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A famous musical diptych: Lankum plays his classic in full + curates an evening with up-and-coming Irish (underground) acts
LANKUM PLAYS FALSE LANKUM IN FULL
Leading British newspaper The Guardian recently described Lankum as âoverwhelming radical Irish folkâ and situated him between âlate-period Portishead and Sunn O))) as much as their Irish ancestors Planxty.â So itâs no wonder that they appear at festivals like Roadburn (NL) or even curate festivals that they invite Mogwai or Mercury Rev to. Their latest album False Lankum was described by Mojo as âmodern folk musicâs own OK Computerâ. And both The Guardian and Uncut rightly(!) torpedoed False Lankum to Album of the Year 2023. De Volkskrant in a *****-review: âAntique Irish music takes on a horror-like aura on masterpiece âFalse Lankumâ.â In AB, Lankum will play their tour de force in full.
#2: LANKUM CURATED NIGHT W/ MOHAMMAD SYFKHAN + LANDLESS + HARRY GĂRSKI-BROWN + NATALIA BEYLIS
This past year, Lankum curated an album for monthly mag Uncut entitled The Planet That Youâre On. Lankum frontman Ian Lynch: âThereâs loads of great Irish artists making a name right now. This is stuff that hasnât poked its head above the parapet.â That inspired AB and we immediately asked Lankum to curate and evening with (mainly) Irish up-and-coming acts. THEY SAID YES! Their realised wishlist contains:
6:00 pm > NATALIA BEYLIS (IE): THE SOUND OF SEWING MACHINES
On pretty much all her (40+) releases, Irish sound artist Natalia Beylis reflects her surroundings (think: birdsong, creaking trees, farm animals and the rain (lots and lots of rain!). Non-musical sounds are also often to be heard in her compositions. On her recently released âVariations on a Sewing Machineâ she shows us, and has us hear, how she pushed a domestic sewing machine beyond its sonic limits until the motor burned out and the machine catches fire. In AB, she will present the non-flammable version.
7:00 pm > HARRY GĂRSKI-BROWN (SCH): THE SOUND OF FISHER PRICE PIPES
Glasgow resident multi-instrumentalist Harry GĂłrski-Brown studied violin at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before he turned to experimental composition, often incorporating elements of electro-acoustic and traditional music into his work. On this Lankum curated night he presents his âFisher Price Pipesâ, a singular interpretation of old GĂ idhlig â read: Scottish-Gaelic â songs for vocals, pipes, and electronica. Weâre fans!
8:00 pm > LANDLESS (IE): THE SOUND OF SUPERB A CAPELLA
A Capella quartet recently lauded by Uncut for their âStunning four-part harmonies.â Moreover, a personal Lankum favourite. Cormac Mac Diarmada (Lankum): âTheir harmonies are just super haunting.â Daragh Lynch (Lankum): âTheir ethereal harmonies are pretty unparalleled. Essential listening for anyone interested in the weirder side of traditional Irish singing.â
22u30 > MOHAMMAD SYFKHAN (IE): THE SOUND OF THE BOUZOUKI
Syrian Kurd Mohammad Syfkhan (IE) was once a surgical nurse but was forced to flee to Ireland after IS killed one of his sons. In Ireland, this bouzouki player was soon picked up by alternative folk sensation Lankum. His debut I am Kurdish was released via the super-interesting Nyahh Records (see also: One Leg One Eye, the project of Lankum frontman Ian Lynch). Boomkat on this: "Remarkable stuff." The Quietus: "'I Am Kurdish' takes his domestic influences and fuses them with music from beyond those regions, from North African folk rhythms to Turkish psychedelia. Immensely impressive!"
A Liveurope concert:
The first pan-European initiative supporting concert venues in their efforts to promote emerging European music.