Bleckmann/ Hollenbeck Duo

Theo Bleckmann  voice, loops toys
John Hollenbeck  percussion, drums, toys

[mostly free improvised, soundscapes, looping, toys, and also some songs here’n there]

Two New York improvisers intimately create melodious and mercurial soundscapes. Theo and John forge an ethereal bond born of a long track record of working together on various projects. In their duo performances, they work with layering, contrast and harmony using voice, drums, percussion, found objects, low-tech electronic gadgets and toys. Static Still is their first recording on release on gpe records.

“Defying categorization has become as predictable as any of the old categories ever were. It’s simply really: just reference music without committing to any of it. So how beautiful it is to hear two players who explode all boundaries with their embrace-who commit to all, and all at once…a rich and strange world of noise, motion and melody, all of it infused with wit and unerring musicality. The myriad strains are all there, from country to jungle to operatic, but they’re drawn out with a tender glance, not a wink”. – Mark Fefer, Seattle Weekly

“…It’s sensitive, thinking music, continually changing shape and texture; Mr. Hollenbeck is an estimable jazz drummer whose goals clearly lie beyond jazz.” – Ben Ratliff, New York Times