Sam Wilson percussion
Matthew Grouse (UK, 1996)
Left Right, Left Right World Premiere (2020) 6’
Earlier this year, the Riot Ensemble launched Zeitgeist, a new series of commissions responding to the worldwide lockdown that hit the UK in March. In an attempt to keep music flowing and work for composers circulating, the group teamed up with the eponymous Zeitgeist, an online gallery that presents contemporary work through a digital lens. Through this project, they commissioned seven young composers across the globe, committing to performances of their work presented in Zeitgeist’s online space, and also via YouTube.
As the pandemic continues to roll on, bringing with it major complications for working musicians, hcmf// is proud to join forces with the Riot Ensemble to deliver a second wave of Zeitgeist Commissions. The six pieces, selected by the festival together with Riot, were written for solo performances by members of the group, and will receive their video premiere at hcmf// 2020. As ever, we’re proud to be working alongside the Riot Ensemble to find a practical way to give musicians a hint of reality by bringing about new paid opportunities, as well as unique showcases for their work.
Using traditional instrumentation, brash electronics and a variety of digital media, Matthew Grouse’s work blows up the disquieting nature of augmented daily life. His concert music, which has been performed by a wide range of renowned ensembles, plays with dynamic tension, pairing off tense murmurations with unapologetic bangs of sound. Left Right, Left Right was written in observation of the obsessive behaviours and routines that Grouse believes have been magnified during this period. As ever, Grouse’s music draws directly from the source, making use of ‘recorded conversations’ to ask questions about ‘identity and self-reflexivity’.
Note: this performance contains flashing lights
Co-commissioned by the Riot Ensemble and hcmf// in partnership with Zeitgeist Online Gallery