l’après monde

those that know me may have noticed i have been in full hermit mode. this may be to compensate for what i should have done during lockdowns. instead of using the period for stillness, with no gig in view, i occupied the time to produce and publish a large amount of work. i mastered and prepared the entire live archive for my band inclusion principle, created another bandcamp site for my own work and prepared albums for release, compiled all my solo electroacoustic performances for the series résonance, created albums from various field recordings, etc. this can be found on my bandcamp page.

during that time, i also produced three albums and released two of them: a wonderful duo with gus garside published by 377, and Inclusion Principle’s fourth. this is the third composition which has not yet been heard.

‘l’après monde’ started with henry recording piano and trombone at his home in the south of france. we have played as a duo for several years. henry is a wonderful pianist who took up the trombone around the same time as i switched to saxophone. we were part of an amazing network of improvisers and have played acoustic improvisation and gigged during many of my visits in the area. here, we use a very different approach while working from separate countries. plus, this collaboration takes on a new colour with the addition of electronic sounds and treatment. some of the things i was exploring in this piece paved the way to compositions for the Inclusion Principle album i worked on next.

i cut up the recordings henry sent me, drawing sections of improvisation, and shorter clips to create space and dynamic flow, radical changes between tableaux that organically unfold. i used samplers for the trombone, looped riffs, layered harmonic sections, processed the piano to create spectral clouds, etc. and thus, using henry’s material as building blocks, i arranged the structure for four pieces.

in all four, i gradually added electronic rhythms, field recordings and sound sculptures that are part of my palette, enjoying the possibilities found in ableton live 10 and creating new sounds. i then added alto sax improvisations, at times duetting with henry’s phrasing, at time playing in contrast, and flying off over loops or beats. the interplay, i hope, portrays the energy and excitement typical of our duo, and yet feels very different with added studio time and wide soundscapes. i rather like the balance between the raw energy of improvisation and the playful compositional techniques i have used.

this work seems to explore many areas of contemporary music, including jazz, improvisation, electronic, new music and electroacoustic composition. imagine a car crash between rothko and pollock. cezanne cries in a corner. the scene, smudged in the rain. 

 

 

i am very pleased to share this work with you, and i hope you enjoy listening. drop us a line and let us know… pass the word, and please support the artists featured.

Sounding Out Thor’s Cave 2023

no need for words. the space speaks for itself through the saxophone. every visit has a different vibe. such an inspiration. enjoy…

 

 

call of the wild
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

underground torrent
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

the sun sets in silence
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

sinuous
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

the last curtain
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

Sounding Out Cathedral Cave – june 2023

a most welcome return to a spectacular location.

cathedral cave is a very unique and wonderful place both in terms of atmosphere and acoustics. this time, the weather gives a very different quality to the experience of the place. i have been walking in the area in blazing sunshine, swimming in the clear water of lakes surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

i arrive to the cave tired, warm and pretty blissed out from such stunning scenery. the cool space provides a nice shelter from the heat. and although it is still busy that late in the day, the imposing presence of this carved architecture sets a strong mood that is serene.

the name of cathedral cave is well deserved.

here, time stops.

and from the very fist notes, i enter that very special place fully.

both evenings, i play for a period of time, blending melodic passages, progressions, and overtones, taking advantage of this unique and powerful reverb. some sections play with the different effects the space offers – the interplay of tones in the sustain is fascinating… two notes linger and dance in the space and each interval a different pattern. each triad swirls a different spin.

although the space mostly inspires a gentle play of tones and melody, more angular shapes find their way in the improvisations. symmetrical structures bounce across the spectrum from one axis to the next. geometric shapes climb the raw surface of the rock. a little slack in the rope allows for smudges of movement. chromatic whirls send phases off-center. the space responds and blesses the ear with stunning sound effects.

 

 

 

the first line
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

blurred boundaries
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

the space in between
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

 

wind swept plains
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

slack bounce
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

a study of small shapes
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

Sounding Out Stoney Middleton St Martin’s 2022

i spent two days across moorland chasing after deer sounds, fawning across the fern and forests for close encounters. finally had a long and silent eye contact with the big dude. not a single sound. on the last evening, nearly out of earshot of constant distant traffic, i find antlers clashing and guttural calls… proved to be worth the wait.

for a change of scenery and ticks removed, i head down the valley to a small church in the village of stoney middleton, tucked away in the rocks. the space is open and bright, the sound welcoming. it is a quiet morning and the light filters through and gently lifts the faded colours of this interesting interior.

skylines
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

harvest
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

rolling free
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

the bell calls
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

   

Sounding Out Thor’s Cave 2022

Such a pleasure to return to this very inspiring location, full of character and fire. There are many distractions and flow is sometimes difficult… One has to be mindful of their steps… it is a long slide down. Birds always join in. Visitors come for a chat. Great times.

It is usually quite late when the space opens, and i end up recording as the light goes down. i’ve always found that the energy is quite mixed, and playing here is an interesting challenge. But this can be rewarding too to find inspiration and flow when it is not as obvious and giving as in other locations. Simple ideas seem to be a thread, and i enjoy the minimal motifs that come out of the improvisations, leaving space for textural connections and more busy runs. The moods also clash – at times gentle, but more often, there is a full-on explosion of sound and it feels like the fingers barely keep up. This place is raw. And i like it.

step up
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

indecision
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

colour clash
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

bird view
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

 

two paths
alto saxophone, 15 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

ajna – the tao of three
alto saxophone, 15 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

Sounding Out Smoo Cave 2021

Travelling north, a short stop in the middle of Scotland, amidst splendid scenery, mountains bathed in magic light, and broody skies, i found a wee church that was open and welcoming. Surprised by the gentle inspiration, i played in unexpected style for a while. Amulree church.

 

wind hill
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 

 

weaving history
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 

 

the round mount song
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 
 
 

I have paid many visits to this majestic cave, and every time enjoyed its amazing resonance, deep vibe and rich inspiration. This year, for the first time, the water levels are so low that there is no waterfall in the adjacent chamber, and so the main space is a lot quieter, giving maximum resonance to the cave, which is now inhabited by a range of birds. Their cries punctuate the improvisations which go late into the evening. As usual, there are visitors that come in and out, some stay and listen, but mostly, i have stretches uninterrupted to record. And because of this unique opportunity, and the very special occasion of finding the cave so quiet, i decided to spend more time.

I returned twice on my first visit, and again, two nights in a row after exploring the area and spending a few days in solitary, tucked away in the mountains. This period of meditation has been amazing, and the energy of the mountain is deeply moving (or stilling…). Close to the elements, exposed and yet under the protection of imposing hills, the benefits of this period of retreat is indescribable.

Each day of this series of recordings in Smoo Cave was very different. The inspiration yielded music of different character and the vibe was strickingly different. Here is a selection from each session.

 

shine
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

constellation no1
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

mantra for the dakinis
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

circular shapes
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

constellation no3
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

fermion eleven
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

when all return
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

nebulous
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

gentle power
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

mila’s rag
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

solitary hill
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

the unspoken cartwheel
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

after the wind
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

three steps
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

touch the earth
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

cath’s wheels ride
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

the other side
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

   

Sounding Out North Yorkshire 2021

While travelling through North Yorkshire earlier this year, i came across two churches that were open. A rare treat these days… so i could not resist a little sonic exploration.

 

travelling
alto saxophone, 20 may 2021
east witton church

 

 

flow patterns
alto saxophone, 20 may 2021
east witton church

 

 

 

blues for swirling leaves
alto saxophone, 21 may 2021
st oswalds church, hauxwell

Unexpected Visitor

Very excited about this new release with my good friend and bass player Gus Garside.

The album has been released by New York label 577, and you can stream it on bandcamp, or listen using the player below.

Meeting for the first time as an acoustic duo in their collaborative album, The Unexpected Visitor, UK-based musicians Gus Garside and Hervé Perez explore the musical interpretations of a 13th Century Poem, “The Guest House” by Rumi. The album captures a series of improvisations played between March and May 2020, before and during the official UK lockdowns, some recorded in the same room together, some individually by each musician at home. This album is a selection of music from their original session and their telematic at-home improvisations, woven together by Rumi’s naturally evolving poetic narrative. Informed by the practice of deep listening, the musicians composed the album with angular melodic lines and abstract passages, exploring the resonant qualities and structural design of the saxophone and double bass. The tracks offer reflective and inviting duets, embodying the transient curiosity and sincere openness of the poem they’re inspired by, “This being human is a guest house / Every morning a new arrival.” 

credits

released February 20, 2021

Gus Garside  – Double bass
Hervé Perez –  Saxophone

Recorded by Hervé Perez & Gus Garside, in March-May 2020 
The first session recorded in Brighton, UK. Subsequent sessions recorded with both players in their own homes, while improvising in real time online, connected via low-latency software.

Mixed and mastered by Hervé Perez at nexttime studios

Photo by Hervé Perez
Album design by Mark Smith

All music by Gus Garside (PRS) and Hervé Perez, 2020

Reviews

“/ The Unexpected Visitor / is a conceptual work of excellent workmanship… in which the evident skills of the two musicians are effortlessly highlighted.”

“Gus Garside and * Hervé Perez * must be given credit for having recreated a coherent and full-bodied sound flow, where almost all the pieces of the mosaic are in their place.”

Giuseppe Vitale – radioaktiv.it

“The bass and sax duo are highly practised improvisers who bring an atmospheric clarity to their music that reflects their close heeding of each other.  There are also less-tangible selections that replicate and resonate the inherent mood of what this music is about…

This music is contemplative and peace-making and I think it appropriately reflects spiritual concerns.”

Ken Cheetham – Jazzviews

“The key to such enjoyment rests with the playing of Garside and Perez, their listening and reacting to one another, their empathy and mutual respect. Both players are fluent and fluid on their instruments, adept at producing melodic passages and deep rich tones, leading to some exquisite exchanges between them. When the occasion arises, they can each veer off to explore the outer limits of the capabilities of those instruments rather than always remaining in safe territory. The combination of all these ingredients is an album of great variety which handsomely repays repeated listening and seems guaranteed to do so for years. This should not be this duo’s only recording.”

John Eyles – All About Jazz

“Perez’s wide drones and sul tasto buzzes from Garside push the sequence to its furthest, most multiphonic reaches without losing close communication. From that point on the duo alternates between stretches of barely-there sequences to lyrical motifs that feature clarion reed peeps and cello-pitched string rubs in sequence exploration.”

Ken Waxman – Squid’s Ear

Cet Unexpected Visitor est plutôt du côté jazz libre dans un magnifique dialogue entre la contrebasse puissante et charnue sans chichi de Gus Garside et les spirales subtiles du sax ténor d’Hervé Perez dans les arcanes des modes et des possibilités mélodiques qui en découlent….

De son excellente technique et de sa connaissance des structures musicales, Hervé Perez crée un univers chaleureux et introspectif autour de liens mélodiques subtils, tirant parti de chaque couleur propre aux intervalles sans à-coup, la surprise se révélant une fois le rêve estompé.  Qu’il lui livre discrètement un écrin ou qu’il s’agite  à frictionner les cordes sur la touche en zig-zags énergiques (03 The Lover), le jeu profond et la pensée musicale de Gus Garside s’applique à démultiplier ses propositions afin d’enrichir la palette collective du duo, les occurrences du développement musical, les options qui alimentent inlassablement, l’intérêt de celui qui écoute, médite, s’émerveille.

 Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg – Orynx

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Sounding Out Devon

This has been a very strange year indeed for everyone, and there were very few opportunities to escape to the country. So my sonic explorations have been very limited. And yet, this has also been an opportunity to go back to the roots of Sounding Out, and return to the type of environment where it all started.

Over the years, i have very much enjoyed my visits to amazing churches with grandiose acoustics, and chapels that have a very special quality. Both the resonance and the feel of those places have inspired me much. And now, with most buildings closed, i embraced a return to nature, and to the acoustics of the forest. Interacting with the natural world, its soundscape and gentle reverberant responses was the starting point to this series. It felt like a conversation. And i always like this kind of connection with the outdoors.
Sounding Out has always been about this, away from the studio or controled environment. And yet, remote chapels have been dominating my recordings, apart from a few much cherished caves. Those that really speak to me are rare. And so it is the same with forests, it is hard to find the right environment, away from noise pollution and into a unique sonic world.

During a quiet period at the end of the summer, Devon was so attractive, and a perfect opportunity to get away, away from people, and disappear into the moors and forests. Of course i had the saxophone with me, and regular practice was tricky while hiking and camping. So i started walking out into the dark forest in the evening to practice against bursts of wind and into the thick green canvas. i enjoyed it so much that i decided to record some of these. The recording conditions were difficult, but here are some examples below.

i was very lucky to find one chapel open, during my travels, and found it had a very sweet sound. so of course i spent a little time there, wrapped in the uplifting experience. And finally, at the end of the trip, i returned to the forestry above fernworthy reservoir and took a day visiting a number of locations within the same area, each with its own character, finishing with an improvisation at the top of a stone row, looking down across the valley and listening to entire melodic lines bouncing off rich canopies of trees and rolling back to me with a few seconds delay. Unfortunately, although this amazing effect was clear, it was also very subtle and did not get picked up on the recording. Still…
i hope you enjoy listening to the spirit of the forest, singing through the saxophone.

 

 

woody
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [start of track, by assycombe brook]

 

 

bridge by the hill
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [bridge]

 

 

off track
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [track with opening in the trees below]

 

 

five trees
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [track with opening in the trees below]

 

 

straight line
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 

 

the ballad of passing forms
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 

 

wavelets rising
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 
 
 

 

a touch of light
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 

 

entanglements
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 

 

tread lightly
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 
 
 

 

the trees swirling dance
alto saxophone, 02 september 2020
fernworthy forest, night time

 

 

solitary bird
alto saxophone, 02 september 2020
fernworthy forest, night time

 

 

Sounding Out – the Peak District

The Peak District on my doorstep, it is easy to nip out and see so much beauty. A little further afield, the limestone valleys offer a different type of landscape. i don’t often go that far and so missed the area and decided to return to known places, in the south peaks.

It was wet in wetton. Storm was on the menu, and it did not disappoint. But first, in the day, it was really hot and sunny. Walking up the hills was fairly taxing and many people were out swimming in the rivers.

By the evening, the distant lightning provided a spectacular display; with stars above, flashes lit up gorgeous cloud formations. The flashes were relentless, it was like watching fireworks and the storm being so distant, it was completely silent. Quite a surreal scene. And it took a while for the rain to arrive. And here too, it did not disappoint.

Another magic moment, in the morning, from a nearby bridge, i watched the empty and dry river bed fill up with rain water that slowly had filtered throught the limestone and started flowing, making this most amazing trickle sound, like pebbles coming to life.

But let’s rewind a little to the end of the day, after a wonderful walk in blazing sunshire, and as the weather was slowly turning, i climbed into the imposive stature of Thor’s Cave. Possibly due to the radiant weather, and also to a long period of lockdown, i found the area more busy than usual, and it was a while until there was a quiet moment. i had time to enjoy the golden glowing of slanting light that came into the cave from the side opening. Taking the time to get back in touch with the space i once knew well (a scroll through previous sounding out recordings will show many visits to this site), i could get into the vibe and ready for some improvisation.

As soon as i got the saxophone out and sounded out a few notes into the space, to warm up, the music started to flow. At the end of the session, as the light was diminishing, a single wood pigeon was singing outside the entrance of the cave. I picked up the melody and recorded one last piece.

 

 

the fifth step
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

shadow theatre
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

spin the riff
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

the wood pigeon song
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

 

After a little break, i continued on down the valley, to a tunnel of incredible property. The sound there is just outstanding. After playing in the cave, my lips were starting to tire, but i could not help sending a few notes spinning down that long tube a watch the frequencies merge. Each set of notes shimmers in its own way, creating further overtones, bending notes to align with the tunnel resonance. I could have played triads forever, just listening to the long tail slowly fade. With circular breathing, the tones eventually blend into a mass of sound that slowly modulates overtones. This place has always been a treat.

 

infinite
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

merger
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

scats o’long tails
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

dark skies ahead
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

 

On the second day, i wanted to go back to the cave and record some more, explore different textures. I am not sure if the deliberate approach was wise, in any case, i could not really force any ideas as is usually true with this project. I just had to go with the flow. And on that second day, the vibe was quite different. There were many distractions and it took quite a while for things to settle down, and even while playing, there were a few interruptions. Still, even though i found it more difficult to get into the zone, some interesting material came out. And indeed, the results were more high energy flow and abstract than the first session which was predominently melodic. In places like this, i find the vibe and the music that comes out a lot more free and raw than in churches, for obvious reasons.

 

 

another round
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

bustle in the valley
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

waltzing wood in the wind
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave