Harpsichords: CD B – Each One, Separately

Three harpsichords in various states of disrepair were kindly offered to Matthew Bourne by Leeds Conservatoire. He accepted, and a memorandum of understanding was swiftly drawn up. The offer was made under the condition that he might make some music from them, given his penchant for infirm instruments, and their conventional worthlessness to anyone wishing to use them for their intended purpose. There seemed to be an auspiciousness surrounding these harpsichords, the stories they might reveal, and more importantly, the promise of setting them alight in some sort of sacrificial bonfire after their usefulness had expired.

CD B – This is a suite of improvisations played on each individual instrument, with simultaneous electronic processing by one half of the Nightports duo, Mark Slater. Like the pieces on the previous disc, these were recorded in a single sitting, but were duo performances, with clear interplay between instrument and electronics – prompting a variety of different responses from both artists. The recordings were later subjected to brutal cuts and edits made with the same attitude of spontaneous playfulness as the performances, leaving Adam Martin to provide additional effects and processing, using a mixture of digital and analogue outboard equipment.