Following sell out shows last year with Nils Frahm, Tim Hecker, Actress, William Basinski and Biosphere, St John Sessions return to Hackney with a series of ten events scheduled for 2014.
It all begins on Thursday 20th February with Ryuichi Sakamoto. Long heralded as a leading light in the world of contemporary piano, he’s also managed to established himself as the ivory counterpoint of choice for the experimental world through a string of peerless collaborations ( Fennesz, Alva Noto, Chirstopher Willits). But it was Taylor Deupree’s microscopic soundscapes that collided with Sakamoto on last year’s Disappearance. A veritable Budd & Eno for 21st century, Deupree’s pioneering electronic minimalism assimilates perfectly with Sakamoto’s sparse notes – St John Sessions will see the European debut of their collaboration.
Pick an album to offset Disappearance’s hushed tones and it may as well be Roly Porter’s monolithic Life Cycle of a Massive Star, an LP that contains a universal sound: a sonic black hole which buckles the listener, forces patience and openness, and encourages us to hear differently. It is an awe-inspiring achievement. The Vex’d veteran brings his stellar live set in support, epic enough to soundtrack imaginary stellar events. Further support comes from Deupree’s 12k imprint in the form of ambient-acoustic songsmith Gareth Dickson.