Suphala and John Hadfield's 'Electrocussion'
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Suphala and John Hadfield's "Electrocussion"
Live performance and vanguard production technologies are integral and inseparable components of Suphala and John Hadfield's new project, Electrocussion. A tabla player and a percussionist/drummer, respectively, both are also experienced producers interested in moving past simple distinctions between acoustic and electronic. These seasoned musicians bring their production chops to the stage along with their drums, creating a singular, original sound informed by the rich histories of their instruments, creative mastery of the studio, and a bold vision of the future. Electrocussion makes beats from hands on drums as well as laptops, utilizing multiple musical traditions. It’s not one or the other. It’s a new omni-genre that evokes the moods, colors and patterns of a contemporary life in which technology is a tool to enhance, not replace, the visceral human power of rhythm.
www.electrocussion.com
Suphala:
Suphala is one of the most versatile young tabla artists making music today. A protégé of the great tabla masters Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, Suphala is fluent in a diversity of musical traditions that inform her unique compositions and her highly improvisational performances. The three albums she has released to date – Instru Mental (2000), The Now (2005) and Blueprint (2007) – go beyond the limits of genre and style while referencing such diverse influences as Western classical, Indian classical, jazz, folk and soul. Her concerts also break down boundaries: she made history in early 2005 when she traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan as the first musician to play in public since the fall of the Taliban.
The musicians she has recorded or performed with include Norah Jones, Perry Ferrell, Edie Brickell, Vernon Reid, Timbaland, Sean Lennon, 4Hero, Harper Simon, Yoko Ono, Vijay Iyer, Joan Osbourne, and Michael Bland among others. The artistic alliances Suphala forms -- including ensembles with vocals, strings, woodwinds, reeds and percussion -- are an integral part of her innovative approach to making music. With her unique rhythmic and melodic vocabulary and production chops that are both rigorous and inventive, this next phase of Suphala’s evolving musical expression is bound to continue a trajectory rooted in a deep understanding of the proud legacy of the tabla and a passionate commitment to expand the scope of its expression and to communicate it to the wider world.
www.suphala.com
John Hadfield
Percussionist John Hadfield’s dedication to bending genres has taken him from the jungles of Indonesia to concert halls and clubs across the world. At home in New York, Time Out New York has recently pointed out “John Hadfield’s percussion is so impeccable.”
John Hadfield has released two records of his own compositions-The Eye of Gordon (2008) and Displaced (2010). He is currently on the Jazz faculty of New York University, where he teaches drum set and the World Percussion Ensemble.
John Hadfield’s varied expertise has allowed him to perform with a broad range of ensembles and artists including: Yo-Yo Ma, The Silk Road Ensemble, The Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Bang on a Can, The Michael Gordon Band, The HUM Ensemble and Sky White Tiger.
John Hadfield has also collaborated on more than 50 recordings as a guest artist, including the GRAMMY award winner Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of Joy and Peace (SONY BMG 2008).
www.jhadfield.com
Artist Website
Live performance and vanguard production technologies are integral and inseparable components of Suphala and John Hadfield's new project, Electrocussion. A tabla player and a percussionist/drummer, respectively, both are also experienced producers interested in moving past simple distinctions between acoustic and electronic. These seasoned musicians bring their production chops to the stage along with their drums, creating a singular, original sound informed by the rich histories of their instruments, creative mastery of the studio, and a bold vision of the future. Electrocussion makes beats from hands on drums as well as laptops, utilizing multiple musical traditions. It’s not one or the other. It’s a new omni-genre that evokes the moods, colors and patterns of a contemporary life in which technology is a tool to enhance, not replace, the visceral human power of rhythm.
www.electrocussion.com
Suphala:
Suphala is one of the most versatile young tabla artists making music today. A protégé of the great tabla masters Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, Suphala is fluent in a diversity of musical traditions that inform her unique compositions and her highly improvisational performances. The three albums she has released to date – Instru Mental (2000), The Now (2005) and Blueprint (2007) – go beyond the limits of genre and style while referencing such diverse influences as Western classical, Indian classical, jazz, folk and soul. Her concerts also break down boundaries: she made history in early 2005 when she traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan as the first musician to play in public since the fall of the Taliban.
The musicians she has recorded or performed with include Norah Jones, Perry Ferrell, Edie Brickell, Vernon Reid, Timbaland, Sean Lennon, 4Hero, Harper Simon, Yoko Ono, Vijay Iyer, Joan Osbourne, and Michael Bland among others. The artistic alliances Suphala forms -- including ensembles with vocals, strings, woodwinds, reeds and percussion -- are an integral part of her innovative approach to making music. With her unique rhythmic and melodic vocabulary and production chops that are both rigorous and inventive, this next phase of Suphala’s evolving musical expression is bound to continue a trajectory rooted in a deep understanding of the proud legacy of the tabla and a passionate commitment to expand the scope of its expression and to communicate it to the wider world.
www.suphala.com
John Hadfield
Percussionist John Hadfield’s dedication to bending genres has taken him from the jungles of Indonesia to concert halls and clubs across the world. At home in New York, Time Out New York has recently pointed out “John Hadfield’s percussion is so impeccable.”
John Hadfield has released two records of his own compositions-The Eye of Gordon (2008) and Displaced (2010). He is currently on the Jazz faculty of New York University, where he teaches drum set and the World Percussion Ensemble.
John Hadfield’s varied expertise has allowed him to perform with a broad range of ensembles and artists including: Yo-Yo Ma, The Silk Road Ensemble, The Saturday Night Live Band on NBC, Bang on a Can, The Michael Gordon Band, The HUM Ensemble and Sky White Tiger.
John Hadfield has also collaborated on more than 50 recordings as a guest artist, including the GRAMMY award winner Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of Joy and Peace (SONY BMG 2008).
www.jhadfield.com