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John Bisset is a guitarist, improviser, composer, and film maker living in London.
I was taught piano from aged five, but at eleven I got hold of a guitar on which I was left to my own devices. My relationship with the guitar continues to enchant and confound me; my attempts at mastery ever elusive. Musical encounters with others disrupt my intentions, undercut my expectations, generate new sounds and extended techniques which are enriching, and somehow impossible to access in solo playing. In the 1970’s, while still a schoolboy, I was part of the Manchester Musician’s Collective, whose members included Trevor Wishart (pioneer of electronics and improvising vocalist), Tony Friel (cellist/bass player with the Fall) and Simon Holt (composer and artist). This eclectic mix of musicians and the correspondingly diverse gigs we put on at Manchester’s Band on the Wall was rich and wondrous, and I’ve continued this diversity, working in improvisation, songs, movie making, and organising events. Current groups: Verbo i Voda, a duo with Ukranian soprano Milana Sarukhanyan forthcoming cd release in March 2024. Listen to the single : Dai vody Finer/Bisset: Duo with Jem Finer on the hurdy gurdy - exploring the drones and shifting tonalities these instruments. VWBB trio with George Garford - alto sax, Julian Woods - microtonal guitar. The three feet: with Iris Colomb - performance/text & Andrew Ciccone - percussion/objects. Solo: 'Bisset’s solo playing explores the internal relationships of the guitar, taking a journey through intentional acts and chance diversions, attempting to integrate these into a coherent shape.' Vollrad Stone Letting go 2023 : - - -(o)- - - (letting go) consists of 48 cassettes of solos recorded live to tape over 48 days. The tapes can only be played once, deleting on playback. 2024: |o| (hold) serves as a coda - the final three solos recorded digitally and issued on cd. The movie | ··O·· | completes this project. Movies: Solo movies, mostly of a song-based nature, can be found on my youtube channel. And then there's TwothirteenTV : A long and rich musical and personal relationship with Ivor Kallin brought into being over a hundred films produced between 2009 and 2015. 'By means of glossolalia, mock violence, postures and gestures, the pair manage to hover around the cusp that separates seriousness from humour.' Venue and Label: In 1993 I was given the keys to a disused Art Gallery in North London. There was a large clock on the wall which was stopped at thirteen minutes past two. This seemed an apt symbol for improvised music; for being in the now. The 2:13 Club and cd label 2:13 Music was formed, with sisters in Berlin and Athens. The Annual event Relay (a large scale 'game-piece' for many musicians, utilising several venues) culminated in a two day performance in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, organised by Jane Rigler (New York), Burkhard Beins (Berlin), Nikos Veliotis (Athens), Wade Matthews (Madrid) and myself. I currently co-run the Pool venue (a disused swimming pool) with George Garford. The label 2:13 Music continues, with the more recent cassette label Sugar in Puddle. |