Obsidian Kit Downes

• 1 Kings 06:15
• 2 Black Is The Colour 03:59
• 3 Rings Of Saturn 06:10
• 4 Seeing Things 02:13
• 5 Modern Gods 04:31
• 6 The Bone Gambler 04:34
• 7 Flying Foxes 03:11
• 8 Ruth's Song For The Sea 05:27
• 9 Last Leviathan 06:19
• 10 The Gift 03:03
• Total Runtime 45:42

Info for Obsidian

2015 spielte Kit Downes zuletzt eine Aufnahme für ECM ein, als Pianist an der Seite von Time Is A Blind Guide auf deren gleichnamigem Debütalbum. Auch wenn der junge Brite vorrangig dem Jazz zugeordnet und in seiner Heimat als eines der vielversprechendsten jungen Talente der Szene gehandelt wird, hat sein neues Projekt wenig mit Jazz zu tun – und konnte doch nur der Fantasie eines feinfühligen Improvisators entspringen. Downes knüpft an seine frühen musikalischen Erfahrungen als Kirchenorganist an, wenn er, wie in den vergangenen Jahren häufig, die akustischen Möglichkeiten der Orgel ertastet, ihre Besonderheiten in melodischen und harmonischen Improvisationen erkundet. Im November 2016 begleitete der Produzent Sun Chung den Musiker in drei englische Kirchen – die Snape Church of John the Baptist und die Bromeswell St Edmund Church in Suffolk, sowie die Union Chapel Church in Islington, London. Dank der akustischen Eigenheit eines jeden dieser Orte und ihrer so individuellen Orgeln öffnen sich Downes Spielräume, die er kreativ erforscht. Für das Stück „Modern Gods” wird er dabei von einem vertrauten Partner, dem Tenor-Saxophonisten Tom Challenger, unterstützt.

Kit Downes, Orgel
Tom Challenger, Tenorsaxofon (on track 5)

Kit Downes
writes, performs and teaches music, as well as playing the piano, Hammond Organ, church organ and various other keyboards in a variety of different ensembles.

Having originally been an organ scholar at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, he then left to study piano, organ and composition at both the Purcell School of Music (where he now teaches), and later at the Royal Academy of Music (where he is now an Associate). Kit began performing with and composing for the UK band 'Empirical' – with whom he toured the US, Canada and Europe (playing at 'Newport Jazz Festival'), whilst also performing with Acoustic Ladyland, Micachu, Lee Kontiz and Django Bates.

Kit has received a Mercury Music Award nomination (in 2010), BBC Jazz Award, and a British Jazz Award for his own albums, and now tours with his own group ‘ENEMY’, Troyka, songwriter Josienne Clarke, Julian Arguelles' Quartet, Squarepusher, Thomas Stronen and Sylvain Darrifourcq – playing all over the world. In 2013 and 2015 he was nominated in the Rising Star category in Downbeat Magazine (US), and in 2014 won the 'Best Album Award' at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards. In 2015 Kit recorded his first album for ECM with Thomas Strønen’s ‘Time is a Blind Guide’. Kit now teaches piano and composition at the Purcell School of Music, and is also a patron of the ‘Musical Keys’ charity.

In 2013 he was asked by Django Bates to join his new ensemble ’The TDEs’ to play a new commission for both BBC Radio 3 and Cheltenham Jazz Festival (alongside his Troyka band mates). Later in 2014 he began touring with world famous clinic drummer Benny Greb - after playing the Meinl Drum Festival last year, he later went onto co-produce Benny’s latest album ‘Moving Parts’.

Also In 2014 he was asked by the Southbank Centre to write a new work for the opening festival of the recently refurbished Royal Festival Hall Organ. Then in 2015 he worked with Aldeburgh Music and Tom Challenger on a project called ‘Vyamanikal’ - a series of recordings documenting extended techniques on various local church organs - the project was later performed live at the Aldeburgh Festival. He was asked by the Cologne Philharmonie to write a new work for their organ in 2016, and has performed original commissions by Shiva Feshareki for the Union Chapel Organ. He has previously been commissioned by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Wellcome Trust, Darmstadt Organ Festival 2015 (with drummer Jonas Burgwinkel), BBC Radio 2, BBC Jazz on 3, Jazzwise Magazine, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, London Contemporary Music Festival, London Jazz Festival and Aldeburgh Music. Upcoming commissions include a work for organ and 4 cellos for ‘Tre Voci’ to be performed in Oslo in 2016, as well as a new work for ‘Stavanger Organ Day 2016’, and an adaptation of ‘Vyamanikal’ for Manchester Jazz Festival 2016 and co- curating a music technology instillation at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2016. He has also started songwriting with BBC Folk Award winner Josienne Clarke, and this year recorded on her new album for Rough Trade.

In 2015 he was asked to join Squarepusher’s live band ‘Shobaleader One’ - interpreting works from Squarepusher’s back catalogue for a live band.

Kit has also collaborated (on a range of acoustic and electronic instruments) with composers Matt Rogers and Mica Levi, electronic musician Leafcutter John, drummer Seb Rochford, filmmaker Ashley Pegg, artist Dave McKean, animator Lesley Barnes and geneticist Adam Rutherford (for the Wellcome Trust).

Booklet for Obsidian