Conversation on the Underground

Peter Brötzmann has exemplified European improvised music for over 40 years and participated in countless historic collaborations with a who’s who of fellow seminal artists including Derek Bailey, Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry.

Evan Parker and Han Bennink. Self-taught on clarinets and saxophones, Brötzmann began his career in visual art, eventually applying his exploratory sensibility to music. He has produced a back catalogue of remarkable releases, including the 1968 LP Machine Gun, widely recognised as one of the defining records of the free jazz idiom.

Jon Dale writes about music and culture for Uncut, The Wire, Dusted, Signal To Noise, Australian Book Review, Resident Advisor, and Little White Earbuds.

He is currently researching post-punk, Industrial music, and critical and art theory for his PhD.

Well known as a catalytic figure in the Australian experimental music and film scenes (organiser of Audiopollen, OtherFilm, Glee Club), Joel Stern cut his chops in the concept-heavy nonsense atmosphere of early 00’s London, collaborating with many of the Japanese and English artists connected to the ‘reductionist’ and ‘onkyo’ movements.

Since returning to Australia, Joel has collaborated widely, most notably in electro-acoustic duo form with Anthony Guerra and in expanded cinema form with 16mm filmmaker Sally Golding as Abject Leader. In recent years, Joel has been a central player in the burgeoning Brisbane underground scene.

For almost five decades, Han Bennink has been recognised as one of the world’s most uniquely versatile and innovative drummers.

One of the pioneers of European improvised music during the 1960s, he has built up a career long repertoire of collaborations with fellow statesman including Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy and Derek Bailey.

Brian Chase is a drummer and composer living in Brooklyn, NY. He is probably best known as a member of the rock group Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a band that has toured extensively throughout the world and has been nominated for three Grammys.

Other recorded projects include a minimalist punk rock band called the Seconds and his improvised experimental duo ensemble with saxophonist Seth Misterka that has a record on the Australian label Heathen Skulls. Chase has collaborated with artists including Alan Licht, Okkyung Lee, Matt Welch, Mary Halvorson, Jessica Pavone, and Stefan Tcherepnin.