Ballrogg + Ivar Grydeland (from Norway)

Very much in demand as two of Norway's newest jazz innovators, Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (sax and clarinet) and Roger Arntzen (double bass) formed the duo Ballrogg to explore the acoustic extremities of their instruments. Involved in a range of diverse projects outside the duo, they bring a virtuosic range to Ballrogg's singular sound, creating soundscapes that are deeply disturbing and, at times, stunningly beautiful.

After recently joining forces with the great Norwegian guitar and pedal steel guitar player Ivar Grydeland (Huntsville, Dans Les Arbres, Hanne Hukkelberg), this group is expanding their cinematic sound universe into grand territories, offering a musical lookout to some truly monumental moments.

Ballrogg

Ivar Grydeland

Bertrand Gauguet (from France) + Toshimaru Nakamura + Tetuzi Akiyama

French saxophonist Bertrand Gauguet has created a unique and expressive vocabulary in his improvised work, ranging from billowing overtones to percussive clicks and taps, all delivered with a sweeping mastery of his instrument. In a range of settings, he has also performed with some of Europe's finest players, such as John Butcher, Rhodri Davies, Michel Doneda and Franz Hautzinger (among many others).

His musical explorations now take him to Japan, where he will perform with two of the most important artists to come out of the textural improvisation movement that emerged in the late 90s. After over a decade of playing, recording, and touring around the globe, Toshimaru Nakamura and Tetuzi Akiyama continue to collaborate together in situations like this; challenging, dynamic and unpredictable in a extremely good way.

Bertrand Gauguet

Toshimaru Nakamura

Tetuzi Akiyama

Bing a.k.a. Toshio Kajiwara + Cal Lyall + Yoko Higashino (Baby Q)

In the early 1990s, guided by an obsession with obscure recordings, sound performance artist Bing (a.k.a. Toshio Kajiwara) began performing with turntables and tape players at some of New York City's experimental music venues. This eventually took him to collaborations with the likes of Christian Marclay, Tim Barnes, and Okkyung Lee, while still finding time to curate the PhOnOmena improvisation series at (New York venue) Tonic with DJ Olive.

Now back in Tokyo, he's involved with a number of projects led by choreographer and dancer Yoko Higashino (Baby Q), who will bring her intriguing presence and intense range of movement to this performance. This will no doubt be amplified by the visual prism and light of YAMAT, the installation work of 20TN! (a.k.a. Daisuke Fujita), and the tabletop guitar wrangling of Test Tone curator Cal Lyall.

Bing a.k.a. Toshio Kajiwara

Cal Lyall on Myspace

Yoko Higashino (Baby Q)

Evil Penguin

Master of disguises, Mexican top-hats, ambient rockabilly to minimal Hawaiian Kumulipo chants, the Evil Penguin poses the primordial question of evanescence against a backdrop of New Wave folk. Celebratory, subliminal, moment-to-moment. A Tasmanian treasure with a penchant for open spaces.