Institute of Contemporary Arts

CMM: Notes Inegales

Date: 9 May 2008

Notes Inegales. Photo: Gabriel Green

Jahan Nazeer

Pushing through a jam-packed West-End on a very warm Friday evening, running slightly late and beginning to feel more than a little bit irritated by the legions of aftershave-bathed, over-gelled ‘lads' and squawking, clown-faced ‘birds' that hindered my attempts to make it on time. I certainly did not have that Friday feeling. No matter, rushing through the bar and into the main room, the sounds that met me quickly subdued my cynicism and turned irritation into interest.

Playing tonight as part of the ICA Contemporary Music Month were Notes Inegales , an eleven piece group who list themselves as experimental/classical/jazz. Created by Peter Wiegold and David Purser, the group is full of serious musicians whose brief background was given in an additional hand-out. This guide also had a small explanation of the evening's music. Nine composers were asked to come up with a ‘postcard' from Miles Davis. ‘A memory, a lick, a bass line, chords, something they might recompose or invent with, and then the ensemble improvise with.' Due to the improvisation, tonight's performance, the second of two at the ICA, would differ from the last. With minimal structures, the musicians were free to carry the narrative far away from the original concepts and surprise both the audience and fellow musicians. This definitely added to the intensity, as new ideas were formed and performed in front of us. One thing that struck me, was the use of ‘traditional' instruments to create very unorthodox sounds. Sometimes rubbing a tuba with a rough cloth or tapping out rhythms on the mouthpiece of a trombone. More recent technologies were also used, with sampled drum loops and transformed vocals all adding to the mix. Split into two, with a short interval, the performance was equally beautiful as it was terrifying. At one point the ensemble even donned 3-D glasses. Each piece seemed to swirl and simmer, travel then rest, busy then still. An ongoing progression from each concept that demanded concentration and delighted the engrossed audience. Sometimes an abstract, building, beat-less atmosphere, other times a bass heavy hip hop-style instrumental and everything in between, the performance was absolutely absorbing. A magical, musical trip that took me far away from the hustle and bustle of London and was well enjoyed by the sell-out crowd. A different kind of Friday night... thankfully.

Notes Inegales. Photo: Gabriel Green