Výrazný vlastní styl někdy působí jednoduše: známé prvky přeskládané do něčeho svěžího. A právě tak funguje Cave Party kanadského všeuměla Blakea Hargreavese. V základu jde o průnik industriálních, gotických a písničkářských postupů. Kutilské, neučesané analogové synťáky a decentní hluky částečně připomenou začátky Cabaret Voltaire nebo Throbbing Gristle, ale překvapivě také současnou elektronickou tvorbu samorostlého písničkáře Richarda Youngse nebo psychotické, mechanizované blues Davida Lynche(projekt BlueBOB). Koktejl stylů a nálad přitom ve výsledku působí zcela přirozeně. Hargreavesův hlas se pohybuje mezi apatií a pastorálou v ležérních popěvcích znějících přes soft-industriální beaty, které ale stále pěkně nakládají (viz devadesátkové houpačky Godflesh). A navíc to je celé pekelně chytlavé.
Blake bude prezentovat především desku Cave Party (2015), ale neměli bychom zapomínat na jeho další projekty. Během posledních patnácti let vydává ze své základny v Montrealu sólová alba zaměřená třeba na hluk a experimenty (The Waxathon) nebo na bizarní noise rock (Clinton Machine), ale působí také v kapelách Dreamcatcher, Thames a Cousins of Reggae, přičemž zejména disharmonický free rock posledně jmenovaných stojí za pozornost (což si ostatně myslí i The Wire). Vydával například na labelech Not Not Fun, Olde English Spelling Bee, Ecstatic Peace!, AA Tapes nebo American Tapes a zahrál si na prestižním festivalu All Tomorrow’s Parties. Zároveň ale Blake působí také ve světě vážné hudby a věnuje se improvizaci na varhany, což je ostatně okolnost, díky niž tentokrát zavítal do Evropy.
O den později, 3. 11., si budete moci cca od 12:00 do 13:30 poslechnout jeho hru na varhany v klášteře Pražského Jezulátka. Tam vstup zdarma, jen prosíme o tichou účast, jelikož se bude vše zároveň nahrávat.
https://blakehargreaves.bandcamp.com/
http://blakehargreaves.com/

Večer otevře Dimitar Dimov sólově jako Pretty Old Sound. Srážka noisové, téměř psychedelické, abstrakce a garážového rock’n’rollu připomene No Wave kapely 70. a 80. let, kdyby se nesnažili rock absolutně odmítnout, ale naopak pozřít, strávit a...
https://prettyoldsound.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Pretty-Old-Sound-260555428904
Závěr večera pak obstará afterparty v režii (RARE).
https://www.facebook.com/Rare.Prague/
 
2. 11. 2017, 20:00, Punctum (Krásova 27, Praha 3).
Letmo x Marast x Rare
http://www.punctum.cz
http://letmo.net/productions
http://www.marastmusic.com
Blake Hargreaves released his solo LP, The Waxathon, an exploration of noise and multi-instrument improvisation, in Montreal in 2002. He spent the next ten years recording and touring mainly with three bands; Dreamcatcher, Cousins of Reggae, and Thames, as well as pursuing solo activities including five years as resident composer with the La La La Human Steps contemporary dance company. With these bands he released LPs on labels in Montreal, New York City, Paris, and Australia, and toured the US and Europe, including performances at All Tomorrow's Parties UK and l'Olympia in Montreal. 
During this period Hargreaves also released the work of many of his peers on his community record label Fluorescent Friends, and began producing Cool Fest in 2007, an annual bilingual concert series featuring packed lineups with an eclectic mix of performances, food, and art installation which is still going strong.
In recent years Hargreaves has found new ways to serve the artistic communities in Ottawa and Montreal curating and programming, and explored pop music, with a solo LP under the name Clinton Machine, and on the forthcoming album Desert Swan.
This fall Hargreaves takes up residency in Budapest on a Chalmers Professional Development Grant studying pipe organ improvisation, and will perform music from his EP Cave Party at festivals and clubs in Europe while pursuing a project to record historic pipe organs across the continent. 
https://blakehargreaves.bandcamp.com/
http://blakehargreaves.com/
 
SELECT REVIEWS
"...his debut as Clinton Machine may be seen as a sort of coming out of the woods, a surprising turn that successfully captures even more aspects of his musical personality ... an undeniably solid set of rock tunes ... with their diverse rock touchstones, the quality of the Clinton Machine tunes makes them work the vast majority of the time ... an exciting new direction for a very dynamic artist."  8/10
Travis Bird, Foxy Digitalis USA (Clinton Machine, Gettin' Personial)
 
"The kind of deliriously free rock that feels so caught up in the tradition that it's perpetually ten years ahead. And not a whiff of skank in sight." 
David Keenan, Volcanic Tongue / The Wire, UK (Cousins of Reggae, Methridge)
"Another key piece of Canadian content is The Waxathon by Blake Hargreaves LP (Fluorescent Friends) ... the brunt of this fucker is lovely ... the music here really moves around in your head like a little truckload junk, looking for just the right corner in which to take a dump. In ways it has some textural similarities to the Midwest and Northeast U.S.underground space- core-improv scenes, but its flavors are unique and it also features two of my favorite song titles of the month "I beat cops up the rope ladder " and "I am standing on a fucking mountain." The story of my life. In song!" 
Byron Coley/Arthur Magazine, USA (Blake Hargreaves, The Waxathon)
“Cousins of Reggae follow-up their killer Our Mouth CD with a side of post Harry Pussy avant garage scorch that's listed as History And Prehistory Of Hudsons Bay In Five Parts and reads like a massively updated rundown of variously torched scum/noise strategies as applied to skateboard-carrying avant gardists with a penchant for the slackest aleatoric metal. Unbelievable... Highest possible recommendation." -David Keenan, Volcanic Tongue / The Wire UK (Cousins of Reggae, History and Prehistory of Hudson's Bay)
Live performance of 'Jim Slay', New York City 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIW0N5T2UX8
 
Improvisation in Ottawa April 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br3tc0cCUXQ
 
The church, Monastery of the Infant Jesus is confirmed for Friday the 3rd at 12:00 - 13:30 for his organ improvisations. Free entry there, however we ask you to be very quiet since it is a recording session open to the public. 
 
Klášter Pražského Jezulátka
Monastery of the Infant Jesus
Karmelitská 9, 118 00 Praha 1
www.pragjesu.cz
 
 
There are bands and there are bands. Czech band Pretty Old Sound is definitely option no.2, which is much better option, if this makes any sense to you. Centered around its frontman, Dimitar Dimov, their combination of noise abstraction and rock'n'roll approach is really unique. While one ingredient is absolutely erasing any kind of rock cliche, second one is supporting it and thus creating another piece of puzzle into history and mythology of this now ancient genre. Pretty Old Sound's output can be compared to NY sound of no wave if instead of rock'n'roll rejection they decided to embrace it.
https://prettyoldsound.bandcamp.com
https://evocativeobjects.bandcamp.com/album/wide-open-window-2
https://www.facebook.com/Pretty-Old-Sound-260555428904