A post-minimalist opus for precarious times. ‘HERE WE ARE NOW’ by Irish composer Paul Gilgunn is an amped-up composition for four electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and saxophonics that merges experimental rock, improvisation, and minimalist composition.
This innovative new release builds upon Paul’s previous work across the peripheries of classical and popular music – including collaborations and performances with avant- garde luminaries Rhys Chatham, Tony Conrad and Jennifer Walshe. His aesthetic is characterised by a defiant avant-gardism that engages and expands subjectivity, encompassing a variety of forms, genres, instruments, and techniques. Paul outlines his approach in ‘HERE WE ARE NOW’: “layers of iterated patterns and pulses – awash with justly-tuned drones and overtones – transform Irish folk modalities and rhythms into bold, distinct new music; a ten-part form using dense timbres, duration, repetition, and volume to engage listeners on a number of levels and reconfigure how we are now.”
‘HERE WE ARE NOW’ will be released as a digital download and limited edition CD on 18 February 2019. The recording features a number of outstanding musicians including Nick Roth, Conor Brady, Robbie Malone, Ray Boyle, and Jay Oglesby who performed the work in full at two special launch events in Dublin’s historic Smock Alley Theatre on 16/17 February.
