imaout

September 2024

Dirge

DIRGE

For this episode of Transience we have invited expert improvisor and cosmic angel, Dan Nicholls to create a 90 minute journey to alleviate our physical realm anxieties. I've been following Dan's work for many years and am very happy that the stars finally align to host them live from the Cashmere Studio to begin the weekend's programmation. I love the way Dan is able to create such detailed sound worlds that invite us to meander about in them, sway like spores or lay gently nestled in their foliage. For this occassion we sat on the floor of the Cashmere Radio studio in the same space as the audience with a few cushions and Dan’s live setup. Having spent the previous night dancing we were super relaxed and ready to continue the adventure. We arrived at the studio with no real plan, wondering about how to start and what kind of sounds the set might begin with. Despite the not knowing, we both had total trust and a willingness to surrender to the moment.

Dan sees improvising as a way to bypass certain tendencies we might have to control and rationalise; to get in the way of the story or the energetic flow. A personal process of deconstructing, unravelling and healing – but more importantly an experience of playful sharing, creating sonic spaces that the listener can inhabit. The set features an improvised text by Dan’s child Liv, which touches on our origins in the cosmos and the vital need to listen to our bodies. This monologue is spoken in a dream-like imaginary voice, refracting some of the ideas that Liv has been exposed to and has intuitively felt. A different kind of truthful speech. So in a sense, it does with a child’s freedom and clarity of thought what this collection of improvised sounds and imaginary landscapes also hopes to do.

We invite you all to listen to your bodies and your hearts, and lay down to embark on this journey back to our stars.

Photography by Micki Rosi Richter

transience #48 with dan nicholls (live)

Hidden Tracks: Domodossola – Weissmies

3500m ↗ 4017m

1000m ↗ 1500m

1000m ↗ 1500m (Single Release)

Improvised live set recorded at Whole Festival, summer 2023. 

Thanks to Lou Drago for the invitation <3 <3 <3

Features the words of bell hooks, cello notes from Lucy Railton, words of solidarity from Alabaster De Plume and Sirenne, strucked piano strings by Liv Nicholls. 

Thx to Imad for the pic xx

🌱 ୭ ˚ live @ whole festival '23

Cute Continuous (Earthrise Recordings, 2024)

Taken from the new compilation, Absence, from the Flaming Pines label collecting music from Iran's experimental music scene

9T Antiope - Venator

Naked Giants - "Twist"

Twins

Thank God For Sinners

Some great covers by Ty Segall since he plays in solo

Ty Segall - You Should Never Have Opened That (the Ramones)

Nightshift - Power Cut

Tony Elieh is a pioneering Lebanese musician and bassist known for his dynamic presence in the experimental and alternative music scenes. Originally a founding member of Lebanon's first post-rock band, Scrambled Eggs, Elieh expanded his artistry into experimental improvisation, blending elements of noise, rock, and electronic music. His versatile approach to the bass guitar often incorporates unconventional techniques, creating layered soundscapes and textures that push sonic boundaries.

Elieh has collaborated with numerous artists across disciplines, from visual art to contemporary composition, and his work often explores themes of memory, identity, and the interplay between sound and space. Performing both as a solo artist and with various ensembles, he has showcased his music at prominent international festivals, including Irtijal in Beirut and Kontakt Festival in Berlin, cementing his reputation as an innovative force in the global experimental music community.