In this track we are a quintet of players: prepared piano (Pierre-Henri Wicomb), clarinet (Garth Erasmus), Korg synthesiser (Mo Laudi), tuba (Likhona Tokota) and alto flute (Esther Marie Pauw).

Online Play 20_2021-08-11 PH, GE, ML, LT, EMP

Players are Garth Erasmus (sax and mcinci), Esther Marie Pauw on flutes, Carina Venter on cello, John Pringle (percussion) Jacques van Zyl (electronic neural nets), Antoinette Theron (vocals), Liam Jaftha (vocals). 
Mixed by John Pringle.
Artwork: Dedre Fouquet, '01 Improv AO', 2023.

2023-iii-14a GE EMP CV JP JvZ AT LJ

Players are Garth Erasmus on blik’nsnaar, Esther Marie Pauw on bamboo Theofluit and autoharp, Lize Briel on uhadi, Carina Venter on cello and Jacques van Zyl on electronic neural nets. Mixed by Lize Briel.

Image, bamboo Theofluit & autoharp.

2023-v-23a GE EMP LB CV JvZ

Players are Garth Erasmus on kriolophone and mcinci, Esther Marie Pauw on chair, Lize Briel on flute, Carina Venter on cello and Jacques van Zyl on electronic neural nets. Mixed by Lize Briel.

Image: mcinci & kriolophone, Garth Erasmus

2023-v-23b GE EMP LB CV JvZ

Garth Erasmus plays saxophone and Pierre-Henri Wicomb piano, recorded on the 18th of June, Cape Town.

Artwork: Garth Erasmus

2023-vi-18a GE PHW

Prelude III: Garth Erasmus plays saxophone and pannerak, Esther Marie plays (house) keys on key rings and Pierre-Henri Wicomb plays prepared piano strings. Recorded 18 July 2023, Pieter Okkers House, Stellenbosch. Mixed by Pierre-Henri Wicomb. Image: Art for Improvising Music/375, Garth Erasmus.

2023-vii-18c GE EMP PHW

Garth Erasmus plays saxophone and pannerak, Esther Marie plays alto flute key slap spits, Pierre-Henri Wicomb plays prepared piano wood and strings. Recorded 18 July 2023, Pieter Okkers House, Stellenbosch. Mixed by Pierre-Henri Wicomb. Image: Art for Improvising Music/362, Garth Erasmus.

2023-vii-18d GE EMP PHW

Esther Marie Pauw (cleaning rod, alto flute, C-flute), Pierre-Henri Wicomb (prepared piano), Carina Venter (cello) and Jacques van Zyl (electronic neural nets/tupperware set-up). Mixed by Jacques van Zyl. Art by Garth Erasmus.

2023ii28 AOI

2023-ii-28a EMP PHW CV JvZ

Esther Marie Pauw (C-flute, two stones), Pierre-Henri Wicomb (prepared piano), Carina Venter (cello) and Jacques van Zyl (electronic neural nets/tupperware set-up). Mixed by Jacques van Zyl. Art by Garth Erasmus (detail).

2023-ii-28b EMP PHW CV JvZ

Esther Marie Pauw (flutes), Pierre-Henri Wicomb (prepared piano), Carina Venter (cello) and Jacques van Zyl (electronic neural nets/tupperware set-up). Played with forks and spoons in hand, remembering Peter Baxter’s table top utensils. Mixed by Jacques van Zyl. Art by Garth Erasmus (detail).

Postscript: Peter Baxter's comment on hearing this recording: "An incredible barrage of cutlery electronic sliced by cello with butcher like precision and flute calls that kettle my ears to listen again. Bubbling agony and harmony seems illustrated by Jacques with genies, lamps, and reaching for flight." (2023-08-12)

2023-ii-28c EMP PHW CV JvZ

Carina Venter on cello, Cara Stacey on budongo, Lize Briel on C-flute, Esther Marie Pauw on alto flute, John Pringle on percussion, Jacques van Zyl on electronic neural nets. Mixed by John Pringle. Image by Dedre Fouquet, sketched during live play (13 June 2023).

2023-vi-13c CV CS LB EMP JvZ JP

'Wonder of tiny sounds, eerie, gentle, insects hurrying, fragilities [for Pliny the Elder, 77AD]'. Carina Venter on cello, Cara Stacey on umrhubhe bow, Esther Marie Pauw on alto flute and lap harp, John Pringle on percussion, Jacques van Zyl on electronic neural nets. Mixed by John Pringle. Image by Dedre Fouquet, sketched during live play (13 June 2023).

2023-vi-13d CV CS EMP JvZ JP

Improvisers are Neo Muyanga (korg trident synthesizer), Marietjie Pauw (flutes)


Artwork: 'Openings propel Revolutions' by Jarrett Erasmus, 2018, detail (www.aoinstitute.ac.za landing page)

Online Play 17_2020-09-24 NM, EMP

Africa Open Improvising Collective creates music, improvising freely to explore inter-relational sonic energies. The collective plays at Pieter Okkers House, the home of Africa Open Institute (Stellenbosch), using in-person sessions. The collective explored online sessions in 2020 and 2021. 
Players are:
PHW - Pierre-Henri Wicomb, prepared piano, prepared banjo, blocks, bells, etc.
GE - Garth Erasmus, Khoi bows, bliknsnaar, kriollophone, zahn, pannerak, bass flute, mcinci, saxophone, etc.
EMP - Esther Marie Pauw, C-flute, G-flute, piccolo, prepared angel's harp, etc.
VL - Visser Liebenberg, clarinet
SV - Stephanie Vos, voice
CV - Carina Venter, cello
NM - Neo Muyanga, korg trident synth, sruti box
CS - Cara Stacey, Swazi bows, mbira, flutes, etc.
CvdM - Cristelle van der Merwe, djembe
TvdM - Tertius van der Merwe, acoustic guitar
ML - Mo Laudi. Korg synthesizer, mbira
LT - Likhona Tokota, tuba
JvZ - Jacques van Zyl, electronic neural nets [hashtag blacknoise]
JP - John Pringle, percussion
BJ - Brent January, acoustic guitar
PB - Peter Baxter, table top percussion
MH - Melanie Hufkie, poetry
JV - Juliana Venter, voice
NZ - Niklas Zimmer, percussion
AT - Antoinette Theron, voice
LJ - Liam Jaftha, voice
LB - Lize Briel, uhadi, flute, recycling material
CLE - Coila-Leah Enderstein, prepared piano, mbira, bow
BP - Brett Pyper, double bass
KM - Kā Makāté (Kamil) - acoustic guitar and electric guitar
M - Mana - voice
FR - Francois le Roux, cello and body percussion

Africa Open Improvising

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