+ Support from Cirenne
Brooklyn, New York’s Astroturf Noise exists at the intersection of free improvisation, effects-heavy noise music, and American roots music. Since forming in Brooklyn, NY in 2017, the trio of Sam Day Harmet (mandolin/electronics), Sana Nagano (violin/effects), and Zach Swanson (upright bass) has brought their “fire music served up in a surrealist honky-tonk” to numerous US experimental music spaces.
Their second album for 577 Records, Blazing/Freezing, written and recorded over the pandemic, reflects the anxiety of our moment: blazing and freezing from the effects of climate change, the anger of our chaotic political environment, the fear of whatever new insanity will come next. But it also reflects an unmistakable joy and playfulness throughout, an excitement for new sounds and musical collaboration. As hyphenated Americans (Jewish-American, Japanese-American, Mexican-American respectively), Astroturf Noise look to American music with mischievous instincts for deconstruction as they try to make sense of a deeply strange America.
"...creating exciting new forms on which to ride the wild wave of chaos." - Daniel Spicer, The Wire
"Fire music served up in a surrealist honky-tonk." Lars Gotrich, NPR Music
Cirenne
Playing new music at the intersection of klezmer, folk, chamber jazz and free improvisation, Cirenne is a singular combination of trumpet/effects (Celeste Cantor-Stephens) and violin/viola (Caelia Lunniss). Te Bristol-based duo weave scenes and soundscapes that are at once dense, rich and mellifluous, spacious, dancing and angular. Trough music that is both cinematic and playful, Cirenne reflect upon real-world conditions and explore imagined utopias.
Their air of dancing humour recalls the compositions of New York avant garde street musician Moondog or the spaciousness of American string group the Kronos Quartet. – Benny Dart, Friendly Records
