Lorna Irvine finds much to enjoy from the EIF music selection
Legendary avant-garde ensemble Bang On A Can All-Stars, who formed in New York in 1992, took their name from a jam (''we are just banging on a can'') and have a spirit and sense of humour that is second to none, in spite of their incredible musicianship.
This new live project for the Edinburgh International Festival is a series of collaborations, most of which are brilliant, showcasing the scope of material they can cover so effortlessly. Such diversity is reflected in the audience: pop kids, classical fans, jazzers and avant gardists, all of whom will find something they love from an established repertoire, and discover new treasures as well.
The focus here is on using 'field recordings', which in the simplest terms are found sounds from on the streets, in large echoing buildings and within nature. All have been collected by each individual contributor and many have a film with the composition as a visual representation.
For the most part, it does not disappoint. Only The Cave Of Machpelah, the Steve Reich extract (which I had eagerly anticipated) is a bit of a let-down, lacking the usual vigour, a monolithic drone which seems incongruous out of context of the full operatic piece.
Special guest star American performance artist/composer Laurie Anderson is absent tonight- due to personal reasons, which will sadly become clear soon- but instead Warp recording artist/ composer Mira Calix is present, with her airport recordings, collated over a few years, called Meeting You Seemed Easy. The result is a sonic and visual piece which is hypnotic and immersive.
But three compositions really stand out: Gene Takes A Drink, composed by Michael Gordon- a playful, propulsive tune set to the scampering tempo of a cat called Gene, who has a camera attached to him in the accompanying film by Bill Morrison. Ken Thomson's clarinet flutters around a chiming melody.
Todd Reynolds' Seven Sundays has its UK premiere tonight. Mark Stewart's guitar stabs and David Cossin's thunderous percussion wrap around a feverish gospel loop, sampled from 1930s-50s church recordings. It is both celebratory and ominous.
Another premiere for the UK is Anna Clyne's gorgeously affecting A Wonderful Day. In a similar vein to Gavin Bryars' beautiful Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, it takes the sound of a vagrant- in this case the stunning raw vocals of Wooly Barbee- and loops his voice like another instrument. The strings, piano and cello blend with his melancholic song, creating a kind of broken street lullaby.
These tunes are specially selected for tonight's field recordings, but the band can't resist rocking out at the encore, as with so many of their performances I have seen: Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore's Stroking Piece is the incendiary finale, building to his trademark hurricane of layered noise.
Trust Bang On A Can All-Stars to rock the genteel surroundings of the Usher Hall with some New York post-punk noise- you have to love them for that.
The subversive, playful spirit endures. Long may they reign.
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