Events
Growing with Off the International Radar and a Priori
Monday April 12th
LOLA & Call The Office Present
Growing (Vice / The Social Registry / Kranky)
Off The International Radar (Hand Drawn Dracula)
A Priori (King Haxi)
$10 at the door
9pm
Growing
Off the International Radar
http://offtheinternationalradar.com/
Off the International Radar & Holy Fuck – Holy Radar from Hand Drawn Dracula on Vimeo.
LOLA Concert Series: Session01 – The Necks with Todor Kobakov and the Transmorphous Sound Ensemble
http://www.thenecks.com/
http://www.todor.ca
Museum London/Friday, January 22, 2010/7pm
Tickets available for purchase here
Artist Biography: The Necks
The Necks (established 1987) are one of the great cult bands of Australia and the world. With next to no publicity, their fourteen albums have sold in their thousands. Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms. These three musicians are among the most respected and in-demand in Australia, working in every field from pop to avant-garde. Over 200 albums feature their presence individually or together, but the music of The Necks stands apart from everything else they have done. Featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most intoxicating fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove, the thirteen albums by The Necks stand up to re-listening time and time again. The deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.
Unclassifiable, the Necks stand aside any other musical act Australia has gave birth to. Neither jazz nor rock, this deceptive piano trio has kept a single line of conduct throughout its career. They usually start playing a very basic melodic and rhythmic figure, and then keep going at it for an hour, gradually introducing microscopic changes and variations. Some critics have compared them to Krautrock groups like Can and Faust. Others find similarities in the works of minimalist composers like LaMonte Young, Tony Conrad, even Philip Glass. The Necks were formed in Sydney, Australia, back in 1987. The original lineup of pianist Chris Abrahams, bassist Lloyd Swanton, and drummer Tony Buck remained stable, even though they all lead busy and highly different careers. Abrahams is an acclaimed session keyboardist who has released a couple of solo piano albums, has written music for film and television, and toured the world in 1993 with the rock group Midnight Oil. Swanton is a much in-demand session jazz bassist and a regular of the jazz festival circuit. He has played in the Benders and the Catholics, and accompanied Stephen Cummings and Sting. Buck spends most of his time in avant-garde circles, with multiple collaborations and projects. His best known engagements have include the trio PERIL and the klezmer-punk group Kletka Red. The Necks’ first album came out in 1989 on their own label, Fish of Milk.
– François Couture, All Music Guide
Artist Biography: Todor Kobakov
Introducing Todor Kobakov, a Toronto based composer-musician-producer who has one foot planted at the centre of Canada’s alternative music scene, and the other placed deep within the world of classical music. Given his rather unique vantage point, it’s no wonder that Pop Music, Kobakov’s solo piano debut, might best be described as a classical album with indie cred. To understand how Pop Music came to be, it’s best to start at the beginning.
Music is quite literally in Todor’s blood. Born in Bulgaria in to a family of classical musicians, training at the piano bench began at home at just four years old. At age six Kobakov was accepted in to the prestigious Sofia School of Music, a full time day school for musically and academically gifted children, where he studied for eleven years. The first half of Todor’s life existed on or around the piano. “I practiced for 6 hours every day” remembers Kobakov, “before school, after school, and after dinner. Then we would play just for fun! It sounds a bit heavy, but it’s quite normal in Eastern Europe…music is just part of the culture.”
Todor Kobakov – Toronto Stories from Todor Kobakov on Vimeo.
For Immediate Release!
June 25, 2009
LOLA Festival returns for fourth year to merge unconventional and groundbreaking independent music, visual art, and creative technologies in London, Ontario’s downtown core
London, Ontario, CANADA (June 25, 2009) – Continuing with its extraordinary and innovative programming from the independent music scene and the contemporary visual arts for the fourth consecutive year, LOLA (London Ontario Live Arts) Festival is pleased to announce its exciting festival program for 2009. With free concerts and art installations in historic Victoria Park and throughout downtown London, Ontario, LOLA 2009 will run from September 17-19, 2009.
“By turning night into day, day into night – warping time and space metaphorically and psychologically – the artists of LOLA 2009 will generate visions of brilliance and darkness that will challenge the senses and ignite the imagination,” states Paul Walde, Artistic Director for LOLA.
In borrowing from a wide variety of genres, including contemporary chamber music, afro-beat, jazz, electronica, and the avant-garde, the music of LOLA 2009 promises to be a blend of national, international and local acts that is an assemblage of musical landscapes beyond the parameters of traditional pop, rock and folk. Confirmed performers include UK post-jazz ensemble Polar Bear (London, UK), NOMO (Detroit, USA) and Canadian up-and-comers Bruce Peninsula and Canaille (both from Toronto, ON). Local acts include A Horse and His Boy, The Nihilist Spasm Band and the UWO New Music Ensemble.
“The objective with this year’s line-up was to showcase artists who tend to explore more composition-based notions of song through instrumental narratives, yet who remain palatable in a traditional pop or indie type style festival setting,” states Ian Doig-Phaneuf, LOLA’s Music Curator in a recent statement.
Exhibitions by Governor General Award-winning artists Michael Snow (McIntosh Gallery) and Agnetha Dyck (Michael Gibson Gallery) highlight the visual art programming this year, along with installations in Victoria Park by Gordon Monahan, Dave Dyment, and London’s Nicholas Longstaff. In cooperation with the University of Western Ontario (UWO), the work of Victoria artist Robert Youds will be featured at the ArtLAB and in a downtown light-based installation that will transform an entire city block. Cutting edge New York artist Tony Matelli will heat things up in a group exhibition at the Forest City Gallery, which also features London artist Wyn Geleynse.
Building upon a tradition of inviting artists from past festivals to return to London to present new work, 2009 brings back LOLA musical favorites Final Fantasy (Toronto, ON), Akron/Family (Brooklyn, NY) from LOLA 2007 and visual artists Dave Dyment and Kelly Mark (both from Toronto, ON) from LOLA 2008, as well as London’s own Kevin Curtis-Norcross (LOLA 2007).
The London Ontario Live Arts Festival began in 2006 as a one-day music and art festival and has quickly grown into a world-class multidisciplinary festival. Past musical performers have included: Do Make Say Think, Off The International Radar, Plants and Animals, Holy Fuck , Grizzly Bear, The Constantines, Shad, Basia Bulat, Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and Elliott Brood. Visual art at LOLA has included an array of public art works in a variety of media, including large-scale projections on building exteriors, outdoor advertising space, neon signage, street theatre, and generative art projects by artists from across the globe. Past participating artists include: Michelle Gay, blackholefactory with Sigi Torinus and Jose Seoane, Rich Jacobs and Taylor McKimens. In 2007, LOLA was pleased to present the Canadian premiere of 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno.
LOLA 2009 is powered by Rogers and financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (a program of the government of Ontario through the Ministry of Culture), the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, London Arts Council and Mainstreet London; and proudly supported by 94.9 CHRW.
Watch for major festival announcements in the coming weeks.
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For all media requests, please contact:
Darin Addison
Publicity Manager
LOLA (London Ontario Live Arts)
519.679.5848
darin@lolafest.com
Concert Series – Raster Noton
The 3rd and final show in the 2009 LOLA Concert Series took place June 2nd at Museum London. Alva Noto and Byetone from the German label Raster Noton graced London with their presence and put on an amazing show. You can see some video below:
