Freenoise - GATED COMMUNITY

GATED COMMUNITY - LIVE
Nether Edge Social Club, Sheffield UK
25 Jan 2007

Sound bytes. (Mp3 / under 2mins) Set 1 piece 2 / Set 1 piece 4.
PRESS RELEASE - JUNE 2007 (MsWord doc. 240kb) - download

Forgot my camera but here's a couple of old pics from the DVD filming sesh last July, which, incidentally is complete and available to buy from Mick Beck if you wish (the downloadable one is here).

With a troupe numbering the same as the audience (10) we were in for a fairly intimate setting this freezing January night upstairs in the local club. Mick Beck's behemoth collective goes back to the mid-eightees, originally named Feetpackets. Core members Martin Archer (saxes / bass recorder), Jon Jasnoch (strings and percussion) and Charlie Collins (vibraphone) are here as well as Mick on saxes and bassoon, Karl d'Silva on clarinet and alto, Neil Carver on electronics plus various other members whose names I don't know; violin / tuba / bass guitar.. oh and a freeform vocalist I've not seen before (Peter White, it was announced hadn't arrived for no known reason so this chap was maybe whisked in at short notice?!) but did an extraordinary job of disturbing listeners with insane vocal stream of consciousness abstract and improvised 'noise'. Well..the voice is just another instrument isn' it..?

Music of this variety is really contemplative. The 'Gatcom' (as they sometimes refer to themselves as) make it a little theatrical too. Improv music is so against anything we are normally accustomed to it can really challenge the mental status quo, which is necessary in this sterile, automated modern world. Anyway, back to the gig. Four varied pieces of about 9 / 10 mins each in the first set exploring a huge range of sonic possibilities, ideas, movemements and modes. Some typed sheets were being referred to occasionally which gave a clue as to how members work together. Mick introduces each piece with a name and the 'composer' but that's it. I can only guess at methods of making stuff work. And it does work. Fantastic, charming, scary, other-worldly, funny, consoling, meditative...all these sensations are delivered by this bunch of extra-ordinary people and I feel proud to have them as my neighbours and peers. Skilled musicians that have bravely gone beyond the form and predictability of 'tune' and 'beat' for exploration of unknown and unchartered sonic realms, in front of an audience too. Extremely quiet and minimal 'whispering' and tapping (including Beck's inaudible scraping of a sax reed across his chin) to sudden eruptions of everything including five brass instruments at full volume meant my MD recorder had it's work cut out. A harmonious, tuneful yet atonal (?) piece by Jasnoch in the first set was followed by an incredibly soft and slightly oriental 'Breathing the Fog' by Herve Perez who it was announced was away with his family in France. After a break the second set contained longer pieces giving opportunity for things to really develop, but becoming quite a challenge for this particular ear. Youngest member (by far) Karl D'Silva was often seen smirking and laughing at various contributions including his own. A comical highlight we all shared was toward the end when the vocalist seemed to be posessed by various animals such as dogs and cats ending in a donkey's braying battling it out with the vibraphone. It seemed most of the room was now laughing providing relief to what was becoming just a little too surreal!

More gigs and info at www.discus-music.co.uk

Just had word that none other than Damo Suzuki will be joining Gated Community and The Tajalli Vortex in Sheffield in April! Watch this space..!