New website http://sites.google.com/site/hubbackmetalcraft/
Metal Moves - Steve Hubback, Tineke Noordhoek, Birgit Lokke and Bertus Fridael. Now recreated as 'Metalkimyst' with new musicians.
Solo Percussionist. Gongs and sound sculptures.
Jord Bifast. Icelandic Atmospheric Trio.
Recreator with Nick le Beat and Theo Travis.
Kortrijk Percussion Project with Dirk Wachtlar and Trevor Taylor.
The Birdman, The Baron and Bat. Sculptural percussion trio with Tony Orrell and Matt Nolan.
Avant Duo's with
Frode Gjerstad.
Ad Peijnenburg.
Alan Wilkinson
Paal Nielsen Love
Extract from documentary being made by Jaro. This section is from Prague in December 2008. Music 'Beyond Fire' composed by Hubback, Nick le Beat and Theo travis from the CD Solar Sahara by Recreator. FMR-Records
Performed with: I'ts My Head, Atlantis Transit, Alan Wilkinson, Z'ev, R B Lunding, David Moss, Tony Moore, Dietmar Diesner, Stefan Gaitzsch, Johannes Bauer, Ulrich Gumpert, Andrea Centazzo, Ernst Reijseger, Ad Peijnenburg, Jorgen Cremonese, Per Talleraas, Tin Josefsdottir, Birgit Lokke, Tineke Noordhoek, Marie Kavazu, Lim Dong Chang, Tony Brooks, Ko de Regt, Henrik Jespersen,
Gum Drum, Rik Van Eirsel, Peter Brotzmann, Trevor Taylor, Shamanic Phil, Pipaluk, Vibration dance theatre, Half Machine, Bertus Fridael, Barry Schwartz, Bastiaan Marris and Stok - Large Hot Pipe Organ, Chico McMurtrie, Frode Gjerstad, Paal Nielsen Love, Dirk Wachtelaer. Jord Bifast, Egill Johansson, Recreator wih Nik le Beat and Theo Travis. Cipher- Theo Travis and Dave Sturt.
Influences
Inspirations, people and things I'm into.
J S Bach. Niki de Saint Phalle. Tony Oxley. Z'ev. Einsturzende Neubauten. Dead Can Dance. Iron Maiden. Antonio Vivaldi
Dale Chihuly. Edgar Varese. Iannis Xenakis. Krystof Penderecki - Symphony. Deep Purple. The Chieftains. Hawkwind. Lemmy and Motorhead. Camel. Gentle Giant. Good Habit (the amazing Welsh band) Frank Zappa. Tasavalan Presidenti. Terje Rypdal. Sveinung Hovensjo, Norsk Svart Metall. Audun Kleive. Psychic TV. Alan Stivell. Man. Coe, Oxley and Co. V Ganelin Trio. John Coltrane. Elvin Jones. Andrew McCuloch. Buddy Rich.
Faun. Omnia. Christian Vander. Magma. Miles Davis. Tomasz Stanko. Kenny Wheeler. Dietmar Diesner. Elvin Jones. Gert Mortensen. Jean Tinguelly. David Smith (the sculptor). Alexanda Calder. Jean Miro. Eduardo Chillida. Large Hot Pipe Organ. Mariska. Samul Nori. Kim Dae Hwan. Medieval music.
Paul Delvaux. Tuscan Bronzesmiths. Steve Reich. Havergal Brian - Gothic Symphony. John Stevens (the british drummer) Clannad. Arnold Haukeland (the pioneer Norwegian sculptor)
Alessandro Scarlatti. Aux Couleurs de moyen Age. Emanuel Vigeland. Tibetan Ritual Music. Lim Dong Chang. Eduardo Chilida. Francois and Bernard Baschet. Helmut Newton. Jack Vance. Dennis Wheatley. Isaac Asimov. George Orwell. Henry Miller. Edvard Vesala. Julio Gonzalez.
Alexanda Weygers. Peter Sellers. Nicko McBrain. Tommy Cooper - Just like that!
Gong Story ..
This was filmed by Jim Boxhall at Coed Hills in South Wales for the Cipher Elemental Forces project with Theo Travis and Dave Sturt. Thank you Jim.
I would say the cymbals of Steve Hubback
are highly innovative.
They produce different sound qualities and
textures one does not find in other cymbals.
I have had some very interesting experiences
using a doublebass bow on the smaller cymbals
andthe frequencies that are "caught"
are sometimes unpleasantly high
or is simply picking up the other instruments
(i.e saxophone etc) frequencies.
The limitations are set by the musician,
not the instrument.
Also, the visual part of Hubbacks works are
highly artistic where he combines visual
as just an important part
of the instrument as for the audible.
Paal Nielsen Love.
Gothic Quarter. Filmed in the Coed forest in 2006.
Jörd Bifast - "And The Earth Moved"
(self-released 2000)
Hubback – Ambiance de la Cave a Vin
Hubback.
Utech 37
An undeniable sense of ready-made intrigue envelopes this release even before disc is extricated from sleeve. The premise: percussionist Steve Hubback sequestered in a wine cellar 50 klicks west of Paris with three gongs and a stainless steel sculpture of his own construction. Roll tape. The results remotely recall the work of fellow tone scientist Steve Micus, whose music derived from flowerpots and stones has been a staple of the ECM stable for over thirty years. Hubback’s approach is less overtly meditative and lofty than that of Micus, but achieves a similar cerebral feel. Three untitled pieces serve as sounding boards for his carefully configured devices. On the first, he sets up resonating percussive waves that overlap and attain an almost drone-like sustain within the constricted acoustics of the cellar. There’s the vaguest semblance of melody in the scintillating self-replicating whorls of sound. The ensuing hypnotic effect reminds me of expanding symmetrical ripples set in motion by pebbles puncturing the limpid surface tension of pond. Twenty minutes tick off in what seems like a fraction of the time. The next piece parses out more easily recognizable beats and brings to mind Gamelan patterns in their use of repetition and polyrhythms. The last employs scraped surfaces and darkly shimmering tones to shape a murky funereal dirge. Both tracks are bathed in heavy metallic echo that almost sounds electronically treated, though there is no mention of such processing in the brief annotations included with the disc. Hubback is definitely onto something here, though what it is exactly I’m left unsure. Even without a readily accessible roadmap delineating artistic intention, the music stands as an entrancing experience and one I’ll not soon forget.
~ Derek Taylor
Reviewed by Ian Compton
" I've been playing and experimenting with cymbals and gongs for all my 35 years long career. I'm friend of Steve since 1986 when we performed together in a percussion madness he organized. Only recently I had the privilege to play one of his handcrafted cymbals and a gong and I was blown away. The crash he gave me was powerful, clear, explosive and delicate at the same time while the gong was ethereal, evocative and strong. Beside the fact that they are real sculptures worth to appear in any art gallery. Real pieces of art applied to cymbals and gongs. For sure he's the absolute master of contemporary cymbal and gong making"
Andrea Centazzo 2009.
All the music on this site is performed Exclusively on Steve Hubback creations (except 'The Towers'by It's My Head as that's from 1987 and features Jorgen Cremonese - lead guitar and R L lunding on guitar and bass pedals. SH on drums and key.
If your interested to buy one of my creations, or to organise an exhibition. Please mail me at gongmaker2000@yahoo.com
Raven.
Goat.
Mead. Red Wines.
Black.
Oak, Silver Birch and Laurel.
Bronze, iron and Stainless Steel
Sagitarious.
Spirituality
Honesty
Dedication
Individuality
Fire
Ice
The stars, the moon and the mountains
This is a new video 30 -07-2009 filmed by Matt Nolan in Bath at his workshop and studios. I was travelling from Devon to London and had a few hours in Bath. I'm playing Matt's 'regular' kit with my cymbals that I had made in the last weeks, including.The bronze Dragon. 16" bronze ride/crash, 10" bronze Barbarian hi hats , small bronze Icebells, Alpacker splash, Shaman stick and Woodland Pentacle gong. My first time playing a normal drumset for years. Heartfelt thanks to Matt for doing this.
I like people who are straight, real and honest about who they are and what they do.
People who wont leave you in the shit!
Been a drummer since I was 19 and a metalcrafter since I was 30. Now I work mostly with forging stainless steel sound sculptures and performing and recording in all sorts of places. I've recorded in a cemetary, forest. Wine cellar, Sea going vessel, Railway station and industrial buildings as well as more conventional recording studios. I prefer not to perform in conventional venue's
I invented and pioneered gong and cymbal sculptures in the early 1990's
Performed in all sorts of venues all over North, West and Eastern Europe and South Korea.
Created a garden of sound sculptures in the Coed Forest in South Wales called Jardin d'illumination.
In September 2007 I was invited to perform on the large hot pipe organ in Birmingham Curzon Street station for the mamoth industrial symphony called Blast. Feauturing Mark Anderson, Anne Bean, Ansuman Biswas, Helen Ingham, Kirsten Reynolds, Nick Sales, Richard Wilson. The performance included coal fired steam whistles, pyrotechnics, Fog horns, sirens etc and was an homage to Paul Burwell who died some months before the show.
Performed 7 shows at Amsterdam Robodock. I performed on an electric drumset that triggered the hot pipe organ. What I played was heard approximately 7 seconds later, so it was a real challenge to perform on the largest and loudest instrument on the planet.
In December 07 I recorded together with top session percussionist Paul Clarvis on my sculptures for a major film soundtrack written by English composer Alex Heffes. The film is due for release soon and is called State of Play featuring Russell Crow and Helen Mirren.
In March 2008 I composed and recorded the music for a short film by Louise Radinger in London called Cluster.
Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Theo Travis of Soft Machine recorded Pacific Codex..
The seventh Bass Communion album. All sounds generated from recordings of my metal sound sculptures, played by Steve Wilson and Theo Travis.
Some info about the music. Touching The Azan is performed on Hammer Harps, gongs, percussion (and recorded sounds of me blacksmithing) by me and Bertus Fridael) Metal Moves - 2000 -
Otherworld is me playing hammer and bowed harps through heavy distortion together with Glockenchyme, tubular bells, bowed cymbals, Stainless steel sonorous sculpture and a recording I made in a graveyard of Rooks.
Montparnasse is me playing bowed and hammer harps and bells, Giant Cowbell and Birgit Lokke on percussion.
Three Wishes is me playing Glockenchyme and harp. Tineke Noordhoek and Birgit Lokke on Glockenchyme and Tuned Gongs
Nine Lamps is me playing Star Music Sculpture with recordings of Barry harbour at night. Iron Mountain Horn, Chains and Hammer Harps through distortion. Tineke and Birgit play gongs and Giant Cowbell.
The Towers - By me, R B Lunding and Jorgen Cremonese. I'm playing drums and keyboards. R B Lunding on Guitar and bass pedals and Jorgen Cremonese on lead guitar.
Recorded at Urania in Goteborg, Sweden 1987.
All instruments and sculptures in Metal Moves (now Metalkimyst) are Created by me.
Some of the musicians playing my creations include:
Magnus Ostrum, Evelyn Glennie, Valravn, Paul Clarvis, Andrea Centazzo, Paal Nielsen Love, Chris Whitten, Peter Fairclough, Birgit lokke, Helge Norbakken,
Tineke Noordhoek, Knut Finsrud, Bjorn Frykkland, Troitsa, Birdman of Alkijazz, Marilyn Mazur, Alessio Riccio, Paolo Vinaccia, Welsh National Opera and Carl Palmer.
Otherworld Performance at Beline Festine. Telc CZ 2009. Filmed by Yaro - Grazie!
Otherworld exhibition at Beltane festival in Telc CZ 2009. Filmed by Yaro - Grazie
Discography
1986. Be Alright When I'm Dead. Solo. Dossier.
1997. 'It's My Head' IMH. - Urania.
1988. 'Tabor' Atlantis Transit. - Olufsen Records.
1989. 'Joy Of Life' It's My Head. - Urania.
1990. 'Nocturnal Activities' It's My Head. - Urania.
1994. 'The Quest' Steve Hubback, solo. - Spoof Recordings.
1995. 'Forge' Tony Moore and Steve Hubback. - Spoof Recordings.
2000. 'Runecarver' Metal Moves. - FMR Records.
2000. 'Demystify' Frode Gjerstad and Steve Hubback. - FMR Records.
2001. 'And Other Stuff'. Steve Hubback and Ad Peijnenburg. - FMR Records.
2001. 'Sound Sculpture Vol 1' Hugh Davies, Max Eastley, Hans Karsten Raecke,
Steve Hubback,Derek Shiel, Alan Lamb, Chas Smith, Baschet Brothers, Harry
Partch. - FMR Records.
2001. 'Percussion Profiles' Book and CD by Michael Bettine and Trevor Taylor.
Soundworld Publishing. Featuring 25 of the worlds most creative percussionists.
Gregg Bendian, Paul Burwell, Paul Clarvis, Alex Cline, Ensemble Bash, Pierre Favre,
Evelyn Glennie, Fritz Hauser, Gerry Hemmingway, Steve Hubback, Terje Isungset,
Shannon Jackson. Le Quan Ninh,Paul Lytton, Marilyn Mazur, Paul Motion,
Gunter Muller, Tony Oxley, Frank Perry, Gino Robair, Robyn Schulkowksy,
Gunter Sommer, Fredy Studer, Paul Wertico and Dirk Wachtelaer.
2001. 'Solar Sahara' Recreator. FMR Records.
2002. 'Best Kept Secret' Steve Hubback - Solo percussion. - FMR Records.
2002. 'Kortrijk Percussion Project' Dirck Wachtelaer, Steve Hubback and
Trevor Taylor .FMR Records.
2003. 'and the earth movedƒG Jördd Bifast FMR- Records.
2003. 'As Lit From Within' Dirk Wachtelaers Vanishing Pictures. FMR.
2005. 'One Foot Moving' Steve Hubback and Frode Gjerstad. Utech Records.
2005. 'Undraverk' Festival CD featuring Z'ev, Metal Moves, Trevor Taylor
and Baschet Sculpture Sonores and Erik Qvick. FMR.
2005. 'Off The Map' Steve Hubback and Paal Nielsen Love. FMR.
2005. Trees, Rocks and Ravens - solo percussion. Utech Records.
2006. Wonderous Sounds. Steve Hubback. Erik Qvick. FMR.
2006. Illuminator - Metal Moves. Unreleased.
2006. Ambiance de la Cave a Vin. Steve Hubback.
(Solo gong and stainless sculpture - Recorded in French Wine Cellar)Utech Records USA.
2006. Elemental Forces. Cipher - Burning Shed.
2008. Brave New Wales -Compilation. Fourier Transform.
2009. London Vaults - Steve Hubback solo on special bronze sculptures created in Paiste Sound Alloy - Generously sponsored by Paiste. FMR-Records.
2009. Nine Lamps. Metalkimyst. To be released.
Books
Percussion Profiles by Trevor Taylor and Michael Bettine. Soundworld Publishing.
Fire and Steel. Soundworld Publishing.
Live TV performances on Danmarks Radio. VPRO - National Dutch TV. South Korean News.
National Icelandic Broadcasting - Mozaig.
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
This is a short promotional Video for The Birdman. The Baron and The Bat.
Filmed in the Barons Garden and called 'Another fine spell'
I've been sponsored by the following companies and organisations in the past and would like to thank them.
This Video is at the opening of MS Half Machine festival, in Copenhagen August 2007. Filmed by Jaro. Grazie....
This is an extract from the 3B'S performance at Bath Festival in 2007. Filmed by Andy Mac.
STEVE HUBBACK - Ambiance de la cave a vin (Utech)
Strange things happen when a poor writer
is overwhelmed by records, as I had
completely lost track of Steve Hubback's
production since the late eighties; mea culpa.
This recording brought me back to an
intelligent percussionist who works in
anti-pyrotechnical territories,
his minimal economy of movement
giving birth to a rich resonance that
the mind accepts like a necessary law
to restore some degree of discipline in a
disposition that often can become chaotic.
Divided in three parts, the album was
recorded in a wine cellar in France (hence the title)
using three gongs and a stainless steel sculpture
made by the author himself.
While the large part of the CD privileges a
continuous virulent beat exalted by the
natural reverberation of Hubback's
small arsenal, the final movement presents
wider spaces and repeated moments
of stasis which are all the more useful
as a counter-attraction against the
persistent ceremonials of the first two tracks.
It takes a while to appreciate this release,
but it works very well at the end.
"Steve Hubback is a remarkable sonic
technician and a constant experimenter.
This new band sets his talents
alongside those of a noted
straightahead sax player
in Theo Travis and a young (ish)
explorer of electronic sounds
in Nick Le Beat,
And it works very nicely.
The model for all these six
tracks is a simple one.
Hubback and Le Beat build
layers of sound
that ebb and flow,
while Travis
improvises or creates patterns
over the top.
It..s remarkably
attractive music.
Think "ambient" or "chill out"
or even "trance" and
you..ll get a sense of what to expect.
There..s nothing that jars or challenges
in terms of the overall sound.
At the same time these musicians
are playing with a range of pitches
and tones
that do fall outside what most
Western music attunes us to.
There..s little in harmony here but
rhythm and melody aplenty.
Whether it..s the relaxing flute
led "Earth Links" or the
Science-lab introduction
to "Gatekeeper or the
North African sounds of the title track.
I enjoyed this a whole lot more
than I..d expected.
Electric music for mind and body"
Duncan Heining - Jazzwise.
Steve Hubback - Metal Moves's Friend Space (Top 24)
Hi Steve, thanks for your greetings.:-) Have a wonderful Christmas season yourself. And may 2010 be filled with many blessings & new opportunities :-) With love & joy, Sheila
Hi Steve, The Welsh Dragon looks amazing. A gongy cymbal eh? I really enjoyed the cymbal that you played on your vid that had ridges and provided you with a ranged of sounds close at hand. What is this made out of? Keep the creative fires burning - especially with Winter approaching!
Online Now!
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