Barbican Contemporary Music

To celebrate the 88th Day of the year and Nils Frahm’s international celebration of the piano, we get under the lid with piano-tuner-to-the-stars Ulrich Gerhartz to look at the science of the instrument, and also members of Piano Circus, James Young and Dawn Hardwick, and composer Angus MacRae. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Laying the foundations of what came to be known as Krautrock, Can became one of the most influential avant-rock groups of all time, and echoes of their work is audible in everything from Joy Division to Kanye West. We caught up with founding member Irmin Schmidt and his collaborator on this project Gregor Schwellenbach, as well as Can biographer Rob Young about the unique history of the band and adapting classic material for a full orchestra. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

You could argue that all Pop stars are created, but not to the same extent as Hatsune Miku. Starting life as a vocaloid program created by Japanese developers, and evolving into a full-blown virtual Pop star and cyber celebrity with hit singles worldwide and sellout stadium performances, she comes to the Barbican in Still Be Here. We spoke to artists Mari Matsutoya and Darren Johnston about Hatsune, her back-story and the Barbican project, Still Be Here. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

‘The most adventurous thing they’ve ever done.’ Crack Magazine Originally written for and staged in the eerie surroundings of an abandoned Cold War era Hospital in Copenhagen, Leaves - The Colour of Falling has been revived and reworked for the concert hall. We chat to Casper Clausen from the band, co-composer Karsten Fundal and famous soprano Lisbeth Balslev about how the project came together, the challenge of working with unfamiliar music and what might be coming next for the group. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Despite being one of the most important voices of the British Folk revival of the 60s and 70s – accompanying Alan Lomax on his renowned ‘Southern Journey’ trip recording songs through the American South, and working with everyone from Folk-rock group Pentangle to avant-garde guitarist Davey Graham, Shirley Collins was nearly lost to obscurity, when an illness in the 80s made it impossible for her to sing. We catch up with the singer and song collector at her cottage in Lewes about finding her voice again, recording her first album in nearly 40 years, and her upcoming Barbican performance with a host of special guests. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Visuals in electronic music sets may have become par for the course in recent years, but Berlin artist Robert Henke’s Lumière series takes this to a whole new level. Rather than simply creating a visual accompaniment to music, or a musical accompaniment to visuals, Lumière perfectly syncs glitching soundscapes with shimmering lasers to cast huge sculptures of light and sound, where music and visuals become inseparable from one another. We chat to Henke about creating work that places an equal emphasis on music and visuals, beautiful design, and preparing for the live performance of Lumière III. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Narrated by Kate Adie, and featuring a soundtrack by Field Music and Warm Digits, Esther Johnson’s moving documentary Asunder captures one city’s experience of the First World War – not through grisly images of war, but through the real stories of people who lived there. We chat to Warm Digits’ Andrew Hodson about working with Field Music on composing for the film. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Ahead of Alive! at the Barbican – a show that sees Steve Mason perform new arrangements of his music with an expanded ensemble, we chat to the singer and songwriter about the various twists and turns of his career. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

We talk to Jóhann Jóhannsson about his fascination with film, and love of the voice as an instrument The Icelandic composer behind the brooding and beautiful scores for Arrival, Sicario and The Theory of Everything, Jóhann Jóhannsson blends elements of Classical music and electronica into something wholly his own. In this week’s edition of the Barbican Contemporay Music Podcast, we chat to the composer about Jean Cocteau, composing for film, and his interest in the voice as an instrument, ahead of his upcoming sold out performance at the Barbican with choir Britten Sinfonia Voices led by Eamonn Dougan. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

40 years after their creation, we chat to composer Michael Nyman about his upcoming performance with his band - charting the journey from their inception, to their stunning soundtrack work for 'The Draughtman’s Contract', 'Prospero’s Books' and more, through to present day. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

The graphic novel may be an important part of popular culture today, given the same weight and gravitas as literary fiction or film, but it wasn’t always that way. On Friday 11 November, Art Spiegelmen, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece ‘Maus’ and saxophonist Philip Johnston bring Wordless! to the Barbican - their show that takes you through the history of the graphic novel. Discussing how their collaboration came about, and enthusing about their love for Jazz and comics, we chat to Spiegelman and Johnston about Wordless in the latest edition of our Contemporary Music podcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In 1976, Geoff Travis started a shop that would change the face of music in the UK. 40 years on, we take a look back at the history of Rough Trade, speaking to John Grant and Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire / Wrangler) about what Rough Trade means to them, and their upcoming collaboration as part of the Rough Trade at 40 series of shows. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

A tale of love affairs, bank robberies and consumerism in the American Mid-west, Robert Ashley’s made-for-TV opera Perfect Lives combined Minimalist composition with synths and oddly syncopated spoken word. Performing excerpts from the opera, electronic duo Matmos share their love for the eccentric composer praised by the likes of John Cage and Laurie Anderson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

A deserted landscape, memories of a fatal crash, a book written by a dying explorer – 'Dear Esther' is part of a new wave of videogames that redefines what they can do, proving videogames are capable of the same musical, narrative and artistic expression as film or literature. This week, we chat to composer Jessica Curry, who wrote the game’s soaring score, ahead of the first ever live performance of 'Dear Esther' at Milton Court Concert Hall on Friday 14 October. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In contrast to the rapid rise and fall of most artists today that the Internet hype machine dictates, duo Stars of the Lid's transition from relative obscurity to being of the most important ambient acts since Brian Eno's heyday has been, much like their music, patient. This week, we chat to Adam Wiltzie about the history of the band, and their upcoming Barbican performance as part of Transcender Festival. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This July, composer and pianist Nils Frahm curates a weekend bringing together producers, composers and performers from around the globe who share his omnivorous approach to music and art - breaking down the boundaries between genres to create something new. In the final part of our trio of podcasts taking a closer look at the weekend, we talk to some of the artists using the voice as a key part of their performance, from Britten Sinfonia Voices's programme of Russian and Russian inspired choral music to Shards's collaborations with Nils himself. We also talk to Luke Abbott about his new trio Szun Waves and Loscil about using visuals in his new piece. Find out more and see the full listings for Possibly Colliding: www.barbican.org.uk/nilsfrahm/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This July, composer and pianist Nils Frahm curates a weekend bringing together producers, composers and performers from around the globe who share his omnivorous approach to music and art - breaking down the boundaries between genres to create something new. In part two of a 3-part series taking a closer look at the weekend, Nils introduces the art installations and film screenings taking place over the three days - including a new short film starring Robert de Niro, and a special screening of Sebastian Schipper's 'Victoria'. Find out more and see the full listings for Possibly Colliding: www.barbican.org.uk/nilsfrahm/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This July, composer and pianist Nils Frahm curates a weekend bringing together producers, composers and performers from around the globe who share his omnivorous approach to music and art. In the first of a 3-part series taking a closer look at all the music, art and film on offer across the weekend, Nils Frahm introduces the acts playing the first two days of the festival – spanning everything from ambient jazz to dark organ drones, and the artists themselves give you an insight into their performances. Find out more and see the full listings for Possibly Colliding: www.barbican.org.uk/nilsfrahm/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In our May podcast we chat to artists finding new ways to perform and present music, as Tindersticks unveil new album as a series of short films, Black Arm Band show you a side of Australian seldom-seen by the rest of the world, Kronos continue to redefine what the string quartet can and should be in 2016, and composer Max Richter explores the relationship between music and sleep. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In our April podcast explore the hidden sounds of the church organ with composer James McVinnie and experimental trio The Necks, including James talking about his new collaboration with Tom Jenkinson (Squarepusher). Brooklyn ensemble Bang on a Can chat transforming archive audio and video into new music, and Calexico bring longtime collaborators together for their upcoming concert. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy