Video of the Day: Kevin Figes shares new single ‘Wallpaper Music’ ahead of album launch
Monday, November 29, 2021
The acclaimed Bristol-based saxophonist launches his new album at The Vortex on Friday 3 December - hear a taster of the project on this quirky and fascinating video
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator Kevin Figes’ new album, Wallpaper Music, features Brigitte Beraha on vocals, Jim Blomfield on keyboards, Ashley John Long on bass and Mark Whitlam on percussion. The recording follows Figes’ critically acclaimed quartet release Changing Times and features eight original compositions written during lockdown.
“I was particularly inspired by the band ‘Henry Cow’ and its offshoots and also a lot of contemporary classical music (Stockhausen, Berio etc),” explains Figes. “I wanted to use bigger structures with sections that did not repeat, and that were precisely written, contrasted with sections that were completely freely improvised. I also heard the voice as an integral part of that and enjoyed trying to express myself through the text. Other ideas involved using more sounds (saxes, flutes, keyboard sounds, spoken word) and inventing my own scales, harmonies and rhythmic structures.”
See the video below and for more info visit www.kevinfiges.co.uk/ and tickets here www.vortexjazz.co.uk