Bird Radio – a magical flautist
Have you heard? Bird Radio. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval Bird Radio looks like a well-kept traveller. He has a beard, wears a brown hat and carries an old cardboard suitcase found in the street...
View ArticleNonclassical brings the splendour of symphony to the here and now
String duo Kodaly: violinist Eloisa Fleur Thom and cello player Max Ruisi This year marks the ten-year anniversary of Nonclassical, an East London-based record label and club night. Its purpose is to...
View ArticleÇiğdem Aslan sings the blues of the Mediterranean
Singer Çiğdem Aslan. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval On a corner of Stoke Newington High Street one shop nearly always catches the eye, its window decked with old pictures, musical instruments,...
View ArticleDarren Hayman’s Valentine’s Day Occupation at the Vortex
Keeping occupied: Darren Hayman Those with feelings of nostalgia for obscure 90s indie bands may smile at the mention of Hefner, a group formed by the Essex-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Darren...
View ArticleBusker Mike ‘Down Dalston Lane’ Gregovich launches Soul of a Man EP
Busking in glory: Mike ‘Down Dalston Lane’ Gregovich. Photograph: Russell Parton Amid the trolleys, noise and bustle at the back of Kingsland Shopping Centre, a busker plays a soulful rendition of...
View ArticleDalston sound artist Atom Eye makes album out of field recordings
Elsie Martins. Photograph: Davide Caselli Elsie Martins takes the idea of music being all around us quite literally. For her new album, she spent a year making field recordings and conducting sound...
View ArticleSax appealing jazz: review of BB&C at the Vortex
Jazz trio BB&C. Photograph: Peter Gannushkin Laboured synaesthesic analogy: if main stream Sanborn-esque smooth horn is saccharin or aspartame, then Tim Berne’s sax is something far less instantly...
View ArticleHackney duo to stage experimental opera Room of Worlds
Experimental opera: Room of Worlds A mixed-media, experimental opera produced by a Hackney-based electronic artist and avant-garde vocalist is to be performed in May at The Horse Hospital in central...
View ArticleGuitar music night Iridescent to launch at Oslo
Iridescent launches on Thursday 1 May A brand new night giving a platform for East London artists and musicians to hang out and listen to their favourite guitar-based music is launching on 1 May at...
View ArticleField Day London – review
Head-dressing the part: revellers at Field Day 2014. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval Despite the forecast predicting thunderstorms, the sun shone brightly for last weekend’s Field Day festival. It was...
View ArticleGrimeborn returns for tenth anniversary at the Arcola
Béla Bartók’s entrancing masterpiece, Bluebeard’s Castle. Photograph: Brent Eviston Flying in the face of opera’s reputation for being overpriced, elitist, and long-winded, the Arcola Theatre has...
View ArticleWorld musicians to descend upon Barbican for Transcender festival
Whirling dervish: Meshk Ensemble are to perform at the Barbican as part of the Transcender weekend The Barbican’s Transcender weekend has become a firm favourite in London’s contemporary music events...
View ArticleToo late to stop Nao: interview
Nao: “Vocal acrobatics and flair…” Photograph: Jeff Hahn The story of Nao is not one of overnight success. The 28-year-old East Londoner this year released her debut album For All We Know to some...
View ArticleThe Comet is Coming: Hackney’s dark horse for Mercury Prize glory
(l-r): Dan Leavers, Shabaka Hutchings and Max Hallett as jazz three-piece The Comet is Coming. Photograph: Fabrice Bourgelle The story of The Comet is Coming is the stuff of dreams for aspiring bands:...
View ArticlePunk band Arrows of Love take aim at Hackney Wick planning authority with...
Angry: Arrows of Love Hackney Wick punk band Arrows of Love are to release a single slamming the local planning authority amid rising anger among local artists over the march of gentrification. The...
View ArticleBrighton’s Great Escape Festival showcases First Fifty acts across Hackney’s...
Thomas Cohen. Photograph: C. Faruolo When Radiohead were announced as a headliner for this year’s Primavera Sound, the sudden clamour for tickets meant the Spanish music festival, which never used to...
View ArticleConcert pitch – Hackney’s gig guide for November
Cosmic Strip. Photograph: Family PR Cosmic Strip @ Moth Club – 11 November The London act’s new single ‘Eternal Sunshine’ will tickle the fancy of Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Twilight Sad fans,...
View ArticlePuckering up with London’s first all-female whistling choir
Belles and whistles: members of the choir on Cutty Sark “I really want to hear you whistle! Or are you all whistled out?” At this request, a strange and mildly unsettling melody slowly begins to emerge...
View ArticleJulianna Barwick, Oslo Hackney, review: ‘vehement yet soporific’
Julianna Barwick When Julianna Barwick released Will back in May it signalled yet another critical success for the musician. The fourth full-length release from the Brooklyn-based Barwick was a return...
View ArticleRun The Jewels to bring their Trump-baiting hip hop to Field Day
A couple of gems: Field Day’s newest act, Run The Jewels. Photograph: Tim Saccenti Run The Jewels are the latest artists to be announced for Victoria Park’s Field Day festival, fresh from their Donald...
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