Moon Ra

On New Year's Day I'm playing baritone in Moon Ra - a large-scale improvised performance at the Round Chapel in Clapton.

Dead Neanderthals UK Tour 2014

In January I'm playing a short UK tour with Dead Neanderthals. The dates are:

31st Jan - Dulcimer Bar, Manchester

1st Feb - AAE, Sheffield

2nd Feb - Green Door Store, Brighton

3rd Feb - The Vortex, London

The Dutch duo incorporate elements from free jazz, grind and noise culminating in a pummeling sound that is akin to Painkiller and Borbetomagus. They are a household name in the Dutch experimental music scene, and have played tours and festivals all over Europe and the US.

Our collaborative album '...And It Ended Badly' was released on Gaffer / Raw Tonk Records in October 2013.

http://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com
http://deadneanderthals.wordpress.com

Gutty Mutter - Available Now

'Gutty Mutter' is the new limited edition album by my duo with Mark Holub, recorded live at The Vortex Jazz Club in London earlier this year. The album is limited to 50 copies, with individual woodblock print artwork by Peter and Edward Simpson.

The album is available to stream / download / buy from Raw Tonk Records.

Recent Press and Reviews

Some recent reviews of Dead Neanderthals - '…And It Ended Badly'

Kinda Muzik (Holland), November 2013:
http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/dead-neanderthals/and-it-ended-badly/24499/

'…And It Ended Badly' was also featured in the top 7 albums of the week on Kinda Muzik:
http://www.kindamuzik.net/de7even/de-7even-week-48-2013/24508/

Enola (Benelux), November 2013:
http://enola.be/muziek/albums/22692:dead-neanderthals-meat-shovel-and-it-ended-badly

Don't Count On It (US), November 2013:
"… a must listen for all jazz heads this year"
http://dontcountonitreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/dead-neanderthals-and-it-ended-badly.html

Spiral Shadow (Germany), November 2013:
"Webster, Kokke, and Aquarius have created a very complex piece of art that is worth being discovered and unravelled piece by piece"
http://spiralshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/dead-neanderthals-and-it-ended-badly.html

'…And It Ended Badly' and Webster/Holub 'The Claw' were both covered in Canadian blog Monsieur Delire:
http://blog.monsieurdelire.com/2013/11/2013-11-05-websterholub-dead.html

'…And It Ended Badly' and my solo tape 'Antennae' were covered in Brazilian blog Free Form Free Jazz:
http://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2013/11/nas-prateleiras-novidades-do-velho.html?m=1

'…And It Ended Badly' also had an excellent review in the November print edition of Dutch magazine 'Gonzo Circus':
www.gonzocircus.com

Antennae - Available Now

After long delays, my solo album 'Antennae' is finally available on cassette from the Gaffer Records store: www.gafferrecords.com

The album is a series of short improvisations exploring a strict palette of minimal saxophone sounds, with an emphasis on breath and mechanical noises over "pure/natural" notes. The instrument was close-miked to heighten the presence of these sounds. However, no effects, multi-tracking or external processing were applied to the recording. 

Each cassette comes with a digital version of the album, which contains two bonus remixes by Graham Dunning and Alex Bonney. The digital version is available to stream or download here:
http://gafferrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antennae

Recent Press, Reviews, and Airplay

Some recent reviews of Dead Neanderthals - '...And It Ended Badly':

Burning Ambulance (US), October 2013:
“One might have expected Webster’s presence to disrupt the duo dynamic that Kokke and Aquarius have developed, but it’s remarkable how he blends right in, as if he’s always been there.”
http://burningambulance.com/2013/10/07/dead-neanderthals-colin-webster-2/

Echoes & Dust (UK), October 2013:
“In fact just about the only negative that draws to a mind upon its conclusion is that it isn’t just a tad longer, for this is certainly one of the most enjoyable and listenable jazz records I’ve heard in the past couple of years"
http://echoesanddust.com/2013/10/dead-neanderthals-and-it-ended-badly/

Ears For Eyes (UK), October 2013:
“‘…And It Ended Badly’ is packed with heat and fire; a fully committed passionate ensemble performance. Free-Jazz of the post-Ascension kind, the players locked in a to-the-death battle, full of screaming expression"
http://ears4eyes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dead-neanderthals-and-it-ended-badly.html

3Voor12 Gelderland (Holland), October 2013:
http://3voor12.vpro.nl/lokaal/gelderland/nieuws/2013/oktober/Dag-Des-Oordeels--Dead-Neanderthals----And-It-Ended-Badly.html

Cultuur Bewust (Holland), October 2013:
http://www.cultuurbewust.nl/muziek-79805-dead-neanderthals/

Jazz Flits (Holland), October 2013:
http://jazzflits.nl/jazzflits11.17.pdf

One track from the album was also featured on the excellent Free Form Freakout podcast:
http://fffreakout.blogspot.com/2013/10/fffoxy-podcast-26.html

'...And It Ended Badly' is available from: http://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com

Chik Budo Remix French For Cartridge

Chik Budo have remixed "Under a Parasol" for Finnish-Belgian Avant-pop group "French for Cartridge". The duo have recently released their new album "We Humans”, and the remix forms part of their next EP which will be available soon on iTunes.

...And It Ended Badly - Available Now

'...And It Ended Badly' - the collaboration I recorded with Dead Neanderthals is now available from Raw Tonk Records on CD and download. The full album can also streamed from the site:

The first few reviews have come in from: Burning Ambulance, Echoes and Dust, and Dutch blog 3voor12.

Also, Marlon Wolterink wrote a piece about recording and mastering the album:

http://www.mrmunchkin.net/dead-neanderthals-and-it-ended-badly-opnames-mastering/

Finally we have some lo-fi footage from the recording session. Here's a clip of 'It Went On For Days':

Chik Budo CB13 Mixtape Trailer

Chik Budo - CB13 Trailer from Chik Budo on Vimeo.

Live Portrait

Great live portrait courtesy of Mirabel White.

www.mirabelwhite.com

'...And It Ended Badly' - Artwork

'...And It Ended Badly' is the collaboration I recorded with Dead Neanderthals at the end of last year in rural Netherlands. The album will be released by Gaffer Records and Raw Tonk Records on October 10th on CD and download.

Artwork by Dead Neanderthals

www.gafferrecords.com
rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com
deadneanderthals.wordpress.com 

Gaffer Fest 2013

Gaffer Fest returns this year from October 10th - 12th at Le Periscope in Lyon. I'll be playing on the opening night with Dead Neanderthals, and we'll be launching our new collaborative album '..And It Ended Badly' the same night.

www.gafferfest.com

Transient Constellations All-Dayer

On 7th September I'll be performing my first solo improv set at the excellent Transient Constellations all-dayer at The Windmill in Brixton.

http://transientconstellations.tumblr.com

Albatre + Colin Webster - Live in Rotterdam Video

Videos of the collaboration I did with Albatre at Roodkapje, Rotterdam. The material here is mainly from their 'Nagual' EP.





Hugo Costa: Alto Sax
Goncalo Almeida: Bass
Philipp Ernsting: Drums
Colin Webster: Tenor Sax

http://albatre.bandcamp.com

Duo with Mike Hurley

In May I performed an improv duo set with pianist Mike Hurley at The Lamp Tavern in Birmingham. This was the first time we had met and played together, and I've posted some of the set below for streaming. It was a great experience, full of deep listening and exploration of sounds.
 

Mike curates the excellent 'Fizzle' nights in Birmingham every month:
http://www.blambirmingham.co.uk/the-lamp-tavern/

Rotterdam

I'm heading to Rotterdam at the end of the month for two collaborative shows. The first is with Dead Neanderthals at Vrooom, and the second is with Albatre at Roodkapje. This will be my first time guesting with Albatre, and third time with Dead Neanderthals following our mini-tour in the UK. 

The Netherlands has a really strong scene of artists at the moment exploring the frayed edges of improvised music, free jazz, noise, metal, electronics, and so on, and I'm really excited to be involved with these two shows.

Details about both shows:

27th June: Vrooom, Rotterdam w/ Dead Neanderthals. 
http://vrooom-rotterdam.blogspot.nl/2013/06/vrooom-6.html

28th June: Roodkapje, Rotterdam w/ Albatre.
http://roodkapje.org/gespitzen-28-06-2013/

http://deadneanderthals.wordpress.com
http://albatre.bandcamp.com

Live in Bremen

'Live in Bremen' is the next album by Anthony Joseph and The Spasm Band. Due on 17th June via Heavenly Sweetness Records on Double LP/CD/DL.

As the name suggests, the album documents an incendiary concert in Bremen recorded while the band was on tour in Germany. The album features live versions of songs from the previous three albums, plus some previously unrecorded material.

Dead Neanderthals + Colin Webster - Live in Brighton Video

Video taken from the tour I did in collaboration with Dead Neanderthals. This is the full set from the second night of the tour at The Cowley Club in Brighton.


Colin Webster: Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Otto Kokke: Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Rene Aquarius: Drums

May Update

A selection of gigs coming up in May:

11th & 12th:
Ov London presents Art Of The Moment. Two day improv festival in London with daytime workshops and performances both nights.
http://ovlondon.weebly.com/art-of-the-moment.html

16th & 17th:
Mini-tour with Dutch grindcore free-jazz duo Dead Neanderthals. The Vortex, London (16th) and The Cowley Club, Brighton (17th).
http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/gigs.php?gd=20130516#.UYLcp7_3DLY
http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

21st:
Duo with Pianist Mike Hurley at The Lamp Tavern, Birmingham
http://www.blambirmingham.co.uk/kook-and-hurleywebster-duo/

24th:
Trio with Sheik Anorak and Alex Ward at The Vortex, London.
http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/gigs.php?gd=20130524#.UYLdSb_3DLY

New Solo Album - Antennae

My new solo album 'Antennae' will be released on cassette and download by Gaffer Records in a few weeks time. In the meantime you can now stream the album from Gaffer's bandcamp page:
http://gafferrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antennae

The album is a series of short improvisations exploring a strict palette of minimal saxophone sounds, with an emphasis on breath and mechanical noises over "pure/natural" notes.

Antennae was recorded, mixed and mastered by Alex Bonney. The download version also features a remix by Alex, and one by Graham Dunning.

Collaboration With Dead Neanderthals

In May I'll be guesting with Dutch duo Dead Neanderthals for a couple of UK dates:

May 16th - The Vortex, London
http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/gigs.php?gd=20130516#.UVxHP6X3DLY

May 17th - The Cowley Club, Brighton
http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

Both dates will be double-bills with another excellent heavy Dutch trio 'Albatre'. Both bands are part of the burgeoning micro-scene of artists in Europe highlighting the crossover of improv, noise-rock, and jazz. Last August I put on a show for Dead Neanderthals in London and it was one of the heaviest sets I saw all year. In December we recorded a collaborative album, and these gigs will be the first time we perform together live.

Info on Dead Neanderthals here.
Info on Albatre here.

Recent Press, Reviews, and Airplay

Some recent reviews of Webster/Holub/Anorak - 'Languages..'

Jazzwise Magazine (UK), February 2013:

The Liminal (UK), March 2013:

http://www.theliminal.co.uk/2013/03/liminal-minimals-march-2013/

Kinda Muzik (Holland), March 2013:

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/colin-webster-mark-holub-sheik-anorak/languages-live-at-vortex/23872/

Sound of Music (Sweden), March 2013:

http://www.soundofmusic.nu/recension/colin-webster-mark-holub-sheik-anorak-languages-live-vortex

'The Claw' with Mark Holub also gets a mention in this excellent overview of recent sax and drums duo albums by the Brazilian blog 'Free Form Free Jazz':

http://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2013/02/sax-e-bateria-meio-seculo-de-encontros.html

Also, the London internet radio station NTS live has been showing support for 'The Claw' recently. One track was included in this interesting show, worth listening again:

http://ntslive.co.uk/dont-trip-w-margarita-john/

Webster/Holub Duo Micro-Tour

My duo with Mark Holub has a couple of rare live appearances at the end of March at The Cowley Club in Brighton and The Vortex in London. The London date is a double bill with Alex Ward's band 'Dead Days Beyond Help'. Details here:

March 24th: The Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4JA. 8pm, £5
http://clubzygotic.wordpress.com

March 25th: The Vortex, 11 Gillet Street, London, N16 8AZ. 8pm, £9 (w/ Dead Days Beyond Help)
http://www.ents24.com/web/event/Mark-Holub-The-Vortex-Jazz-Club-London-3248166.html

Chik Budo CB13 Mixtape

New release from Chik Budo: CB13 Mixtape. Available as a limited edition cassette with digital counterpart, CB13 features 38 minutes of continuous original music, including new songs, in-house remixes and guest appearances by Theoretical Girl and Hiroko Ohashi.

CB13 is available to buy at gigs, and will shortly be available to buy online via www.chikbudo.com

Unchartered Soundscapes

On Wednesday 23rd January I'm performing an improvised sax and turntables set with Graham Dunning at The Lumiere in Clapton. The full line-up is:

Graham Dunning (turntables)/Colin Webster (saxophone)

Elo Masing (violin)/Dave Maric (electronics)

Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen (percussion)

Lumiere, 88 Chatsworth Road, E5 0LS. Tickets are £5

Full details of Unchartered Soundscapes are here: 

http://papatoi.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/uncharted-soundscapes-wednesday-23.html

Nematodes 3" CDr

First release of 2013, and also probably the smallest format and shortest-run release - 3" CDr by Nematodes: 'An Outside With An Inside In It'. 20 minutes of noisy improv by Max Leonard Hitchings on drums, Jussi Brightmore on processed harmonica and voice, and myself on tenor sax. It's a live recording of a gig at Power Lunches in Dalston last year. Only 50 copies have been pressed, and currently only available at gigs. 

Recent Airplay/Podcasts/Mixtapes

Some tracks from the Webster/Holub/Anorak album 'Languages..' have been played on various radio shows and podcasts recently. Some are still available for streaming or download, so I've posted the links below:

Free Form Freakout:
http://fffreakout.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/fffoxy-podcast-11.html

The Mystery Lesson:
http://mysterylesson.posterous.com/archive/1/2013

Majjem Radio Show:
http://www.majjem.com/20121114majjempart1.mp3

The album also got a mention on Brazilian blog Free Form Free Jazz:
http://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2012/11/sons-novos-de-varios-cantos-lancamentos.html