DUTCH UNCLES COMPOSER UNVEILS NEW SOLO EP HEAD OF FESTIVAL NO. 6 DEBUT

EP AVAILABLE TO BUY ON MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER

Ahead of Dutch Uncles’ performance at Festival No 6 in Portmeirion this weekend, the band’s bassist and principal composer Robin Richards has unveiled Washington Trapeze: a composition he will be performing in the intimacy of the unique tourist village’s Grade II Jacobean Town Hall on Friday. The instrumental piece in three movements will be performed with the aid of some of his Dutch Uncles’ band-mates, the celebrated composer and conductor Joe Duddell and a classical ensemble.
Duddell, who is renowned for his collaborations with Elbow & the Hallé and Richard Hawley & the BBC Philharmonic, is currently Professor of Music at Bath Spa University and composer in residence at the festival…
“One of the ideas of having a ‘classical’ ensemble in residence at Festival No.6 was not just to collaborate with an array of song based acts but to also present some classical music. We have some great Steve Reich music over the weekend, but we have gone further in commissioning a new piece by Robin. I first met Robin when I lectured at Salford University and it was a pleasure to teach one of the most talented students I’ve come across in 10 years.

STREAM WASHINGTON TRAPEZE IN FULL NOW

“Robin’s strength is that whatever he turns his hand to writing it always sounds like him – his own DNA if you like – and that’s the sign of a great composer. Fans of Dutch Uncles will recognise all his musical fingerprints throughout this three movement work. Robin will be playing & joined by two members of Dutch Uncles in what promises to be a fascinating experience.

Fans of Dutch Uncles most recent album Out Of Touch In The Wild will not find the instrumentation either so far removed from the band’s latest long player and reinforces the band’s progression further away from their largely guitar based beginnings.
Richards describes: “I’ve always used rhythmic, melodic and mathematical themes to realise concepts, taking influence from composers such as Steve Reich and Igor Stravinsky. Where Dutch Uncles’ concepts have always been firmly based around pop, this time I’ve taken the opportunity to create a more long-form soundtrack in three movements, an intricate and emotive piece based on the most technically demanding form of circus performance; written for a string quartet, electric guitars and tuned percussion.

The performance and release of Washington Trapeze comes just a week after Dutch Uncles unveiled a new video for ‘Nometo’ and announced live dates for November and December that will include their own string ensemble on stage, the self-christened Out Of Touch In The Wild Light Orchestra. The shows come in the wake of a hugely successful European tour with Paramore and a full UK tour booked with Mancunian musical compadres and fellow Festival No. 6 performers, Everything Everything.
Dutch Uncles ‘Nometo’ video –

Read an interview with Robin Richards about the piece over at The Quietus

The debut performance of Washington Trapeze at this weekend’s Festival No. 6 will be shortly after the Dutch Uncles’ main set in Portmeirion Town Hall this Friday. Dutch Uncles perform at 16:25; The Washington Trapeze performance is at 18:45.
Washington Trapeze EP is released on Monday 16th September.

iTunes preorder link here

DUTCH UNCLES EXPANDED LIVE SHOW WITH STRING ENSEMBLE (support from OUTFIT)
30 Nov – Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds
02 Dec – Komedia, Brighton
03 Dec – O2 Academy 2, Leicester
05 Dec – Islington Assembly Hall, London
06 Dec – Academy 2, Manchester
DUTCH UNCLES LIVE
13 Sep – Festival No. 6, Gwynedd
28 Sep – Ringmaster Festival Worcestershire
04 Oct – O2 Academy w/ Everything Everything, Newcastle
05 Oct – Picture House w/ Everything Everything, Edinburgh
06 Oct – ABC w/ Everything Everything, Glasgow
11 Oct – Ritz w/ Everything Everything, Manchester
12 Oct – Ritz w/ Everything Everything, Manchester
13 Oct – O2 Academy w/ Everything Everything, Liverpool
15 Oct – O2 Academy w/ Everything Everything, Bristol
16 Oct – Pyramid Centre w/ Everything Everything, Portsmouth
17 Oct – University w/ Everything Everything, Cardiff
18 Oct – The Institute w/ Everything Everything, Birmingham
20 Oct – UEA w/ Everything Everything, Norwich
21 Oct – Rock City w/ Everything Everything, Nottingham
22 Oct – O2 Academy w/ Everything Everything, Sheffield
24 Oct – The Forum w/ Everything Everything, London
25 Oct – The Forum w/ Everything Everything, London
15 Nov – Hare & Hounds, All Years Leaving Festival, Birmingham

http://www.dutchuncles.co.uk/live