Monday 5 November 2018, 7.30pm
The MENDOZA/PETIT/GUTHRIE trio has played together for five years, developing a rhythmic improvising language that draws equally from rock, jazz and noise. They use short, concise written pieces as springboards for improvisation, with the goals of milking as much as possible out of as little composed material as possible. Their improvising is focused on looped phrases, repetition and polyrhythmic playing as well as linear, soloistic playing.
“Clattering jams that have elements of postpunk, garage rock, and Sonny Sharrock-esque noise-fusion.” – Burning Ambulance
AVA MENDOZA is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Born in 1983, she started performing her own music, and as a sidewoman and collaborator in many different projects, as soon as she was old enough to get into 18+ venues. As a guitarist, Mendoza has received acclaim for her technique and viscerality. Her most ongoing work is as leader of experimental rock band Unnatural Ways, and as a solo performer on guitar/voice. In any context she is committed to bringing expressivity, energy and a wide sonic range to the music. Mendoza has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe and recorded or performed with musicians including Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Mick Barr, Nels Cline, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Mike Watt, Matana Roberts, Ikue Mori, Matt Mitchell, Jon Irabagon, members of Caroliner, Tune-yards, the Violent Femmes, and more.
Recordings are available on labels Tzadik, Weird Forest, Clean Feed, NotTwo, Resipiscent, and New Atlantis. Friendly critics have quoted: “It’s... Ava Mendoza’s deconstructing of blues and punk into brutal shredfests that’s causing a ruckus in NYC’s DIY hubs” (Brad Cohan, Noisey.Vice). She was featured as one of Guitar World‘s “10 Female Guitarists You Should Know”.
Maxime Petit plays the bass as well as other plucked strings. He performs solo frequently, as well as in various free/hardcore/noise bands such as Louis Minus XVI, The Sommes Ensemble, Hook, Pig Donovan and Xnoybis. He has toursed the French underground scene extensively.
He has also performed at venues/events such as Stadtgarten (Koln), Les Ateliers Claus (Brussels), Radio France (Paris), Incubate (Tilburg), and Kill the Silence (Hong Kong). Collaborators past and present include: Will Guthrie, Pascal Comrade, Ava Mendoza, Julien Deprez, Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, Lahcen Akil, Daniel Carter, Shane Parish, Jasper Stadhouders, Anais Maviel, Bertrand Denser, Rene Aquarius, Otto Kokke, Brandon Lopez, Barbara Dang, Raf Vertessen, Brandon Seabrook, Renya Ketoglo, Ron Anderson, Bart Maris, Enzo Zbiegiiel, Theo Lanau, Jean-Sebastien Mariage, Fapy Lafertin, Ryan Oslance, Basile Naudet, Yann Joussein, Sylvain Debaisieux...
Will Guthrie is an Australian drummer / percussionist living in France. He works in many different settings of music: live performance, improvisation and studio composition using various combinations of drums, percussion, objects, junk, amplification and electronics.
He plays solo and in various projects such as THE AMES ROOM, ELWOOD & GUTHRIE & THE SOMMES ENSEMBLE. His music has been released on labels such as Gaffer Records, Erstwhile, Clean Feed, 23five, Editions Mego, Ipecac and his own label Antboy Music.
Regular collaborators past and present include Oren Ambarchi, James Rushford, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Mark Fell, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Pateras, Chulki Hong, Jérôme Noetinger, Keith Rowe, David Maranha, Ava Mendoza, the film maker Hangjun Lee and choreographer/dancer Mette Ingvartsen.
