Safehouse Experimental Music Collective

Bio:

.. Safehouse was founded in 2002 by the late drummer Steve Harris, Udo Dzierzanowski, and Cathy Stevens. It is a collective dedicated to the performance and promotion of free improvised and experimental music. We meet in the Studio Theatre at Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts. A core group of around twenty musicians with a range of skills and experience, and whose ages range from fifteen to sixty five, attend. These are augmented by less regular participants and auditors. Our sessions are recorded and our first compilation CD was launched with a special concert on 18th July 2006.

Each monthly workshop is structured to include space for the preparation of individual members projects from 6-8pm. An open session follows where we aim to be set and ready to play by 8.30pm. The workshop will usually begin with a tuning/listening/centring exercise. We then have a facilitated section where members take turn to organise each other. This could be as simple as picking the names of those who are about to play from a hat! This sets challenges for us all and ensures everyone has a chance to participate. After an intermission, we finish with a free period where members can choose who to play with.

Listeners are always welcome, as are artists from other disciplines.

Ground rules are simple:

1. Everyone is welcome regardless of ability or experience.

2. Safehouse is about free improvisation - not jazz, not jamming, not setting up a groove. We attempt to organise sound and noise without reference to pre-existing traditions or heirarchies.

3. Everyone must bring their own equipment. Lighthouse provide a piano and three mics.

4. Performance takes place in the performance space behind the mics.

5. Don't play so loudly that you cannot hear anyone else.

6. Listen. Listen. Listen.

To find out more email safehousepoole@gmail.com

We also hold an annual festival - previous highlights include Evan Parker, the Sten Sandell Trio, ZAUM, Steve Beresford/Roger Turner/Alan Tomlinson, Mark Wastell/Matt Davis.

This year's festival takes place on Friday 31st October - featuring ZAUM and improvisers from Safehouse and film from the AIB - and Saturday 1st November - featuring Lol Coxhill/Pat Thomas, Clive Bell/Sylvia Hallett, and Nos Phillipe.

We have released three CDs featuring material from our workshops. To purchase Safehouse CD's please contact nemeton@clara.co.uk

..Safehouse 1 CD..

Paul Allen, drums; Udo Dzierzanowski, guitar; Steve Harris, drums, piano; Roland Horton, tenor saxophone; Mark Lamb, guitar; Graham Mann, piano; Adrian Newton, live and found samples; Stuart Riddle, soprano saxophone; Cathy Stevens, violectra, voice.

1. Hors track dust control [UD/SH/ML/AN/CS] (09.10)
2. Moondust [UD/SH/ML/AN/SR] (10.09)
3. Song 3 [UD/RH/ML/GM/AN/CS] (10.01)
4. Babiesta [UD/SH/RH/ML/AN/CS] (09.49)
5. The blankety-blank [PA/ML/GM/SR] (05.03)
6. Split glass infinity [SH/AN/SR/CS] (09.57)
7. Run dog [UD/SH/ML/AN/CS] (05.27)
8. Shard [PA/UD/SH/ML/AN/SR/CS] (14.02)

Spontaneous compositions recorded at The Studio, Lighthouse, Poole, April/May 2005.

Cover design (reproduced above) by Neil Leonard. Cover artwork (reproduced at top) by Frances Hatch.

..Safehouse 2 CD..

1 CHRONICLES (CS, UD, SH)
2 VOLUBLE (SR, MC, PC)
3 PIPE (UD, ML, RP, AM)
4 VHEISSU (MP, SO)
5 LIANA (UD, BC, RJ, MC, AN)
6 RISE (PC, GN)
7 BREAKER (UD, CS, ML, AM, MP, GH)
8 SPATE (MP, SR, PA, PC)
9 HAMMER (MP, UD, SH, AN)
10 EXPANSE (OX, MP, AN)
11 TOMORROW (UD, ML, CS, SH, MP, MC)
12 SHATTERED (CS, ML, UD, RP, MP)
13 TROCHOID (AN, SR, SH, NL)
14 STABLE (SH, MP, RJ)
15 RAMADA (SR, AN)
16 BREATHLESS (CS, MP, UD, AN)

PAUL ALLEN (PA) - DRUMS
MICHAEL DE CARTERET (MC) - ALTO SAXOPHONE, FLUTE
BARRY CARSWELL (BC) - DRUMS
PHIL COLLINS (PC) - FLUTE, TENOR SAXOPHONE, PERCUSSION
UDO DZIERZANOWSKI (UD) - GUITAR
GRAHAM HALL (GH) - BASS
STEVE HARRIS (SH) - DRUMS
ROLAND HORTON (RH) - TENOR SAXOPHONE
RICHARD JEFFRIES (RJ) - ACOUSTIC BASS
MARK LAMB (ML) - GUITAR
NEIL LEONARD (NL) - BASS, GUITAR
ALEX MUNDY (AM) - DRUMS, GUITAR
ADRIAN NEWTON (AN) - LAPTOP
GEOFF NICHOLLS (GN) - DIDGERIDOO
SIOBHAN O’NIELL (SO) - VIOLIN ROB PALMER (RP) - GUITAR
MARY POTTER (MP) - PIANO
STUART RIDDLE (SR) - SOPRANO SAXOPHONE
CATHY STEVENS (CS) - VIOLIN, VIOLECTRA
ADRIAN NEWTON - RECORDING AND PRODUCTION HTTP://WWW.NEMETON.ORG.UK/

NEIL LEONARD - DESIGN HTTP://WWW.SHED24.ORG

BIG THANKS TO ALISTAIR WILKINSON, LIGHTHOUSE AND SOUNDSTORM

ALL INSTANT COMPOSITIONS BY THE FEATURED MUSICIANS RECORDED BETWEEN DECEMBER 2005 AND NOVEMBER 2006, AT LIGHTHOUSE, POOLE.

..Unsafe 3 CD..

1 Elk Fibula (Barrie Carswell, Mike De Carteret, Mark Lamb, Mark Mitchell, Mary Potter, Alan Watkins)
2 Brigitte Bardot's Cat (Phil Collins, Mike De Carteret, George Nicholls)
3 No Context (Adam Baker, Adrian Newton, Allan Upton)
4 The Typographer's Error (Paul Allen, Mark Lamb, Neil Leonard, Rose Perry, Stuart Riddle)
5 Amad Sunn (Udo Dzierzanowski, Alex Mundy, Susan Nares, Adrian Newton, Cathy Stevens)

Spontaneous compositions recorded at the Unsafe 3 Festival, The Gallery, Lighthouse, Poole, 9th November 2007.

Recording, production and artwork Adrian Newton.

Adrian Newton ~ nemeton.org.uk

Member Since:

July 06, 2007

Record Label:

Unsigned