Ekstravaganza #5 – The Summer Special
Wednesday November 25th
Martin Rev + HTRK +Factory Floor
7.30 pm £10 advance
MARTIN REV
NYC's Martin Rev is a one of music's most influential and creative personalities. His mainstream profile has remained somewhat opaque due to his focus on creativity and art as opposed to commercial viability. Nevertheless, as the lone instrumentalist in the legendary duo Suicide, his pulsing hissing keyboards continue to challenge and inspire generations of underground music fans. Countless artists have cited Suicide as an influence including The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Joy Division, New Order, Nick Cave, Radiohead, Spacemen 3, Ric Ocasek, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen's "State Trooper" from his Nebraska album is clearly influenced by Suicide. Springsteen also performed a solo keyboard version of Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream" to end the concerts on his 2005 "Devils and Dust" tour. Suicide's recordings are considered to be some of the most influential alternative music recordings of all-time. Suicide (1977), is particularly heralded, often regarded as a classic. Suicide continues to play live throughout the world, performing at among others, the South Street Seaport Festival in lower Manhattan in August of 2007, the London Forum with Nick Cave on his debut of his new group Grinderman, and Agnes B's fashion week 30th anniversary celebration at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, featuring groups including Sonic Youth and Patti Smith.
While remaining active in Suicide, Martin Rev is busy as a solo producer and performer. Les Nymphes marks his seventh solo album, released almost three decades since his self-titled debut album was released in 1980. Les Nymphes follows Rev's debut on File Thirteen, 2004's very well received album To Live. Since the release of To Live, Martin Rev has played solo dates in Europe including Athens and Thessalanki in Greece, many cities in Italy, Helsinki and Tampere Finland, Berlin, Geneva, festivals in Nantes (the Ideale) and Pau, Paris, and Lille in France. In 2007, the Rev CD Cheyenne was re-issued by Mind Expansion records that included three new tracks not on the previous 1991 release. In May of 2008 Cheyenne and Strangeworld were reissued digitally.
His new album STIGMATA is out now on Blast First Petite.
HTRK
HTRK (pronounced “Hate Rock”) are Jonnine Standish (vocals / drum), Sean Stewart (bass) and Nigel Yang (guitar / electronics). Founded in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, they relocated to Berlin and London in 2005 and signed to experimental / avant-rock label and Mute Records offshoot Blast First Petite (Pansonic, Suicide).
HTRK take the intensity of industrial and experimental noise music and smother it with a cold haze, adding gorgeous textures and a deliberate attitude of constraint. Pop structures are slowed to a funereal pace, and all energy is poured into a black hole... in this sonic oblivion they aim clearly for the sublime.
HTRK’s debut album “Marry Me Tonight” was produced by Rowland S. Howard (The Birthday Party), who also played on much of the album. Live, HTRK have supported Alan Vega, Lydia Lunch and The Locust and toured Europe with Liars, Shellac and most recently the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A European tour with ATP’s Fuck Buttons will commence in October ‘09.
“fans of raw drone will zone out in their glory” - ALLMUSIC
“awe-inspiring” - ROCK A ROLLA
“extraordinarily sexy” 4/6 - TIME OUT
“amazing, heartbreaking sound” - 20 JAZZ FUNK GREATS
“Obsessed.” 8/10 - NME
FACTORY FLOOR
Sit up and take notice, Factory Floor are blasting holes in sonic airwaves. The racket they make is loud. Guitar is played with a violin bow, guitar is rumbling out interpretive rhythms hidden within the depths of sound, vision. Banging fist full’s of pounding beats on drums with the aid of gadget’s that seem to enhance relentless resonations. Life is good for the members of FF it seems. The last few memorable gigs have left audiences mesmerized, the zone they encompass is comfortable in its uncomfortable way. They inhabit a stark soundscape, a concentrated pool of liquefied clamour. The structure is so that their journey moves in staggered layers heaving emotion into sound-jiggering spaces. Pieces of composition stop/start reviving the energy they whip up. Voice as instrument, voice as an instruction…
