Recording: Laura Swankey with Patrick O'Reilly

Artist: Laura Swankey with Patrick O'Reilly

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Music Gallery (Emergents III), April 7, 2017.

Laura Swankey with Patrick O'Reilly - unknown

It was an honour and a thrill to be asked to curate a show in the Music Gallery's Emergents program, giving on-the-cusp artists from different disciplines a chance to put on a "proper show" in the Music Gallery's beautiful church sanctuary environment.^† Not only does this give artists access to the full technical support that the Music Gallery's team brings, but it also creates its own sense of occasion. Both artists that I asked to play really took advantage of all those things, elevating their performance and really shining.

A flexible vocalist whose curiosity spirals into many experimental zones, Laura Swankey pushed forward and outward in several directions in this set. Instrumental textures were provided by Patrick O'Reilly (mostly on guitar, but on an oscillator/sequencer box for this track) adding haze and needles under the vocals, which were themselves inventively layered and looped.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

^† It was shortly after this show that it was learned that the Music Gallery is being forced to temporarily re-locate from its home at St. George The Martyr — showing us another way that unfettered condofication impacts the city's cultural life. The MG is a resilient institution that has survived displacement before, but this is still an excellent time to show your support — and to talk to your representatives about what the city and senior governments should be doing to support culture in T.O.