A weekend of exploratory music to mark 50 extraordinary years of the legendary AMM and 16 years of the weekly London workshop that takes the example of AMM and moves...

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AMM began in 1965:

“AMM started itself. It was there a few minutes before we thought of it.” (from sleevenotes to AMMMUSIC 1966 - the first published recording)

1960's

“Its aesthetic justification, as a form of contemporary expression, is difficult to deny; though we may preferto call it something other than music.” – The Times (UK)

“It was rubbish. For two hours people listened as though it were a concert at the Royal Festival Hall.” – London Look (UK)

1970's

“Morton Feldman once said that the highest goal of the composer should be to let the music compose itself. By that criteria AMM music has to be considered very highly, because their music is so free, unforced, and untampered with, that it really does seem to be composing itself.” – Village Voice (USA)

“It got better, somebody told me the next morning. Well, it could hardly have got worse.” – Sunday Telegraph (UK)

1980's

“AMM hammer at the primordial uncarved block of noise. They beaver away at Chaos itself, shaping an entirely different understanding of music from it, one that remains in a state of permanent flux... Out of this emerges a music desolated by a beauty so bleak and alien to received definitions of the term, yet somehow familiar.” – The WIRE (UK)

“AMM has persevered in a generally uncaring world, making music of rare beauty while popular fashions have come and gone.” – Option (USA)

1990's

“AMM is one of the few ensembles that not only meets the rigorous demands of the extemporaneous genre but creates breathtakingly beautiful music as well. A truly Olympian institution in the league of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Miles Davis Quintet, or the Sun Ra Arkestra.” –East Bay Express, San Francisco (USA).

“AMMmusic should definitely be heard, but perhaps it is a lesson the faint-hearted might wish to forgo.” – Sunday Times (UK)

2000's

“It's testimony to AMM's creativity that not only do these performances sound (and ultimately feel) utterly unalike, but either performance sounds different with each new hearing.” – Coda USA

2010's

“This is music that can only be created by masterful listeners who have played together for years, developing a mutually shared sensibility.” – Point of Departure

“Dozens of "composers" still try to hide inside that kind of shell, yet AMM — with or without Keith Rowe — have always walked at least ten years in advance. Imitators will perennially be doomed to failure, in spite of the fact that some are even collaborating with these overly democratic masters.” – Massimo Ricci

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER, 6:30PM
Discussion with Wire writer Philip Clark

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER, 8PM
AMM concert (Eddie Prévost / John Tilbury / Keith Rowe)

SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER, 8PM
Workshop concert, featuring:

Jennifer Allum / violin
Marjolaine Charbin / piano
Ute Kangngiesser / cello
Daniel Kordik / vostok synthesizer, electronics
Visa Kuoppala / electronics
Massimo Magee / alto and sopranino saxophones
N.O. Moore / guitarism
David O’Connor / baritone saxophone
James O’Sullivan / electric guitar
David W. Stockard / drum