Daniel Brew

Featured - Fourth Man

'Dan has been my go-to guitarist for a while now. I don't know a guitarist who's worked harder on their craft. Dan has listened and learned so widely across music that it makes for a super creative studio session every time. I can always trust him to work with my initial ideas and then take them next level.'

Fourth Man · Benjamin's Brother

ANTHOLOGY

A real pleasure playing Steven Jacksons new piece, III, with Anthony Brown for his debut album, Anthology! See below:

The debut recording by virtuoso saxophonist Anthony Brown includes seven world première recordings of brand new commissioned works for the saxophone. Each work has its own unique sound world, offering different, exciting new duo and solo works. The performers and composers on this disc represent some of the major influences that have impacted Anthony’s career to date, including teachers, colleagues and friends.

These virtuosic works explore the range and characters that the 4 main saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) have to offer. The sound world of the contemporary saxophone is explored in great depth, with influences ranging from jazz, film, poetry, electronic music, and theatre. Each work was commissioned especially for this project which has taken 5 years to complete.

red angle

'We make decissions all the time. We think about possible futures. We ask ourselves what might happen if we do this or that. But luckily, we have uncertainty's grace of never knowing exactly what's about to happen. Like a red angle on a blank sheet of paper we are doors which open up to endless possibilities. More so, we are a product of endless possibilities. We are uncertainties that dialogue. Red Angle is simply that. A snapshot in time of the potentiality of three lives which dialogue.' - Santiago Díez-Fischer

supported | Help Musicians UK

residual switch

In light of Distractfold’s Rocío Bolaños, receiving the DID award from Help Musicians UK to produce a new album of duo works with one of our long-time collaborators and good friends, Santiago Díez-Fischer, I’m excited to release this single featuring a new revision of his first ever e-guitar piece, Residual Switch.

Residual Switch explores an approach to writing with a cantus firmus/fixed melody which, rather than being constructed using musical notes, is centred around a succession of sound generating actions executed by the performer. Utilised throughout the entire work, this melody of actions seeks to imitate the human voice, to sing a melody as if the electric guitar (in the entirety of its make-up as a network-based instrument/object– pedals, cables, amplifier, e-bow, bow etc) were in fact the human voice. In some sense, the piece echoes mediaeval sound ideas within which exists a melodic continuity seeking to imitate a vocal line. - Santiago Díez-Fischer

Produced as part of my DYCP project, kindly supported by Arts Council England. Mixed by Sam Salem. Mastered by Richard Scott. Photo by Santiago Díez-Fischer.

Sky Destroys Dog

After 6 years and a good batting around the evolutionary process of composer-performer collaboration, Sky Destroys Dog is unleashed into the world!

Over the years it has taken on many forms. This particular one is an edit stitched together by Mauricio and I from 4 full takes recorded at the Royal Northern College of Music by both Mauricio and Sean Rogan. Beautifully mixed and mastered by Murat Çolak.

This piece means a lot to me.

It radically changed my understanding of the guitar, approach to sound and composition.

Moreover, it marks the beginning of a journey into a new music which has seen me adopted by my wonderful Distractfold family and enabled me to meet so many great people and form new relationships along the way.

Ironically, it’s in no way a soppy piece and so I’ll end this list simply by saying a huge thank you to Mauricio for the friendship and journey!

Thanks in advance to everyone who supports this release! OUT NOW via Uluuul Records!

Joy in Bewilderment

“Joy in Bewilderment’ is an intimate expression and contemplation on how you can feel and function in modern society. It depicts the perplexity of the political climate and humanistic vulnerability through an amalgamation of resilience, puzzlement, and exasperation. Even within these surroundings it encapsulates optimism for the future and gratitude for the now. This is the music that I hear, and it feels like the most honest expression I’ve created to date.” - Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley

From a string quartet to a 12-piece horn section led ensemble, (including three drummers), to solo piano to vocal-led storytelling. This album roams through a multitude of colour with all original compositions that span from heavily arranged to heavy improvisation. It accommodates an incredibly versatile ensemble and features guest performers Chris Potter, Caoilfhionn Rose and the Amika String Quartet.

GAVIN HIBBERD - Trumpet
SAM HEALEY - Alto Sax
KYRAN MATTHEWS - Tenor Sax
CHRIS POTTER - Tenor Sax
ANTHONY BROWN - Baritone Sax
ELLIE WHITLEY - Tenor Trombone
RICH McVEIGH - Tenor Trombone & Bass Trombone
CAOILFHIONN ROSE BIRLEY - Vocals
DANIEL BREW - Guitar
DANIEL WELLENS - Piano & Keys
JOSHUA CAVANAGH-BRIERLEY – Bass, Double Bass & Piano
ALAN TAYLOR - Drums
GRANT KERSHAW - Drums
CRAIG HANSON - Drums

ALAN TAYLOR - Drums
GRANT KERSHAW - Drums
CRAIG HANSON - Drums

Strings – THE AMIKA QUARTET
SIMMY SINGH - Violin
LAURA SENIOR - Violin
LUCY NOLAN - Viola
PEGGY NOLAN - Cello

The New Unusual

The New Unusual is a series of 11 short solo works commissioned in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded in the homes of Distractfold performers between December 2020 - January 2021. Building upon their podcast series, Conversations from Quarantine, The New Unusual seeks to bring together composers, musicians and audiences from around the globe at precisely the moment that COVID-19 keeps us furthest apart.

The project was produced by Daniel Brew and co-produced by Sam Salem. The music was performed and recorded AT HOME by DISTRACTFOLD with Rocío Bolaños on Clarinets and live electronics (London), Daniel Brew on Electric Guitar and performative electronics (Seville), Alice Purton on Cello, voice and live electronics (London) and Linda Jankowska on Violin, object percussion and live electronics (Huddersfield). The album was mixed by Distractfold in collaboration with featured composers. The master was prepared by Richard Scott.This project would not have been possible without the generous and friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.