Disordnance by Ash Cooke

Just as American Primitive is a recognised and recognisable genre of music played by guitarists in thrall to John Fahey, so there is an equally distinct, although largely unnamed, school of guitarists dedicated to perfecting and developing the innovations of Derek Bailey.

By breaking down guitar music to its fundamentals this school of guitar playing now has a name - Gwrth-gitâr

As in the case of American primitive, Gwrth–gitâr sets out to explore similar ideas of deconstructed, raw and distinctly non – idiomatic music.

Improvisation & free playing provide an opportunity to renew or change the known and directly challenge the notion of what a basic unamplified acoustic instrument can do. The guitar is still an instrument which feels under-explored and under-represented.

Gwrth-gitâr is free playing in the sense that anything goes. It does not explicitly reject standard Western tuning, melody or harmony, but it does reject the need for such things. It seeks to explore new ways of using a traditional and universally familiar object to paint an alternative view of the world. It is unrehearsed and leaves as much to chance as it does to the ability of the operator. It has no interest in being reproducible.

Ash Cooke is an internationally recognised improvising guitarist and artist from North Wales.

Initially making his name in the 90’s Welsh band Derrero Ash has spent the last 20 years steadily building a reputation as an experimental musician and visual artist.

about.me
Instagram