Walt Shaw profile picture

Walt Shaw

Walt Shaw

About Me

I'm a performance / visual artist and experimental musician. My performance art always features live music as a major integral element. Musically I'm a percussionist, using many unusual techniques, including home-designed and built instrumentation, electronics, found objects and even straight drum kits sometimes! In addition I create electro-acoustic compositions that integrate my home-built instruments, electronics and field recordings. I play in a number of bands. I play with Graham Foster ( bass / stick / electronics ) in the experimental / improv.duo,'Mahood'.We have a 'Mahood' Myspace site. Just have a look in my 'friends'. Last year we did gigs and sound installations in Germany. I am in the band 'SCHH' with Bruce Coates (saxes), Chris Hobbs( percussion, piano & more ), and Mike Hurley( piano). Corey Mwamba (vibes) and myself have a duo and I also play in Corey's 'Symbiosis Ensemble'. The industrial/punk/jazz group,'The Dust Collectors' includes my percussion contributions. Almost straight kit playing, I'm with 'Betango'. This is a contemporary tango 4- piece band with Graham Foster (bass), Oli Mathews (saxes) and Rocco Franchelli (accordion). Last, but not least, I play with Birmingham Improvisors Orchestra.With my performance artist cap firmly on ( though I don't like these distinctions really) -- I have produced and directed 4 major Arts Council projects and been involved with many more. I usually work with dancers and fellow performance artists and musicians. In 1989 I was a co-founder of the BET4,Midlands co-operative of artists, along with visual artist Kevin Burnley. We have performed widely in the U.K.& Germany and France.You can find out more about BET4 activities and a few whole performances on the 'virtualvenue' website. There's a video of my last big project,'Surface', with dancer Joanna Geldard.Also 'Synaesthesia'. I am equally involved in pure musical projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Having said that, all my installations,gallery & theatre performances feature the live music and sound as pivotal, never 'bolt-on'. Long live the dissolution of boundaries!

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/10/2007
Band Website: thevirtualvenue.co.uk & perciphony.co.uk
Band Members: About the 4 tracks.The first track, 'Gruinard', was made with Ben Shaw in London, 2003. We used gongs, soundplates, bells etc. and a slit drum. Please give it time to unfold!! 'Timepoints' was made from home-made instruments, a sliding door and clocks. It's part of an ongoing project of music, installation and multi-media performance. The project revolves around our human need to fight the unyielding march of time and continually trying to capture points in time, with photos, arbitrary memories etc. 'Solo' was recorded at Derby University recording studios, when making 'Biochem' with my good friend Corey Mwamba(our only Mwamba/Shaw duo album.).The solo is entirely acoustic, although bits sound like there's some sneaky electronics going on. It is mainly using gongs, small bells, brass plates and found objects. 'Latissimus dorsi' was made with my home-made instruments, my voice, a sax and electronics. It's about pain and coming through it. I guess I've already mentioned all the other brilliant musicians I've had the privilege to work with, the exception being Lol Coxhill who has been with 'Mahood' on several gigs. Finally, a special mention for my late friend Jerry Hope of the 'Dust Collectors', who died in April 2008. He was and always will be a total creative inspiration.
Influences: Lots of percussionists - Paul Lytton,Pierre Favre,Frank Perry,Marilyn Mazur,Gino Robair,Paul Burwell,Le Quan Ninh,Tony Oxley,Terje Isungset ,Chris Cutler,Tatsuya Nakatani,MarkSanders,RogerTurner,John Stevens and many others. Lots of other none-percussion musicians, too numerous to name, of the ilk - Keith Rowe,Fred Frith, Arve Henriksen, Meredith Monk etc. etc. - I think you have the idea and if not you won’t have read thus far! High quality electronica -Eno,Thomas Koener,Biosphere etc. Contemporary classical,especially Cage onwards. All the inspirational friends I play with regularly,Ben,Corey,Graham,Bruce,Chris,Mike,Rocco,Oli,the Dust Collectors and the many other friends I collaborate with from time to time. As for the performance art sphere of my work, well, how long have you got? Another time maybe!
Sounds Like: Hopefully the sounds echo my paintings / installations and vice versa. I really don't see a huge difference in my creative process when working in either medium. I think of my sounds as a type of sonic, ephemeral sculpture in the air. Do please check out my paintings in the VISUAL ART folder of my pics. Thanks!
Record Label: none
Type of Label: None