Festival MUSIC
BANG ON A CAN ALL STARS A handy primer on the Brooklyn experimental classical music collective
Who are they? Bang on a Can are a music collective based in Brooklyn. It was set up 26 years ago by three composers who were, and still are, dedicated to championing experimental classical music. Their vision was to create an international community of people passionate about innovative music. The San Francisco Chronicle gushed recently that they are ‘the country’s most important vehicle for contemporary music’. The ‘All Stars’ are their live touring performers. What kind of stuff do they play? Depends. In the past Bang on a Can have commissioned works from jazz / classical / experimental musical heroes including Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Michael Nyman,
Dan Deacon, Bryce (The National) Dessner and Ryuichi Sakamoto. They’ve also put on performances by Philip Glass, Meredith Monk (who both performed at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival), Thurston Moore, Tortoise and others. What will they be doing in Edinburgh? They’re bringing their Field Recordings project. Expect a hectic but enjoyable visual and aural assault, as they piece together video clips with wonky, genre-straddling music composed by (among others) Steve Reich (pictured), Tyondai Braxton (Battles), and all three of Bang on a Can’s founding composers. In conversation, The Hub, 23 Aug, 1pm, £6; Usher Hall, 23 Aug, 8pm, £12–£34.
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HITLIST THE BEST ROCK, POP, JAZZ & FOLK
✽ Bang on a Can All Stars An exciting festival date, as the Brooklyn-
based electric chamber ensemble perform a new work by the pioneering minimalist composer, Steve Reich (left). Usher Hall, 473 2000, 23 Aug, 8pm, £12–£34, part of EIF.
✽ Brian Eno talk The former Roxy
Music member, turned maker of experimental and ambient music, is in town to discuss the history and future of music since recording. Movements, 473 2000, 23 Aug, 2.30pm, £6, part of EIF.
✽ Sonica presents Robbie Thomson’s Ecstatic Arc A last chance to catch this
electrical spectacle of music, dance, Tesla coils and mesmerising multimedia effects. Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 25 Aug (not 21), 7pm, £12 (£8).
✽ City Noir A film noir and David Lynch- inspired performance from John Adams and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, creating a portrait of urban California. Usher Hall, 473 2000, 27
Aug, 8pm, £12–£42, part of EIF.
✽ Vic Galloway Radio DJ Vic Galloway celebrates the launch of his book Songs in the Key of Fife with music from King Creosote. Jura Unbound, 0845 373 5888, 25 Aug, 9pm, free, part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival
✽ American Lulu A reworking of Alban Berg’s unfinished opera, Lula. Read an interview with lead singer, Angel Blue, at list. co.uk. King’s Theatre, 473 2000, 30 & 31 Aug, 7.15pm, £15–£35, part of EIF.
22 Aug–19 Sep 2013 THE LIST 115