 24, 2022 Unit 44
44 Prussia Street
Dublin
Ireland
7:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Una Lee (voice and electronic) and rit. (voice and electronics).
Presented by Northern Lights Project.
[Details…] [Get tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 25, 2022 Regional Cultural Centre
Cove Hill, Port Road
Gortlee
Letterkenny
Ireland
7:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Una Lee (voice and electronic) and rit. (voice and electronics).
Presented by Northern Lights Project.
[Details…] [Get tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 26, 2022 Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin
37 Great James Street
Derry BT48 7DF
N. Ireland
7:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Una Lee (voice and electronic) and rit. (voice and electronics).
Presented by Northern Lights Project.
[Details…] [Get tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
March 27, 2022 The Black Box
8–22 Hill Street
Belfast BT1 2LA
N. Ireland
7:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Una Lee (voice and electronic) and rit. (voice and electronics).
Presented by Northern Lights Project.
[Details…] [Get tickets…]
Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe

Continue reading “Performance diary (Belfast, Berlin, Derry, Dublin, Letterkenny, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Wiesbaden) 121621”

Performance diary (Belfast, Berlin, Derry, Dublin, Letterkenny, Leeds, London, Münster, Newcastle, Wiesbaden) 102021

upcoming performances
date venue time details
December 19, 2021 cuba cultur
Achtermannstr. 10–12
48143 Münster
Germany
6:00pm QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar Jasper Stadhouders: guitar).
[cuba program…] HAN-EARL PARK’S APPEARANCE CANCELLED.
January 7, 2022 KM28
Karl-Marx-Str. 28
12043 Berlin
Germany
TBA QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone).
Details to follow…
January 14, 2022 Petersburg Art Space
Kaiserin Augusta Allee 101
10553 Berlin
Germany
TBA QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar) with Catherine Sikora (saxophone).
Details to follow…
January 15, 2022 TBA
Wiesbaden
Germany
TBA QLH (Quentin Tolimieri: organ; Luca Marini: drums; and Han-earl Park: guitar).
Details to follow…
March 19, 2022 TBA
Newcastle
England
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…
March 20, 2022 TBA
London
England
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar) plus.
Details to follow…
March 22, 2022 TBA
Leeds
England
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…
March 24, 2022 TBA
Dublin
Ireland
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…
March 25, 2022 TBA
Letterkenny
Ireland
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…
March 26, 2022 TBA
Derry
N. Ireland
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…
March 27, 2022 TBA
Belfast
N. Ireland
TBA Han-earl Park (guitar).
Details to follow…

Continue reading “Performance diary (Belfast, Berlin, Derry, Dublin, Letterkenny, Leeds, London, Münster, Newcastle, Wiesbaden) 102021”

support Downtown Music Gallery!

In addition to being an awesome record store, Downtown Music Gallery is an institution that supports left-field, creative music. Part archive of sound recordings and folk knowledge, part performance space, NY Times described DMG as “one of the last remaining Manhattan outposts of Downtown music, defined by a melting-pot aesthetic inspired by the stew of cultures.” Over the years, DMG has been a tireless champion of creative people, communities and culture in an oftentimes indifferent world, but The Best Record Store in the World now needs our support:

This is has been a very difficult year for us financially speaking. Our Used & Sale CD lists get little response no matter what we do. We are selling a bit more Used vinyl through Discogs and here in the store but not enough. What can you do to help us survive? Donate money if you can afford it, order something from us, get someone you know to subscribe to the DMG weekly newsletter or come visit us when you can. Currently some 6,000 folks get our newsletter but only a hundred or so actually order from us with any regularity. If nearly everyone who does get the newsletter just contributed $5 or $10 each, this would help to make it to the end of the year and maybe beyond….

If you still care about DMG and enjoy reading our newsletter than please help us in any way that you can. Tell those you know who still care about our future as well. [Read the rest…]

I am privileged to have had DMG’s support over the years (they gave me one of my first gigs after I arrived in New York). Please help them offer that support to many others in the years to come.

See below for my CDs available from DMG.

Above video from a performance with Michael Evans and Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen hosted by the Downtown Music Gallery.

available from Downtown Music Gallery

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

‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd) [details…] [Get it from DMG…]

Performers: Richard Barrett (electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). [About this duo…]

© + ℗ 2012 Creative Sources Recordings.

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

io 0.0.1 beta++ (SLAMCD 531) [details…] [Get it from DMG…]

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…] [Get it from DMG…]

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.

Paul Dunmall and Han-earl Park: Boolean Transforms (DLE-067) CD cover (copyright 2010, DUNS Limited Edition)

Boolean Transforms (DLE-067) [details…] [Get it from DMG…]

Performers: Paul Dunmall (saxophone and bagpipes) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

© 2010 DUNS Limited Edition.
℗ 2010 Paul Dunmall/Han-earl Park.

Han-earl Park, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders and Jamie Smith: Live at the Glucksman gallery, Cork (owlcd002) CD cover (copyright 2012, Owlhouse Recordings)

Live at the Glucksman gallery, Cork (owlcd002) [details…] [Get it from DMG…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar), Paul Dunmall (saxophone), Mark Sanders (drums) and Jamie Smith (guitar).

© 2009 by Owlhouse Recordings.
℗ 2009 Han-earl Park/Paul Dunmall/Mark Sanders/Jamie Smith.

site update: Han-earl Park bio plus YouTube playlist

Although nowhere near a big a revision as the last major update, I’ve made some significant changes to my bio. Below is the new verbose, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, 472 word version [shorter versions…].

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (박한얼) (www.busterandfriends.com) has been crossing borders and performing fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, always traditional, open improvised musics for twenty years. He has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries, concert halls, and (ad-hoc) alternative spaces in Austria, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

Park engages a radical, liminal, cyborg virtuosity in which mind, body and artifact collide. He is driven by the social and revolutionary potential of real-time interactive performance in which tradition and practice become creative problematics. As a constructor of musical automata, he is interested in partial, and partially frustrating, context-specific artifacts; artifacts that amplify social relations and corporeal identities and agencies.

Ensembles include Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora, and Numbers with Richard Barrett. Park is the constructor of the machine improviser io 0.0.1 beta++, and instigator of Metis 9, a playbook of improvisative tactics. He has performed with Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Dunmall, Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Mark Sanders, Josh Sinton, Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen, Gino Robair, Tim Perkis, Andrew Drury, Pat Thomas and Franziska Schroeder. He has guested with Gargantius Effect (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean), the Mark Hanslip/Dominic Lash/Phillip Marks Trio, and Swim This (Nick Didkovsky, Gerry Hemingway and Michael Lytle); performed as part of large ensembles led by Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker and Pauline Oliveros; and participated in improvisative meetings with Gerald Cleaver, Andrea Parkins, Tom Rainey, Mike Pride, Anna Webber, Jack Wright and Ingrid Laubrock. He has studied with improviser-composers Wadada Leo Smith, Richard Barrett, Joel Ryan, Mark Trayle, Chick Lyall and David Rosenboom, composers Clarence Barlow and Marina Adamia, and interactive media artist Sara Roberts.

Festival appearances include Freedom of the City (London), Sonorities (Belfast), International Society for Improvised Music (New York), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), VAIN Live Art (Oxford), Center for Experiments in Art, Information and Technology Festival (Los Angeles) and Sonic Acts (Amsterdam). In addition to numerous self-released albums, his recordings have been released by Slam Productions, Creative Sources, Vicmod Records, FrImp, Owlhouse Recordings and DUNS Limited Edition. His music has been featured on anthologies released by Bridge Records, farpoint recordings and Frog Peak Music. He has performed live on Resonance FM (London), Drift Radio (Scotland), and KVMR 89.5 FM (Nevada County), interviewed on RTÉ Morning Ireland and RTÉ Nova (Ireland), and his recordings have been broadcast around the world.

Park taught improvisation at University College Cork (2006–2011), and founded and curated (2007–2011) Stet Lab, a space for improvised music in Cork. He is a recipient of grants from the Arts Council of Ireland (2007, 2008 and 2009) and Music Network (2009 and 2010), and of the Ahmanson Foundation Scholarship (1999) and the CalArts Scholarship (1999 and 1999–2000).

[Han-earl Park’s biography (16–472 words) plus press quotes…]

I’ve also taken the opportunity to create a new video playlist of selected performances. With 52 videos, and clocking in at around 13 hours, my previous playlist of ‘recent’ performances was no longer able to be an effective portfolio reel. Thanks as always to the videographers (Don Mount, Kevin Reilly and Scott Friedlander), and to all the performers.

Happy New Year: 2014

Original images © 2013 Emilio Vavarella; © 2013 Scott Friedlander; © 2013 Don Mount; and © 2013 Han-earl Park.
Original photographs/images © 2013 Emilio Vavarella; © 2013 Scott Friedlander; © 2013 Don Mount; and (cc) 2013 Han-earl Park.

farewell, Brooklyn, it’s been a blast

Let’s start with a kind of personal Top Ten. In no particular order: Han-earl Park with Ingrid Laubrock; with Tim Perkis and Harris Eisenstadt; as part of Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora; with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen and Michael Evans; Gerald Cleaver; Tom Blancarte; Dominic Lash; Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton; and with Evan Parker, Brooklyn and New York, 2012–2013. Videos by Scott Friedlander, Don Mount and Kevin Reilly.

I moved to Brooklyn back in December 2011, and I’m grateful and privileged to have been part of, even briefly, such a gracious, vibrant, creative, fun and welcoming community.

I’m particularly indebted to Andrew, Jesse, Michael, Adam, Anna and Andrea for introducing me to the (cultural) geography/neighborhood(s); to Bruce, Wadada and Ras who gave me my first few gigs; and to Tim and Evan for offering me sideman gigs. And a very big thanks to Josh, Catherine and Nick for much of the above, and for collaborating on some long-term projects. To everyone, I hope to repay the your generosity (and hope to catch up when I’m back in Brooklyn/NYC).

Now back in Cork, and, for what feel like the first time in a long time, I’m arriving without a gig in town (and, to my surprise, I’m not too unhappy about that). Some plans ahead (solo performance at SARC for starters), fingers crossed, something will work out.

Anyway, as posted earlier, I’m seeking performances for Numbers (Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park), Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) and Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward, Han-earl Park and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues, festivals and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]

thanks: Parker-Park (The Stone, NYC), Park-Sikora-Sinton (DSMC, Brooklyn) and Park-Parkins (The Living Gallery, Brooklyn)

Three gigs; and I couldn’t ask for a more varied and musically valuable seven days.

I learned a heck of a lot (about my capabilities as an improviser, and about the social dynamics of interactive play) performing with Evan Parker. Still reeling from the experience, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play with Mr Parker again, and to have sat in with the Bleeding Edge Trio.

The performance with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton was the most craftily accomplished. We’ve been engineering, navigating and negotiating these improvisative, tactical considerations since February, and it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to be working with two imaginative and gutsy performers. I expect our performance at Harvestworks in October will be something else. (Plus thanks to Josh for the post-gig reflections.)

If I had to choose just one of these gigs as a stand-out though, it might have to be the duo with the stupendously creative Andrea Parkins. Insanely fun! Despite (or perhaps becuase of) severe technical limitations, I found myself in some very odd places. (Andrea was one of the first NYC people I contacted before moving here, so this performance was looong overdue.) Let’s play again. I had a blast.

Big thanks to coconspirators Michael Foster and Lisa Mezzacappa, to Mike Pride for the funniest post-gig story telling, and to the documetarists Don Mount and Jeremiah Cymerman. Finally, special thanks to Louise and Tom for bringing their new family to The Stone.

Next up: performances coming up in October as part of Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora), and with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton for another round with Metis 9. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

video recordings: YouTube playlist… redux

Thanks to the efforts of the Downtown documentarists—Don Mount, Kevin Reilly and Scott Friedlander—there’s been a lot of changes to my YouTube channel and playlists since my last announcement almost a year ago. In terms of project specific playlists, I’ve updated the Eris 136199 playlist [watch…], and created one for Metis 9 [watch…]

site update: scrapbook redux

web audio player widget
Just a summary of the updates that have been accumulating in my scrapbook since the last overhaul. Here’s some of the more recent additions. Enjoy! All music and audio recordings © + ℗ their respective owners.

Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones).

Music by Eris 136199.
Recorded live, June 5, 2013 at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn.
Recorded by Scott Friedlander.

[About this project…]

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

Music by Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park.
Recorded March 10, 2011 at the Institute of Sonology, Den Haag.
Audio clip courtesy of Creative Sources Recordings. ℗ 2012 Creative Sources Recordings.Han-earl Park
Recorded by Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park. Mixed by Richard Barrett.

[About this project…] [Get the CD…]

Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

Music by Ingrid Laubrock and Han-earl Park.
Recorded live, May 16, 2013 at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn.
Recorded by Don Mount.

Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (clarinet and saxophone).

Music by Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton.
Recorded live, March 26, 2013 at Freddy’s Bar, Brooklyn.
Performance presented as part of On The Way Out curated by Michael Evans and Anders Nilsson.
Recorded by Don Mount.

[About this project…]

Michael Evans (drums), Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen (saxophone and flute) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

Music by Michael Evans, Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen and Han-earl Park.
Recorded live, January 20, 2013 at Downtown Music Gallery, New York.
Recorded by Kevin Reilly.

Mark Trayle (electronics), Gascia Ouzounian (violin), Chris Brown (piano), Paul Stapleton (percussion), Dan Goren (trumpet), Don Nichols (percussion), Simon Rose (saxophone), Gustavo Aguilar (percussion), Han-earl Park (guitar), Ulrich Mitzlaff (’cello), Tasos Stamou (zither), Dominic Lash (double bass), Christopher Williams (double bass), Nuno Rebelo (guitar), Richard Scott (synthesizer), Steven Davis (drums), Pedro Rebelo (piano), Justin Yang (saxophone) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophones).

Ensemble led by Evan Parker.
Recorded live, November 7, 2010 at the Sonic Arts Research Center, Belfast.
Performance presented as part of Sonorities 2010.

recording: Eris 136199, New York

Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) are recording this evening at NYU. Expect special things from this special ensemble.

Depending on how things go with the recording session (and depending on the traffic in New York), Catherine and I may be at Gowanus Company later tonight at Douglass Street Music Collective. Regardless of our presence, the evening, with performers including Kyoko Kitamura, Dominic Lash, Ingrid Laubrock, Dan Peck, Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen, Patrick Breiner, Tom Blancarte, Sara Schoenbeck, Will McEvoy, Josh Sinton and Aryeh Kobrinsky, promises to be a fun one. Maybe see you there. [DSMC page…]

Downtown Music Gallery: 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

The “intense exchange between these two gifted improvisers.” Bruce Lee Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery reviews Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park’s ‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd):

Featuring Richard Barrett on electronics and Han-earl Park on guitar. Richard Barrett is a UK composer as well as an improvising electronic musician who plays in Furt, Forch and with Evan Parker, all of whom record for the Psi label. Originally UK-based guitarist Han-earl Park has been living in NY for the past couple of years and working with many Downtown players like Louise Jensen & Michael Evans (who he played with here at DMG last Sunday – 1/20/13), Harris Eisenstadt, Tim Perkis and Anthony Braxton. When Mr. Park was living in the UK, he worked with Paul Dunmall, Charles Hayward and invented a device called io 0.0.1 Beta, that played its own improvisations. An impressive resume for sure. Han-earl left us with this duo effort and I’m glad he did.

I dig the intense exchange between these two gifted improvisers. There are a number of bent sounds which make it hard to determine who is doing what. What electric guitar sounds I recognize are sharp, focused and quickly formed & let loose. Han-earl does not sound like a jazz guitarist and doesn’t play any of those popular licks. More often he is playing a series of broken yet tight phrases which fit perfectly with Mr. Barrett’s more rounded electronics. The fractured phrases that erupt throughout this disc often sound like just one musician playing by himself since we never know where one sound begins or ends or what it will turn into. There are a few rubbed string sounds which remind me of Fred Frith at times but that is the reference I can pull out of my own listening encounters. Otherwise this is duo is completely unique, exciting and engaging.

[Original newsletter…] [DMG catalog page…]

You can get the CD from DMG for a limited time price of $14 (normally $16)!

btw, I have yet to perform with Mr. Braxton (I assume Bruce meant Wadada), and I’m from California, but otherwise the description, especially “fractured phrases that erupt throughout this disc often sound like just one musician playing by himself since we never know where one sound begins or ends or what it will turn into”, is pretty accurate! Thanks for listening, Bruce.

‘Numbers’ (CS 201 cd) is available from Creative Sources Recordings. [More info…] [All reviews…] [Get the CD…]