Leafcutter John

“Alongside Aphex Twin and Bogdan Raczynski – he’s one of the UK’s most fearlessly inventive electronicists”
(Time Out London)

“A musician who combines acoustic and electronic music with an irresistible compulsion to build Heath Robinson-like inventions” (The Guardian)

“One of the bourgeoning stars of post-electronica” (The Wire)

Leafcutter John, originally from Wakefield, Yorkshire, is an award winning musician and artist living in London. His releases on Planet Mu, Staubgold, and Desire Path Recordings combine elements of musique concrète and electro-acoustic music with voice and guitar work more commonly found in folk music. John has developed a light-controlled music performance system that is played gesturally using handheld lights. He will be performing material from his recent album Resurrection, using his self-made Light Controlled Interface. LCI is a light-controlled music performance system that is played gesturally using handheld lights, allowing very fine gestural control over sound. The sounds produced are strongly related to the performer’s actions and are all produced in real time to create an immersive audio-visual experience.

leafcutterjohn.com

Resurrection | Leafcutter John | Light-controlled music performance

John won the 2015 Quartz prize for innovation for his work on the LCI; in 2012 he took this system to Vietnam at the invitation of the British Council, and in 2014 played it to a sold-out Roundhouse in London, supporting Imogen Heap. He has toured extensively and worked with a variety of musicians, poets, and choreographers including: Beck, Thursten Moore, Imogen Heap, Wayne Mcgregor, BBC Symphony and Concert orchestras, Matmos, Grace Jones, Nick Cave, Yo La Tengo, Beth Orton, Talvin Singh, and Otomo Yoshihide. John is also a member of Polar Bear, a twice Mercury Music Prize nominated band based in London. Image courtesy of Blanca Regina.