Rhys Chatham readies new LP, touring; three Glenn Branca symphonies being performed for Red Bull Music Academy
Experimental musician, no-wave fixture and guitar innovator Rhys Chatham is releasing a new album, Pythagorean Dream, on which he plays trumpet, electric guitar, and alto, bass and C flutes. You can check out an excerpt of the final track off the LP below. The album is out June 3 via Foom Music. Rhys will be playing shows leading up to Pythagorean Dream‘s release, beginning with an appearance at Moogfest and wrapping up with a show at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge on May 30 with Tim Dahl of Child abuse and drummer Kevin Shea. Tickets for that show are on sale now.
Meanwhile, one of Chatham’s contemporaries, former collaborators and lovers of hearing 100 guitars at the same time, Glenn Branca, is part of this year’s Red Bull Music Academy. Earlier this week (May 3) Branca sat down with Alan Licht to talk about his life, career, music and new album, Symphony No. 13 (Hallucination City) which is out today via Atavistic. A few photos from that event are in this post and Bedford & Bowery have a full report from the event.
Branca also talked about the upcoming “Glenn Branca’s Symphonies” RBMA concert that happens on May 16 at Masonic Hall where his 8th and 10th Symphonies (The Mysteries) and 12th Symphony (Tonal Sexus) will be performed by an all-star lineup of experimental musicians, including Reg Bloor, Haley Fohr, Randy Randall, Mick Barr, Greg Fox, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, Ben Greenberg, Justin Frye, Fabi Reyna, Arad Evans and John Myers. Branca won’t be leading the orchestra but has been working with them online. “You can imagine the difficulty these sons of bitches are having,” Branca said. “Oh, I mean they’re great musicians, good rock musicians — but they’re not used to reading staff notation.” Tickets for the RBMA show are on sale now.
More pics from Branca’s RBMA talk, and recordings of the Branca’s 8th and 10th symphonies, below.
Rhys Chatham – 2016 Tour Dates
19 May: Durham NC – Moogfest – Arthur Russell Ensemble
20 May: Chicago – Constellation – Josh Abrams band also on bill
21 May: Detroit – UFO Factory
22 May: St Louis – The Luminary
24 May: Philadelphia – Fringe Arts – Trio with Tim Dahl & Kevin Shea
26 May: Waltham MA – Museum of Industry – (Pythagorean Dream)
27 May: Portland ME – Space Gallery – Solo + Trio program!
28 May: Providence RI – Colombus Theatre – (Pythagorean Dream)
30 May: NYC – Le Poisson Rouge – Trio with Tim Dahl & Kevin Shea
Glenn Branca with Alan Licht @ Red Bull Studios, 5/3/2016
