whi
music
is dedicated to promoting the power and beauty of
improvised and experimental music. Based in
Liverpool, UK, it's largely based around my
activities and collaborations.
The
catalogue
now includes fifteen items, the most recent being
'the reverse of reality' by Bloodcog, available as
a download, or as a very smart-looking CDr. 'Fall
Through the Infinite' by phil hargreaves and
Richard Harrison and 'Human' by Maggie
Nicols & Phil Hargreaves (see below) are still
available. 'where we were' by Caroline Kraabel
& phil hargreaves is currently available on Leo Records.
for more information on this release, see the dedicated
website.
I've
got
a
blog
to which i add my pearls of wisdom to from time to
time.
.
phil hargreaves
email:
info[at]whi-music.co.uk
News My main
bit of news is that i'm recovered from my ME, so
this website will now be actively maintained again,
after six or seven years in the doldrums. Also
actively maintained will be (hopefully, at least) my
playing activity.
As further evidence of this, here's 'The Reverse of
Reality' by Bloodcog:
It's an electro/free jazz/dub/punknoise fusion, kind
of like the Prodigy playing improvised music. Kind
of. Listener feedback so far includes: "Sensory
overload" and "This is what I imagine Hell to sound
like". The team, possibly perversely, take these as
compliments.
'Fall
Through the Infinite' is a straightahead improvised
set with me on Saxes and Flute, and Mr Harrison on
acoustic drumset and Objects.
It's available as a download and also as a CDr in a
smart 4 panel cardboard sleeve, so you can find it
on Bandcamp
Malchamech is Richard Harding (Chapman
Stick), Phil Hargreaves (Saxes/Flute) and
Richard Harrison (Drums).
The
Malchamech sound draws on classic metal and
the unpredictability of improvised music to
create a swirling maelstrom of sound that
still isn't afraid of its tender aspect. So if
you like your sounds on the intense, slightly
noisy side - this one's for you. Album is
forthcoming, but in the meantime, check out
the SoundCloud stuff:
'Human by Maggie
Nicols & Phil Hargreaves is now
out.
It's hard to overstate how happy we are with
this CD - it took two years to make, and it
doesn't sound like one that you already own.
It's a tapestry of so many things, ranging from
dense audio collages to intimate improvised duos
recorded in Dark Places.
This is a proper silver disk (ie
not a CDr) in a very handsome six-panel
cardboard sleeve, and available for the
bargain price of £6 including p&p in the
UK. Well, i think it's a bargain, anyway.
The second amere3 CD is now out on Bruce's
Fingers. Over to Simon Fell - "Firstly, I feel
this music finds yet another way of
investigating the saxophone / bass / drums
format, without repeating the approach of any of
its illustrious forebears in the BF catalogue.
Phil Hargreaves has developed a quite unique and
extremely personal voice on the saxophone - one
which allows him to contribute freely but
without ever dominating or railroading the
ensemble through sheer physical power. Over the
years Rob and I have worked hard to find a
language which would best contextualise this
language, with the opportunities it presents;
this excellent CD is the result.
Whilst this music is probably free jazz for
the majority of the time, it remains
non-hierarchical throughout - which is a
particular pleasure. Secondly, Phil (who
recorded this music) has excellently captured
the acoustic sound of my bass. The BF catalogue
contains numerous CDs where for whatever reason
I regret the recorded bass sound (I'm sure the
bass players among you will understand...) - but
this is most definitely not one of them!"
Since this was first written, Simon has
passed, so should you wish to purchase this CD,
i've folded it in with the whi music catalogue.
The second CD by Graculus, 'Small Things',
is an album of miniatures, each improvised, each
under 2:30 long (some a lot under). As well as
being available as a download via Bandcamp, there's a silver
disk in a smart professionally printed package,
which is yours for £6, including postage.
Plus, i've now enabled the e-commerce side
of things, so you can buy this, and other
titles, from the comfort of your chair (assuming
your chair is comfortable in the first place,
that is):
Including several of the tracks off of
'Small Things', a trio of Maggie Nicols, Phil
Minton & Steve Boyland, and some interesting
things with the inside of a piano frame...
The performance by the Infinite Monkey
Orchestra in 2009, with Simon Fell, was
recorded, and has now been released on Ian
Simpson's Electronic Musik netlabel. Go to http://www.archive.org/details/InfiniteMonkeyOrchestraem100 for a free listen and/or download
This is a vid of Graculus at the very
wonderful If
Only night at the Bluecoat Arts
Centre in Dec 2011. For more like this, see
the YouTube
Channel.
