michael larocca and caleb duval are a musical duo out of connecticut playing in the styles, traditions, and methodologies developed in free music. they look to play, not ignoring the history of the development of free improvisation but instead embracing all of it in their syntax to create a dense, layered, and highly rewarding piece of music. their music seeks to have an alternative to improvised music that seems to think it constantly invents itself, that each set is inventing improvisation for the first time. instead, they heavily embrace the past not only as a much needed awareness of it, but also as the musics own syntax. the syntax including; harmolodics, unit structures, the music of the AACM and its members, european free improvisation, and noise music. they both are passionate about other musics as well, including reggae dub, funk, gangsta rap and modern electronic music from africa. the combination of these methodologies is their 2023 album drum/bass (released on michael’s own guardrail recordings), and their digital box set duval & larocca in boston (released on caleb’s own firstname lastname records). both these records stand to prove this approach as one that is fresh and different than most improvised music today.
michael has been running a series in willimantic for a few years and occasionally books other places such as never ending books in new haven.
caleb is part of the FIM organization which runs multiple series in new haven and also across of connecticut.
michael and caleb are also the rhythm section of a trio with similar sims entitled “bookers”.”
This is the first meeting of Chicago based improvisers Ishmael Ali, Hunter Brown, and Molly Jones.
Ishmael Ali: cello + electronics
Hunter Brown: electronics
Molly Jones: saxophone
Die Physiker is the live electronics performance project of media artist and theorist garrett laroy johnson.