Janek Schaefer "What Light There Is...."

Janek Schaefer´s new Robert Wyatt inspired album "What Light There Is Tells Us Nothing" will be out October 26 2018 (Temporary Residence).

"In 2014, Schaefer was commissioned by the Sounds New Festival in Canterbury, England to craft a new, original piece of music made entirely of elements from Robert Wyatt’s Cuckooland album. Originally designed and presented at the festival as an immersive, multi-channel radio installation, the 21-minute cloud of sound was a sublime meditation on the profundity of Wyatt’s work, and its transporting idiosyncrasies. With Wyatt’s blessing, Schaefer adapted that piece into the side-long opus, “What light there is tells us nothing,” and complimented it with seven new, original compositions that not only exist in the same wondrous space, but echo its playfully poignant resonance well after the album has ended."

Another blog post on Schaefer and Wyatt right over here.

(Photo from a concert at Lydgalleriet in Bergen (Norway) 2009).

Janek Schaefer: Clouds from Cuckooland

Clouds from Cuckooland from Janek Schaefer on Vimeo.

Info from Vimeo on Janek Schaefer´s commissioned work for the Sounds New Festival, Canterbury 2014:
"'Clouds from Cuckooland' was commissioned for an exhibition about the legend of the 'Canterbury Scene', and in particular the work of Robert Wyatt. I was invited to create an installation from his 'Cuckooland' album, which I evaporated into a 21 minute cloud of sound that floats around and around the gallery. Using 3 x FM transmitters I broadcast the composition to 3 groups of radios set out on a vinyl circle, accompanied by lasers, feathers, mirrors and glitter".

More on janekschaefer.com.

Sounds New

Some videos with Elaine Mitchener today. She is performing "Robert Wyatt’s Cuckooland – remixed live performance" with Matthew Wright, Tony Hymas, Brodsky Quartet at Sounds New Festival, Canterbury, in May.

Videos from the top:
- Christian Marclays Manga Scroll (Bremen 2013)
- The Quiet Club performing as part of FUAIM in the Crawford Sculpture Gallery along with amazing guests Elaine Mitchener and VOXMAREAL (Sarah Hayden and Rachel Warriner) (2014 probably).
- EMJA - Mark Sanders (drums), Alison Blunt (violin), Elaine Mitchener (voice), John Russell (guitar) at Mopomoso free improvisation night. Filmed by Helen Petts at the Vortex Jazz Club London on 17 March 2013.

As if the Brodsky Quartet and Robert Wyatt´s Cuckooland wasn´t enough, this is also happening at the Sounds New Festival:
"Janek Schaefer is one of the UKs most distinctive sound artists. For the informal opening night of the Sounds New Festival, Janek will create a brand new sound work as part of an exhibition based around the ‘Canterbury Sound’, in particular the work of Robert Wyatt, whose ‘Cuckooland’ album has been used as a point of reference."



Janek Schaefer pictured visiting Bergen´s Lydgalleriet (The Sound Gallery) in 2009.