2016
Convergence Music + Art + Technology
live shows ¡ sessions ¡ visual arts
SPRING 2016 Fri 04.03
Luke Vibert Sat 05.03
Superstition DVS1 Mon 07.03
Jake Bugg 10 - 19.03
Convergence Thu 24.03
secretsundaze Fri 25.03
Superstition Maeve 01 - 03.04
Elrow
Tue 05.04
Jennylee Thu 07.04
Rationale Sold out
Fri 08.04
Roni Size & DJ Krust
Sat 09.04
Superstition Andrew Weatherall
Mon 11.04
Giant Sand & Jason Little
Sat 16.04
Dusky
Wed 20.04
Nonkeen
Sold out
Mon 25.04
Yungen
Sold out
26 - 27.04
NAO
Sold out
With special thanks to
“While there is no single theme to this year’s array of installations, talks, and concerts, a recurring idea is the re-materialisation of culture beyond its digital vaporisation. Technology provides all of the instruments for innovation but -- for it to mean something to our human culture we need the disruptive ingenuity and emotional investment of artists.
Technology wants us to be clean, carefully quantised and perfectly composed, but it is when artists break the rules that we are compelled and delighted. We want our relationship with music and art to be messy, tangled and sprawling. Convergence is a many-headed beast led by heroic innovators, fiery personalities and evocative voices that are masters, rather than slaves, to the algorithm.” Glenn Max, Artistic Director
Key partners & funders Arts Council England Mutek Quebec Govt British Council Cyland Bureau Export Barbican Village Underground Roundhouse
Convergence family Glenn Max Suzie Curtis Cassandra Frey-Mills Joshua Greene Matthew Cook Tom Jenkins Josh Thomas Phil Allen Kendall Masson Domi Activille Becky Tudor-Williams Eleanor Mathieson Leanne Mison Danni Colgan Adam Heron Riccardo Ramello
extended family Jonathan Potard Fanny Deroff Charlie Hearn Brendan O’Boyle Auro Foxcroft Amelie Snyers Jim English Jorge Nieto Ty Vigrass Jack Foxcroft
Thursday March 10: Opening Party
!!! Chk Chk Chk + Ash Koosha (A/V set) + Ah! Kosmos Village Underground 19:00 – 02:00
Friday March 11
Factory Floor + Shit Robot + Karen Gwyer + Kara-Lis Coverdale Village Underground 22:00 – 04:00
Produced in collaboration with MUTEK, supported by the Québec government.
Saturday March 12
The Correspondents + Rumours Village Underground 19:00 – 21:45 Produced by Soundcrash in association with Convergence
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1–3 Jul
Possibly Colliding a weekend curated by Nils Frahm
Place yourself at the heart of a buzzing scene of producers, composers and performers breaking musical boundaries with a weekend led by pianist and composer Nils Frahm More information and full line-up at barbican.org.uk/nilsfrahm
5 Nils Frahm Convergence programme ad HR.indd 1
01/03/2016 18:02
Sunday March 13
Pieces of a Man:
The Gil Scott-Heron Project In 2016, Convergence takes its first step as a producer of bespoke concerts. Pieces of a Man: The Gil Scott-Heron Project is a celebration of the life and legacy of the legendary American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, through a day of talks, screenings and performances. The day culminates in a live performance featuring guest vocalists and an excellent house band comprising of Leo Taylor, Alex Reeve, Robin Mullarkey, Jason Yarde, Charles Taylor and Sam Shepherd.
Speaking about the live show, Musical Director Dave Okumu said, “I feel incredibly excited and honoured to have been asked to take part in celebrating and reflecting on the work of Gil Scott-Heron. To me, he was and remains a deeply empathetic, visionary artist who wasn't afraid of converting personal or political conversations into a mass cultural form. Musically, I've been meditating on the idea that he was part of a wider oral tradition and that his contribution helped birth a whole new genre of music.
With guest performers
Without Gil Scott-Heron, hip hop would not be what it is today. I'm interested in exploring ways of recontextualizing his songs and poetry in a musical landscape that may not have come into existence without him. I'll draw on the rich heritage of hip hop, funk, blues, soul, jazz and electronica, as well as finding inspiration in what is happening in music today.”
Anna Calvi Kwabs Nadine Shah Jamie Woon Andreya Triana Loyle Carner Floating Points Gwilym Gold Joan As Police Woman + more
Produced by Convergence in association with Roundhouse
Dave Okumu (Musical Director)
Roundhouse 19:00 – 22:00
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Presents
Anna Calvi Kwabs Nadine Shah Andreya Triana Floating Points Jamie Woon Loyle Carner Gwilym Gold Joan As Police Woman Musical Director: Dave Okumu Sunday 13 March 2016 Roundhouse Tickets & more information: www.convergence-london.com
Monday March 14
of Montreal + Larry Gus
Village Underground 19:30 – 23:00
Wednesday March 16
The Herbaliser’s 20th Anniversary Night of Future Funk ft. Rodney P Village Underground 19:30 – 23:00
Wednesday March 16
Colin Stetson (solo show) + Laura Cannell Scala 19:30 – 22:30
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March 4—6
Colour Choir Py’s Colour Choir in association with Silent & Andi Watson ft. Throwing Snow. Kachette, 347 Old St, EC1V 9LP 10:00 – 17:00
Colour Choir is an audio-visual installation from artist & musician Jade Pybus (Py), developed in creative partnership with Nathan Prince of Silent Studios and longtime Radiohead collaborator Andi Watson.
Using a full spectrum of coloured light and 3-D sound this sensory experience explores the relationship between voice, colour and space.
March 12—20
Comfortably Spun Noise of Arts presents Comfortably Spun: an audio-visual installation by Ben Osborne & CAVALCANTI Red Gallery, 1-3 Rivington St, EC2A 3DT 12:00 – 19:00
For this collaboration, between textile artists CAVALCANTI and electronic music and art outfit Noise of Art, Ben Osborne uses a textile factory in Portugal as an instrument, creating electronic music out of the sounds of looms and tufting machines making CAVALCANTI’s specifically designed carpets.
The design of the textiles are then also translated into digital signals and patched through synths, to create otherworldly melodies and basslines. “When it comes to mega multimedia events, Ben Osborne and his collective, Noise of Art, are all over it.” Time Out London
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Visual Arts
Sessions 17 — 19 MAR Comprising a series of talks, workshops, demonstrations, performances and installations, Convergence Sessions provide a playground of ideas for artists, technologists and industry professionals working at the intersection of art, music and technology.
Sessions also set a brief for University of the Arts London and Guildhall School of Music BA students, who will collaborate during an experimental week in the Barbican Pitt Theatre. The project includes masterclasses and mentoring sessions with electronic composers My Panda Shall Fly, Throwing Snow, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Luke Abbott and Dan Deacon at the Barbican Centre.
Comprising a series of talks, workshops, demonstrations, performances and installations, Convergence Sessions provide a playground of ideas for artists, technologists and industry professionals working at the intersection of art, music and technology. This year’s Sessions feature: panel discussions from Spotify, Google Labs, Mixcloud, CMU, Makerversity, seeper, onedotzero and 1000bpm; a Pointblank Masterclass with The Invisible's Dave Okumu; The Gaslamp Killer and Dan Deacon in conversation with 6 Music's Mary Anne Hobbs, and an exclusive live collaborative performance from The Light Surgeons and sonic surfer Scanner.
Hear from rising stars in electronic music, Hannah Peel, Chelou and Light Falls, who recently received Momentum Music funding. The Momentum Music Fund is managed by PRS for Music Foundation, supported using public funding from Arts Council England and in association with Spotify. It helps talented artists and bands take their career to the next level, supporting tours, recording costs, marketing costs and more. This event will be begin with a panel Q&A event featuring the artists, moderated by Radio DJ Nick Luscombe.
PRS for Music Foundation presents Emergence on Convergence Momentum Grant Winners in Conversation and Performance. Friday 18 March, 18:30 – 23:00 Convergence Sessions Thursday 17 – Saturday 19 March 2016 Miranda at Ace Hotel, 100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ
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VR Frontiers
Ancient Wisdom as A/V: Cymatics Explored Tickets from £8
14.00 — 14.45
onedotzero present:
16.00 — 20.00
Emergence: Momentum Grant Winners in Conversation and Performance
15.00 — 15.45
PRS for Music Foundation
17.00 — 17.45
Beyond the Frame
13.00 — 13.45
The Light Surgeons:
Friday 18th
Saturday 19th
15.00 — 15.45
Masterclass w/ Dave Okumu (The Invisible)
Saturday 19th
19.00 — 20.00
12.00 — 13.45 15.00 — 15.45 14.00 — 14.45 16.00 — 16.45 18.30 — 11.00 14.00 — 14.45
Saturday 19th
Point Blank
Friday 18th
Saturday 19th
convergence-london.com 11
Mixcloud Curates: Radio Renaissance
Seeper: Tangible Data Creating the Future Today
Editions at Play: The Future of the Book
Spotify: Discovery By Data
Makerversity: MV WORKS
The Light Surgeons + Scanner Exclusive Live Collaboration #ConvergenceLDN
encounters
Saturday 19th
Mary Anne Hobbs + Q&A
Mary Anne Hobbs + Q&A
exhibitions
Friday 18th
in Conversation with
in Conversation with
workshops
Friday 18th
The Gaslamp Killer
Thursday 17th
Dan Deacon
talks
Friday 18th
Making Money From Media? You Won't Believe What Happens Next!
Shoreditch
Thursday 17th: mixcloud curates
CMU Insights:
Thursday 17th: mixcloud curates
ACE HOTEL
Thursday 17th
16.00 – 17.00
Sessions 17 — 19 MAR
2016
Convergence
Wednesday March 16
Omar Souleyman + Clap! Clap! + Simbiosi KOKO 19:00 – 23:00
Thursday March 17
Dan Deacon + Szun Waves ft. Luke Abbott Jack Wyllie · Laurence Pike + DJ Fitz Village Underground 19:30 – 23:00
Thursday March 17
Lamb + Darkstar + Maotik & Metametric presents Omnis AV performance
Produced in collaboration with MUTEK, supported by the Québec government.
Troxy 19:00 – 23:00 12
presents
Sasha Siem IN ASSOCIATION WITH UTA PRESENTS
Monday 11 April LONDON Kings Place Kings Cross
Broken Back Sunday 22 May LONDON Scala Kings Cross Debut EP Dear Misfortune, Mother of Joy out now on Sony.
Book tickets at serious.org.uk/sasha
MONDAY 16 - SATURDAY 21 MAY Book now at serious.org.uk/SeriousSpace
Moon Hooch
Monday 16 May
Becca Stevens + Special Guest
Native Dancer Feat. The Light Surgeons
Tuesday 17 May
Wednesday 18 May
Moh! Kouyaté
Nik Bärtsch
Kneebody +Daedelus: Kneedelus
Thursday 19 May
Book tickets at serious.org.uk/events
& OY + DJ
Friday 20 May
Saturday 21 May
Friday March 18
The Gaslamp Killer Experience (early show) Village Underground 19:00 – 21:30
Friday March 18
The Gaslamp Killer (DJ set)
+ Gaika + KUTMAH + Buttering Trio Village Underground (late show) 22:00 – 04:00
Friday March 18
Anna von Hausswolff + Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith St John on Bethnal Green 19:30 – 23:00
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Taking in the world with
The Gaslamp Killer
We can't just keep looking to James Brown and Fela Kuti, we can't keep lookin' to Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, we gotta look to the fucking Arabs, man! We gotta look to those Arabs that in the 70s in Iraq, in the 60s and 70s, they had funky-ass music and rock and roll, and the government decided that they didn't want that sacrilegious music to be played in their country any more, but before those times, they were developing their own rhythms and their own pathways to god, through music. Same with India believe it or not, the Mahabharata is a ten thousand year old scripture that people still read and still believe, and it talks about - a lot of scriptures talk about how music is the divine language. Sound used to be used to heal. The great pyramids were energy chambers and sound-hearing chambers that used to heal and share and shape
William Bensussen never does anything by halves. As a DJ he earned his pseudonym after his uncompromising mixes confused the straight hip-hop heads of the Gaslamp District in San Diego. After making a closer link with the Low End Theory he begin to put out material on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. His studio material is unflinching, it delves into the darkness, twisting archival samples up as well as embracing middle eastern mysticism winking his third eye at Californian psychedelia. During an ideas-stoked 25 minutes, he explains that he’s no-longer lonely on stage or in the studio. “I bring in musicians to help me fill my tracks with beautiful melodies and harmonies and rhythms that I would have never thought of on my own. The musicians love coming in to my studio and working with me, because I've got a wealth of world music knowledge that inspires the fuck out of any musician that hears it. When you get to hear so much music from around the world, and so many different rhythms, it gives you a new dynamic and it helps you step it up a notch, with all of it. The records help me find new rhythms and new melodies and new sounds.
Read the full interview on the Convergence website. Catch The Gaslamp Killer live and at:
Mixcloud curates: in conversation with Mary Anne Hobbs at Convergence Sessions
Thursday March 17 Ace Hotel, Shoreditch 15:00 – 15:45
15
March 10—20
March 10—20: Free admission
Branching Systems
Cyland Exhibition:
by Ryan Wolfe on display 24/7
Convergence Digital Art Partnership
Embodying the intersection of art and technology, internationally renowned new media artist Ryan Wolfe creates a new, site-specific, interactive piece to debut on this block long exterior wall of Village Underground. “Branching Systems” is an interactive exploration of the infinitely complex process of cause and effect (or input and output), a continuously evolving mass of motion, information and light in which robotic leaves flutter like butterflies, transforming the space into a network of complex, serendipitous movement.
The Convergence digital art programme includes four works curated by Cyland - the organisation behind Russia’s largest multimedia festival Cyberfest, held every year at The Hermitage Museum. Cyland is a non-profit project dedicated to expanding the intersection of Art : Tech through an annual international festival, visual exhibitions, sound art, video art, and educational programming. This exhibition features installations from some of Russia's most recognised new media artists - Anna Frants, Elena Gubanova, Ivan Govorkov and Alexandra Dementieva – marks Cyland’s first appearance in London and the beginning of an especially symbiotic partnership with Convergence.
Village Underground Great Eastern Wall Gallery, Great Eastern Street
Village Underground Great Eastern Wall Gallery, Great Eastern Street 12:00 - 20:00
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Getting down with the crowd - speaking to Convergence’s first Artist in Residence
Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon’s music takes compositional ideas from classical contemporary artists such as Fluxus and Terry Riley and rewrites them in neon. Deacon live is a full blown participatory happening. It was a concept which evolved with the audience, we asked Dan how his shows switched into the emphatically free-forms they take on today:
Now everyone wasn't just facing the same direction. Everyone was looking towards the centre, at each other, not at me. And that was the whole point of it- they were the show, the audience had become the show.”
“The audience participation started out as a necessity. The first time I ever did it, the power blew in a venue in New York. I was playing a basement of this club and it was like the first show I did in New York that ever went well. People were dancing, it was packed. And by packed I mean like, 80 people in a room that should have held 40 people. But it was a big moment for me at that time in my life. And the power went out and I knew if this show stopped, people would have gone upstairs, they would have smoked cigarettes and I never would have gotten that room as full again. My set would have been done.
Mixcloud Curates: Dan Deacon in conversation with Mary Anne Hobbs
Read the full illuminating interview on the Convergence website. Catch Dan Deacon at:
+ Q&A at Convergence Sessions Thursday March 17 Miranda at Ace Hotel, Shoreditch 14:00 –14:45
Convergence Live: Dan Deacon + Szun Waves (Luke Abbott, Jack Wyllie, Laurence Pike) + DJ Thursday March 17 Village Underground 19:30
So I just stood up on a box - there was no stage- and I could see the breaker box and people trying to move all the gear to get to it, so I just started shouting like- ' Make a circle , make a circle, we’re gonna have a dance contest!’. I picked one or two people I can't remember, I was rambling off absurd rules, of how it was gonna work. And then eventually the power came back on, and as soon as the dance started up again the whole room was different.
Masterclass: Dan Deacon with Guildhall Young Arts Academy Sunday March 13 Barbican Fountain Room 16:00 (free event)
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Saturday March 19
Nurse With Wound + Mondkopf presents Autrenoir (early show) supported by the Bureau Export
Village Underground 19:00 – 21:45
Saturday March 19: Closing Party
James Lavelle presents UNKLE Sounds + Circle Sky + support
Village Underground (late show) 22:30 – 04:00
Convergence present the debut of a brand new audio visual show by James Lavelle and Tupac Martir; featuring exclusive reworks and remixes by UNKLE, and visuals by Doug Foster, Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
follow Convergence Facebook.com/ConvergenceLondon Twitter @ConvergenceLDN instagram.com/convergenceldn
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Tickets & further info at www.convergence-london.com
#ConvergenceLDN
Thursday March 10: Convergence Opening Party
!!! chk chk chk + Ash Koosha (A/V set) + Ah! Kosmos
Village Underground
Friday March 11
Junun ft. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express
Barbican
Friday March 11
Factory Floor, Shit Robot, Karen Gwyer, Kara-Lis Coverdale
Village Underground
Saturday March 12: early show
The Correspondents + Rumours Produced by Soundcrash in association with Convergence
Village Underground
Sunday March 13
Pieces of a Man: the Gil Scott-Heron Project With guest performers. Produced in association with Roundhouse
Roundhouse
Monday March 14
of Montreal + Larry Gus
Village Underground
Wednesday March 16
Omar Souleyman + Clap! Clap! + Simbiosi
Koko
Wednesday March 16
The Herbaliser’s 20th Anniversary Night of Future-Funk ft. Rodney P
Village Underground
Wednesday March 16
Colin Stetson (solo show) + Laura Cannell
Scala
Thursday March 17
Lamb + Darkstar + Maotik& Metametric present Omnis AV
Troxy
Thursday March 17
Dan Deacon + Szun Waves + DJ Fitz
Village Underground
Friday March 18
The Gaslamp Killer Experience ft. the Drumetrics
Village Underground
Friday March 18: late club show
The Gaslamp Killer (DJ set) + Gaika + KUTMAH + Buttering Trio
Village Underground
Friday March 18
Anna von Hausswolff + Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
St John on Bethnal Green
Saturday March 19: early show
Nurse With Wound + Mondkopf presents Autrenoir
Village Underground
Saturday March 19: late club show
James Lavelle presents UNKLE Sounds [DJ] + Circle Sky [live]
Village Underground
convergence-london.com #ConvergenceLDN