Marconi​’​s Drift

Marconi​’​s Drift

Transatlantic Trance Map

Evan Parker and Matthew Wright’s Trance Map project has included improvised live events across Europe and the US, involving other invited guest performers, with various Trance Map+ recordings released on psi, Intakt and FMR Records. Since 2020, Trance Map+ have undertaken ambitious streamed and networked performances, connecting with musicians around the world from The Hot Tin venue in Faversham, Kent, UK. In 2022, this resulted in Transatlantic Trance Map, a simultaneous performance between seven musicians in Kent and six musicians in Roulette, New York City, which is profiled on this album release.

 


 

THE HOT TIN
Faversham, UK, 8pm GMT:
Evan Parker: soprano saxophone
Matthew Wright: turntable, live sampling and processing
Peter Evans: trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Robert Jarvis: trombone
Hannah Marshall: cello
Pat Thomas: live electronics
Alex Ward: clarinet

ROULETTE
Brooklyn, USA, 3pm EST:
Sylvie Courvoisier: piano, keyboard
Mat Maneri: viola
Ikue Mori: laptop live electronics
Sam Pluta: laptop live electronics
Ned Rothenberg: clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi
Craig Taborn: piano, keyboard, live electronics

 


 

Notes from Evan Parker
extracted from the CD booklet: 

The musicians involved in this piece are based either side of the Atlantic – essentially from the London and New York scenes. They are all seasoned and distinguished members of the global community of improvisers that has grown out of the various strands of free jazz, open improvisation and real time electronic music during my playing lifetime. I have had the pleasure of playing with each of them in smaller groups.

This grandiose scheme was inspired by the two venues: The Hot Tin in Faversham (UK) and Roulette in Brooklyn (USA). I had played several times in each venue and knew both to be committed to creating musician-friendly work spaces and reaching good audiences.

Matt and I had already had the experience of working with the SonoBus open-source software and its ability to virtually eliminate any latency problem. We had already used this for a concert between Hamburg and Faversham and were eager to test the limits with this grander plan.

I made a simple scheme for the concert which set out a sequence of combinations – mostly duos and trios, with the option to accompany and interject as impulse and the evolving context suggested. The live webcast of the concert gave a first idea of the wealth of material generated during the hour-long concert. Repeated investigation of the 24 tracks which were simultaneously recorded revealed many subtleties which could not be registered in the live transmission. Here are the results of Matt Wright’s refining and clarifying post-production of the live event recording.

 

Some additional information on the Trance Map project can be found here.

 


 

“This is a most ambitious effort, two ensembles playing simultaneously on either side of the Atlantic ocean, connected through the internet and improvising through the airwaves … the sound and flow is seamless … Most impressive on all fronts.”
— Downtown Music Gallery, NYC

 

“Replete with as many electronic devices as traditional instruments, the 55-minute concert went through Matthew Wright’s post-production and was brought together as one extended piece of improvisation. A miasma of exploration – this performance relies as heavily on electronic adventure as it does jazz innovation and as a result consistently skirts the bounds of originality and innovation – for the musically curious this is as rich as it is rewarding.”
— Musique Machine

 

“As part of the ongoing celebration of Evan Parker’s 80th year … Marconi’s Drift is a splendid affirmation of an enduring musical spirit still eagerly confronting innovative challenges.”
— Jazzwise

 

“Off the cuff and simply outstanding.”
— Electronic Sound

 

“The delicate, always clear dynamics enrich the elusive and suggestive sonic envelope, with great focus on every detail. Brilliant set of spontaneous, free music that draws the listener deeper and deeper into its many wonders.”
— Salt Peanuts 

 


 

Co-composition by Evan Parker and Matthew Wright
Live performance, December 17, 2022
The Hot Tin recording by RouteStock
Video livestream courtesy of Roulette Intermedium
Album mixed and mastered by Matthew Wright and Evan Parker
Design by David Caines

6 panel gatefold sleeve; 12 page booklet; CD sleeve

 

Event, recording and album release supported by:
Robert D. Bielecki Foundation rdbf.org
The Hot Tin and RouteStock www.routestock.org
Roulette roulette.org

 

www.evanparker.com
www.matt-wright.co.uk

 

Album launch event:
Cafe Oto, London
SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2024, 2PM
“The music was calm, collective, and often very beautiful in its constant warp and weft.”
— thebluemoment.com, Richard Williams

 

CDs ordered from Bandcamp or the False Walls website are mailed from the UK. Other places where you can find or order False Walls CDs are shown here.

This CD is also available in the USA from SquidCo (online shop), Downtown Music Gallery (NYC) and Dusty Groove (Chicago).

CD/digital release: September 13, 2024
fw14

CD and digital purchase also available from Bandcamp, see above.