Riding four to a single quad bike for the first and possibly last time, Steve Noble (drums), Otto Willberg (bass guitar), Alex Paxton (trombone), and Gabriel Wonck (trumpet) attempted a musical wheelie in celebration of the ending of the ever-terrible month of January. Recorded at a Monday night gig, the music captures the spirit of Saint Monday—the habit of extending weekend revelry to the detriment of work, a practice widespread well into the nineteenth century. The playful dissonance that results rails dangerously against the prevailing weather—a wheelie in a blizzard.
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Recored at Cafe OTO, 31st January 2022 by Shaun Crook
Mixed by Otto Willberg
Mastered by Oli Barrett
Available as 320k MP3 or 24bit FLAC
Tracklisting:
1. Wheelie-ing - 32.07
Steve Noble is London's leading drummer, a fearless and constantly inventive improviser whose super-precise, ultra-propulsive and hyper-detailed playing has galvanized encounters with Derek Bailey, Matthew Shipp, Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Stephen O'Malley, Joe McPhee, Alex Ward, Rhodri Davies and many, many more.
In the early eighties, Noble played with the Nigerian master drummer Elkan Ogunde, Rip Rig and Panic, Brion Gysin and the Bow Gamelan Ensemble, before going on to work with the pianist Alex Maguire and with Derek Bailey (including Company Weeks 1987, 89 and 90). He was featured in the Bailey's excellent TV series on Improvisation for Channel 4 based on his book ‘Improvisation; its nature and practise’. He has toured and performed throughout Europe, Africa and America and currently leads the groups N.E.W (with John Edwards and Alex Ward) and DECOY (with John Edwards and Alexander Hawkins).
Otto Willberg plays various bass instruments and lives in London. Live, Otto performs unashamedly melodic improvisational workouts created almost entirely with heavily filtered bass harmonica and electric bass. Strangely abstracted funk and fusion, a blend of the abstruse and immediate. silky smooth, luxurious, odd and compelling, "like listening to Eberhard Weber through a drainpipe”.
Otto is often heard on acoustic and electric bass with Laurie Tompkins (Yes Indeed) and Charles Hayward (Abstract Concrete//This Heat), as well as the fractured No Wave unit Historically Fucked. His previous solo releases have ranged from extended technique double bass to explorations of the acoustics of a 19th century artillery fort.
He has a solo record called ’The Leisure Principle’ out on Oren Ambarchi's the Black Truffle label. 6 unashamedly melodic & profoundly strange workouts for heavily filtered bass harmonica & electric bass!
Alex Paxton is a composer & improvising-trombonist based in the UK."A riotous overabundance of love and rage..an extraordinary experience” The Wire .He was elected to the 9thInternational Composition SeminarwithEnsemble Modern, won anIvor Novello Award(multiple other nominations),RPS Composition Prize,Dankworth Jazz Prize,Leverhume Art Prize, HarrietCohen Award, as well as represented in the Orchestral section of theISCM and Gaudiamus Prize 2022."This is what an orchestra can be like in the 21st century: an ensemble that speaks with one voice yet also gives voice to each of its members" The Times. He is a commissioned contributor to John Zorn’s Arcana X 2021.His albums to date: MUSIC for BOSCH PEOPLE released to critical acclaim in 2021 upcoming realises include HAPPY MUSIC for ORCHESTRA & ILOLLI-POP. On labels including Birmingham Record Company, NMC, Delphian, Non-classical, Listen Pony, Everest records.“This is the most joyous sound I’ve heard in ages!”New York Times
He has performed his music as a soloist with leading orchestras: Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia Orchestra , Royal National Scottish Orchestra & Ensemble x.y. Further works include pieces for, London Symphony Orchestra AskSchöenberg, Ensemble Klang, Riot Ensemble, Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain, Wigmore Hall, Explore ensemble, London London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kammer Klang, BSO, Psappa, BBCproms, NYO and NYJO. “Paxton is a system-crasher of genre, stylish wit and sophistication and extremely entertaining…virtuouso ad absurdum.” Musikderzeit Schott. Music theatre works include 6 operas hosted by English National Opera, Helios Colective, Tête à Tête Festival."highly innovative...of exceptional creative imagination and musical energy, packed with life force unlike anything else” Ivor Novello Composer Awards Winner.
Gabriel Wonck plays trumpet, mostly with the Urs Graf Consort.
