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JOHN PAUL JONES & SUPERSILENT


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John Paul Jones talks touring with Supersilent and the possibility of reconvening Them Crooked Vultures

The subject of Led Zeppelin's new concert documentary might be impossible to ignore, but this month John Paul Jones bids farewell to the past and looks forward to an impending tour with Norwegian improv group Supersilent...

Oops Zemun, I linked the same article in the TCV thread. I did not see your post until now. I should have known you would have found this!

Thanks for all of the JPJ and RP updates.

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An Interview with Supersilent

Supersilent feat. John Paul Jones

Find out more about Supersilent feat. John Paul Jones here

Posted: Mon Nov 12 20:48:18 2012 by Ross Pike

Norwegian avant improvisational troupe, Supersilent, are a multi-stranded proposition - teaming electronic and acoustic instruments with high energy arrangements and moments of hushed calm all with no rehearsal. They've been at it for over a decade now and have recently teamed up with former Led Zeppelin multi-instrumentalist and rock aristo - John Paul Jones - for a number of shows including five in the UK later this month. To get the lowdown on this line-up, their future plans and their unique playing we called Helge Sten in his native Norway for a chat.

R13: Supersilent have been together for a long time with the same line-up. How did this particular project with John Paul Jones start?

Helge: We played at the same electronic festival in Norway and he was due to perform right before us so just sort of met up with him and asked him if he would like to join us for our show. It just happened.

R13: What does Jones' playing bring to Supersilent?

H: He's so diverse and really really good at listening and going into improvised situations.

R13: Has the dynamic in the group changed as a result?

H: It's different when you have four people in the band but in a good way. We've also played a lot with another guitarist in Europe and it's the same - another member it's different dynamics but in a good way.

R13: With Jones in the group have you noticed a difference in the audience you're playing to?

H: We have done mainly festivals and I think if you know Supersilent you know what you're coming to see. People who are interested in John's past have the knowledge that he might do stuff that's different from the old days. There's not a lot of people wanting to hear stuff from that different group [Led Zeppelin], it's working out really nice.

R13: You've mentioned in the past Norway's tradition of improv-jazz. Most people when they think of Norwegian music, they'll automatically conjure up notions of black metal or Eurovision - does Supersilent have a big audience at home?

H: It's not fair to say we have a big audience in Norway. We do most of our concerts in Europe, it's actually hard for us to play in Norway due to the infrastructure and length of the whole country.

R13: How's your experience been of England?

H: We played a tour there in, maybe 2000 - can't actually remember and a few gigs in London. We found it a very open audience; interested in going to listening to music in an open way

R13: Given your rules about rehearsing I was wondering if you ever listen back to recordings of gigs or past records for reference points or pieces you'd like to expand on? Or are those moments snapshots in time never to be repeated?

H: The thing is that for us improvisation is a tool to compose music - that's the idea. We want to compose music and for us improvisation is a tool to do that in real time. We're not into it for philosophical reasons it's just a way for us to compose and play music in a way we enjoy. I mean we could rehearse but then we'd just have a tape recorder going all the time then we would get a bunch of recording to sort out so actually not recording is good for us to focus immediately in the studio or in shows.

R13: To play this music must take a lot of concentration, are you still able to have fun?

H: Yes! I would say every time.

R13: You don't feel the need for a three minute pop song?

H: Well I mean there's so much weird stuff coming in which sometimes is really beautiful kind of short piece then it can be really noisy and dynamic. It's so many things - it's all allowed there's no censorship - if you add that into the mix it's ok.

R13: Are there any plans to record with this line-up or keep it on the road?

H: We've recorded a few of the concerts and we might do some recording but we've not really talked about it but it might happen. We haven't discussed it in detail.

R13: Finally, what can people expect from a Supersilent gig?

H: Woah, I don't know... It's supersonic music with a lot of great musicians in the Supersilent universe but it's hard to tell what to expect because often the venue is colouring how we make choices in the music. Like if we're in a big concert hall with lots of reverb we would play different music than if we were in a small club. It's very organic, really hard to tell [someone] but it's electronic music, improvised. It can be really dynamic and noisy and loud or super-quiet.

Supersilent are in action at the following dates in November:

Wed 14th - BIRMINGHAM, Town Hall (co-presented by Capsule) 8pm / 16 pound 50 adv

Thur 15th - GLASGOW, The Arches(presented by AC Projects) 7pm / 15 pound adv

Fri 16th - MANCHESTER, RNCM 7.30pm / 15 pound adv

Sat 17th - BRISTOL, Arnolfini 8pm / 15 pound adv

Sun 18th - LONDON, Village Underground 8pm / 18 pound adv

http://www.roomthirt...upersilent.html

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Supersilent featuring John Paul Jones, Arches, Glasgow

rating_star.pngrating_star.pngrating_star.pngrating_star.pngrating_star_grey.png

by David Pollock

For the majority of the all-seated crowd in Glasgow’s atmospheric underground railway arch venue, the

suspicion is they’re here because of the ‘featuring John Paul Jones’ element of

tonight’s bill.

The sometime Led Zeppelin bassist is, of course, one surviving third of a group who inspired fifty million applications for tickets to a one-off 2007 reunion show, but this latest of his many and eclectic projects is vastly removed from the one he’ll forever be most known for.

In the past he’s recorded with Diamanda Galas, made orchestral arrangements for REM, played with Foo Fighters and formed supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with the latter band’s Dave Grohl, but the 66-year-old’s onstage collaboration with Norwegian jazz-rock outfit Supersilent is possibly his strangest venture yet.

Although the trio were set up in a relatively traditional manner – Jones on bass, Ståle Storløkken on keyboards and synthesisers, and de facto bandleader Arve Henriksen on drums and vocals – the sound they made was an improvised and largely avant-garde wash of noise. Noodling bass solos were nowhere to be found.

In this context what they were doing was almost as important as the sound they made, with the improvisations a fluid process which involved very little looking at one another. All three were in their own world but their sound overlapped perfectly, with Jones stroking an ethereal screech from the strings of his electric bass while Henriksen tapped out a heartbeat on drums over an indecipherable vocal mantra and a squall of electronic static.

Separated into lengthy movements over almost an hour and a half which left space for applause, the format permitted dramatic changes in tone, from blind alleys of noise over a dissonant, syncopated drum part to sludgy, nocturnal waves of sound effects underpinned by an almost subsonic bass rumble and some desperately uplifting trombone from Henriksen. Only once did Jones’ bass kick into a strong lead riff, but it was immediately followed by a closing slice of icy electronica topped off by Henriksen’s best Sigur Ros-aping choirboy falsetto.

Inevitably there were those who didn’t get it, like the group who chose to get loudly drunk in the bar and occasionally pop their head in to tut and shake their heads, or the old rocker who sadly sighed “I thought he was going to play some songs when he was done tuning up” on the way out. But this was a first-rate avant-garde performance, albeit perhaps one more suited to All Tomorrow’s Parties than Led Zeppelin’s much longed-for Glastonbury headline appearance.

http://www.independe...ow-8323177.html

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An Interview with Supersilent

Supersilent feat. John Paul Jones

Find out more about Supersilent feat. John Paul Jones here

Posted: Mon Nov 12 20:48:18 2012 by Ross Pike

Norwegian avant improvisational troupe, Supersilent, are a multi-stranded proposition - teaming electronic and acoustic instruments with high energy arrangements and moments of hushed calm all with no rehearsal. They've been at it for over a decade now and have recently teamed up with former Led Zeppelin multi-instrumentalist and rock aristo - John Paul Jones - for a number of shows including five in the UK later this month. To get the lowdown on this line-up, their future plans and their unique playing we called Helge Sten in his native Norway for a chat.

R13: Supersilent have been together for a long time with the same line-up. How did this particular project with John Paul Jones start?

Helge: We played at the same electronic festival in Norway and he was due to perform right before us so just sort of met up with him and asked him if he would like to join us for our show. It just happened.

R13: What does Jones' playing bring to Supersilent?

H: He's so diverse and really really good at listening and going into improvised situations.

R13: Has the dynamic in the group changed as a result?

H: It's different when you have four people in the band but in a good way. We've also played a lot with another guitarist in Europe and it's the same - another member it's different dynamics but in a good way.

R13: With Jones in the group have you noticed a difference in the audience you're playing to?

H: We have done mainly festivals and I think if you know Supersilent you know what you're coming to see. People who are interested in John's past have the knowledge that he might do stuff that's different from the old days. There's not a lot of people wanting to hear stuff from that different group [Led Zeppelin], it's working out really nice.

R13: You've mentioned in the past Norway's tradition of improv-jazz. Most people when they think of Norwegian music, they'll automatically conjure up notions of black metal or Eurovision - does Supersilent have a big audience at home?

H: It's not fair to say we have a big audience in Norway. We do most of our concerts in Europe, it's actually hard for us to play in Norway due to the infrastructure and length of the whole country.

R13: How's your experience been of England?

H: We played a tour there in, maybe 2000 - can't actually remember and a few gigs in London. We found it a very open audience; interested in going to listening to music in an open way

R13: Given your rules about rehearsing I was wondering if you ever listen back to recordings of gigs or past records for reference points or pieces you'd like to expand on? Or are those moments snapshots in time never to be repeated?

H: The thing is that for us improvisation is a tool to compose music - that's the idea. We want to compose music and for us improvisation is a tool to do that in real time. We're not into it for philosophical reasons it's just a way for us to compose and play music in a way we enjoy. I mean we could rehearse but then we'd just have a tape recorder going all the time then we would get a bunch of recording to sort out so actually not recording is good for us to focus immediately in the studio or in shows.

R13: To play this music must take a lot of concentration, are you still able to have fun?

H: Yes! I would say every time.

R13: You don't feel the need for a three minute pop song?

H: Well I mean there's so much weird stuff coming in which sometimes is really beautiful kind of short piece then it can be really noisy and dynamic. It's so many things - it's all allowed there's no censorship - if you add that into the mix it's ok.

R13: Are there any plans to record with this line-up or keep it on the road?

H: We've recorded a few of the concerts and we might do some recording but we've not really talked about it but it might happen. We haven't discussed it in detail.

R13: Finally, what can people expect from a Supersilent gig?

H: Woah, I don't know... It's supersonic music with a lot of great musicians in the Supersilent universe but it's hard to tell what to expect because often the venue is colouring how we make choices in the music. Like if we're in a big concert hall with lots of reverb we would play different music than if we were in a small club. It's very organic, really hard to tell [someone] but it's electronic music, improvised. It can be really dynamic and noisy and loud or super-quiet.

Supersilent are in action at the following dates in November:

Wed 14th - BIRMINGHAM, Town Hall (co-presented by Capsule) 8pm / 16 pound 50 adv

Thur 15th - GLASGOW, The Arches(presented by AC Projects) 7pm / 15 pound adv

Fri 16th - MANCHESTER, RNCM 7.30pm / 15 pound adv

Sat 17th - BRISTOL, Arnolfini 8pm / 15 pound adv

Sun 18th - LONDON, Village Underground 8pm / 18 pound adv

http://www.roomthirt...upersilent.html

Thank you , maybe I sound like a Perry Como fan or something. But it is not for me.
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Supersilent with John Paul Jones, Arches, Glasgow

Rob Adams

Folk & Jazz critic

The speculation beforehand was whether any musical references to John Paul Jones's old band, Led Zeppelin, might feature.

I didn't hear any but the appearance of a theme that Miles Davis made his own, Joe Zawinul's In A Silent Way, really was gobsmacking.

Norwegian experimentalists Supersilent aren't known for doing cover versions – their plan is that there is no plan – but their trumpeter, Arve Henriksen will have grown up with Davis's music and lo and behold, among the ambient sounds, gurgling bass guitar responses from Jones and Stale Storlokken's itchy fingered keyboard work, in crept what we should, I suppose, call In a Supersilent Way, Zawinul's already affecting melody given added nuance by Henriksen's individual trumpet tone.

Henriksen, one of European jazz's modern marvels, seemed to be almost the clearing house for all the many ideas that emerged in this improvised set. Everything went through him. His trumpet playing was a known quantity but he emerged as a really effective drummer, in Jarle Vespestad's absence, adding urgency and colour as the music developed a truly satisfying momentum that belied its spontaneously conceived nature.

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise either, given his pedigree, that Henriksen is also a beautiful singer. Some of his on-mic work was spoken word, eerily portentous and apt for the sometimes industrial throb of the ensemble and the electronic sound world they created. But what stayed in the mind longest was his choirboy-like coda to the last improvisation, a lovely, pure-toned eulogy, part sacred song, part Norwegian folk-soul music.

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http://www.heraldsco...lasgow.19443278

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John Paul Jones is scheduled to give a lecture, this Wednesday, November 21st, to students of the London College of Communication, according to the online calendar of the Sound Arts & Design Department.

The website describes sound art, or sonic art, as "a rapidly expanding field of creative activity" which encompasses "anything involving the creative use of sound or the tools and equipment to make sound, capture and record sound and to manipulate sound".

The lecture will take place between 11 am to 1 pm and it's open to students and staff of the London College of Communication. Previous speakers have included Yuri Suzuki, Peter Blegvad and Katharine Norman.

see: http://www.soundarts.co.uk/

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I like the approach a great deal. I have had it play in the background while working in the garage and it was nice. It doesn't stay with me after I have heard it. A few quality audience recordings are available. I can't recommend it outright. Probably just me I just don't know how to appreciate it beyond the concept.

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Just noticed these photographs of John Paul Jones with students of the London College of Communication, these are dated December 19th, 2012 and were uploaded to flickr by user Saif B.

http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream

As always, many thanks zemun for your efforts scouring the web for these John Paul Jones photos and interviews. They are much appreciated by people like me, who just don't have the time. :thumbsup:

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Supersilent-JPJ_byOscarGarcia2-%C3%B8yaf

Supersilent Featuring John Paul Jones
August 9, 2013


Øya Festivalen

Oslo, Norway

http://oyafestivalen.com/2013/03/11/supersilent-featuring-john-paul-jones-at-oya-friday-9th-of-august/

https://www.facebook.com/events/107594056080774/

=============

11. March 2013:

The combined elemental force of one of the world’s most questing musical units and Led Zeppelin’s legendary multi-instrumentalist resonates deep over Oya Festival. The art of instant composition will be taken to new and beautifully realised places by a peerless group of musicians. Over decades and across innumerable live and recorded projects, both sides of this remarkable collaboration have embedded themselves on the map of exploratory contemporary music: this tour will see them push each other further, harder, wilder and freer … a heavyweight collaboration entering uncharted sonic zones.

Supersilent have just one rule: no rehearsals, and this is the same for this special project. Over a distinguished 15 year history the Norwegian ‘deathjazzambientavantrock’ ensemble Supersilent have released 11 wildly contrasting albums on Rune Grammafon/ECM , playing live across the globe to rapturous and committed audiences. Every recording and concert is entirely improvised. The trio of Arve Henriksen (trumpet, electronics & drums), Ståle Storløkken (keyboards) and Helge Sten aka Deathprod (electronics) approach each show with a conceptual rigour that makes each one a distinct and coherent soundworld. Whether dreaming up coruscating noise, minimal ambient meditations or electro-acoustic explorations this is a group who instinctively push to the outer limits and are capable of creating compositions of both profound beauty and elemental power.

A prolific session musician in the 1960s, John played, arranged and recorded with artists including Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens. He was a founder member of Led Zeppelin. Following his unparalleled career with Led Zeppelin, he worked as a performer, arranger and producer for artists and groups including Diamanda Galas, REM, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and La Fura dels Baus. He released his debut solo album, Zooma, in 1999, followed by The Thunderthief (2001). Since 2004, his sonic explorations have also led him to perform as part of John Cage’s Music Circus at the Barbican under the direction of Stephen Montague, touring with bluegrass trio Nickel Creek, and working as co-composer and performer for Merce Cunningham’s Nearly Ninety.

In 2009 he co-founded the band ‘Them Crooked Vultures’, with Dave Grohl and Joshua Homme, releasing a universally acclaimed album and touring the world to sold-out venues. In 2011 John toured with Seasick Steve, appeared and performed in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera ‘Anna Nicole’, and is currently writing an opera based on Strindberg’s ‘The Ghost Sonata’ as well as performing with his computer noise duo ‘Minibus Pimps’

Line up:

Helge Sten

Ståle Storløkken

Arve Henriksen

John Paul Jones

http://www.supersilence.net

http://www.johnpauljones.com

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Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones Joins Susanna

Exclusive performance of new track featuring a liberal sprinkling of Zeppelin mandolin.

susanna-john-paul-jones.jpg

He may have formed part of one of the biggest rock bands of all time, but John Paul Jones has never let go of his session musician roots.

This latest collaboration sees JPJ supplying twinkling mandolin to Oslo ingénue Susanna’s (formerly of Susanna & The Magical Orchestra) We Offer – a blissfully baroque track indebted to Court and Spark-era Joni Mitchell and performed here for Norwegian Streaming Service WiMP.

Recorded in August at Norway’s Øya Festival, this clip also features Helge Sten – head honcho of experimental jazz collective Supersilent – on guitar (JPJ was at the festival to perform with the group).

John Paul Jones’ appearance follows his recent work with Them Crooked Vultures, Minibus Pimps, Robyn Hitchcock and Seasick Steve.





By Ross Bennett November 18, 2013

http://www.mojo4music.com/8932/susanna-feat-helge-sten-john-paul-jones/

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