We are playing our first show in about 9 months! Please come!
Mr. Maps
Brisbane Instrumental Rock Ensemble.
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Brisbane Instrumental Rock Ensemble.
→ Gigs
→ Bio
→ Music & Merch
→ Join Mailing List
mrmaps (at) lofly (dot) com
iTunes
Bandcamp
New Project featuring Chris and Briony from Mr. Maps!
Nonsemble presents “Practical Mechanics”
Independent Chamber Group Nonsemble draw post-rock and underground influences into classical compositional craft, launching their debut release Practical Mechanics on June 7 at The Box, West End.
Nonsemble is a chamber group which draws on eclectic musical influences to fill a space somewhere between the conservatoire and the underground. It tips its hat equally to Mogwai and Stravinsky; to Flying Lotus and Steve Reich.
Formed in 2012 by composer Chris Perren (of Mr. Maps, lofly/hangar), Nonsemble features some of Brisbane’s most talented instrumentalists, including Hik Sugimoto on percussion, Sam Mitchell, on piano, Flora Wong and Sam Andrews on violin, Kieran Welch on viola, and Briony Luttrell on Cello.
In the short time since their inception the ensemble have performed at Restrung Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse with top classical and new music ensembles such as Ensemble Offspring and Syzygy, and at Harvest Festival 2012 alongside acts such as Beck, Sigur Ros and Grizzly Bear.
Their forthcoming release, Practical Mechanics is an ode to technological optimism, and playfully explores the belief that science can solve all human problems. The titles and text excerpts are taken from the tattered pages of vintage issues of Practical Mechanics Magazine, a home science and technology magazine published between 1933 and 1963.
The 25-minute work sprawls across 5 movements, as driving mechanical rhythms evoke the constant and steady engine of progress, and lush melodic strings allude to a human heart behind the machine. Practical Mechanics is a culmination of composer Chris Perren’s 15 years of writing music in noisy post-rock and math-rock bands, solitary computer isolation, and formal composition training, and embodies the refinement of a unique compositional voice. It was recorded at UQ’s Nickson Room, one of Brisbane’s most renowned acoustic spaces, and engineered and produced by members of the ensemble. It will be released through the lofly recording collective.
On June 7 Nonsemble play Practical Mechanics in full accompanied by hypnotic visuals, along with a selection of other works. They are supported by genre-defying multi-instrumentalist Kathryn McKee, and ambient wizard Sadglint.
Nonsemble - Practical Mechanics Launch
Friday, 7 June at The Box
29 Vulture St, West End, Brisbane.
Doors at 7pm, entry $15
Tix: http://nonsemble.bandcamp.com/album/practical-mechanics
For more info please email nonsemblemusic@gmail.com
To buy tickets or pre-order the release, go to http://nonsemble.bandcamp.com/album/practical-mechanics
(via chrisperren)
This Saturday - the beginning of a new era of monthly Hangar shows!
Three very exciting bands. Bring ten bucks and some booze.
We Are Supporting the Mighty Tortoise on Friday!
After Jac played his final show with us, we had intended to take a little break to work things out and see where the Maps machine would take us next, if anywhere.
But as it turns out, the Maps machine goes where the wind takes it, and in this particular instance the wind has taken us to the opening spot for one of greatest inspirations, TORTOISE. To be asked to play this show was a real honour, and we just couldn’t turn it down.
So we’ve pulled it back together for this awesome opportunity, and recruited the supremely talented Sam Mitchell on drums to bring the live show back to life.
If you’re interested in mesmerising and nuanced music that sounds like the future, come see Tortoise at the Zoo this Friday night. We’ll be there playing tunes from 8:30pm, followed by Margins and of course Tortoise.
Hangar the Radar #1 - 14th September
CHARGE GROUP (syd)
THE RATIONAL ACADEMY
!NO GRAVES!
AIRPORT (DJ set)
MI_KE (visuals)
$20 - tix from http://bit.ly/Qo0vLI
fb event: http://www.facebook.com/events/133369546807489/
Hangar the Radar #2 - 21st September
MOSMAN ALDER
TINY SPIDERS
MINDS
RESTREAM (DJ set)
$15 - tix from: http://bit.ly/RAPmhK
fb event: http://www.facebook.com/events/279761598794409/
Out the Back, Metro Arts, Alleyway, 109 Edward Street, Brisbane
For press enquiries, interviews, music, etc, email admin@lofly.com
We love Charge Group. And Mosman. And lofly/hangar. And pretty much everyone involved with these two shows. Come along if you can, it’ll be fun!
A 7” and a Tour and Other News of Note
This could be the last hurrah, friends. Our incredible drummer and friend Jac Hicks is going to head overseas in August, so the days are numbered for the Mr. Maps lineup as we know it. We do have hopes and plans to keep Mr. Maps rolling in some form, but we hope you’ll come and join us for the next few shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (see dates below), as it looks like the Mr. Maps live show will soon become a rarity.
But its not all bad news, because we have new things to show you!
You may know our good friends Hunz. Headed by Brisbane super-guru of everything, Hans van Vliet, Hunz has been playing a polished and emotive brand of live electronic rock since 2006. This year we’ve had the honour of teaming up with Hunz on a new release, and it’s on its way very soon.
The Hunz / Mr. Maps Split 7” will be two awesome singles on a collectable clear vinyl 7”, with artwork by Hunz and a bunch of digital bonus tracks in tow.
On one side you’ll find our track “Those Boards Don’t Work on Water”. It’s abstract and lush, with sharp moments of punkness poking through a psychedelic wash.
The track emerged atop some killer keys riffs that Mitch brought into rehearsal one night, that ended in a memorable moment of pens, paper, and calculators to figure out the maths of just how we were going to play this thing. It came together in a more collaborative way than most of our previous stuff, which is perhaps what makes it unique.
We recorded it “live” at The Docking Station Studios with Steve Bartlett, and Andrew did most of the mixing with input from Briony and the rest of us.
On the flipside is Hunz’ rollicking Owl Highway, which was originally composed for the Penny Time Soundtrack, but as with everything Hunz does, relentless perfectionism ensured its status as a killer track in its own right.
So to show this thing off, we are heading down the east coast in July and August, on what we are calling the “Boards Tour” (“Mr. Maps’ These Boards Don’t Work On Water Split 7” With Hunz Tour” just doesn’t roll off the tongue in the same way).
It will most likely be your last chance to see Jac in full swing - so please come along.
And now… dates!
Sydney:
Thursday July 5 @ FBi Social, w/Collarbones (fb)
Friday July 6 @ Sabotage Club Night (fb)
Brisbane
Friday July 20 @ Judith Wright Centre, w/Hunz
Saturday August 11 @ Tym’s Guitar’s (in-store - all-ages)
Melbourne
Thursday August 2 @ T.B.C.
Friday August 3 @ Gasometer w/Hazards of Swimming Naked (fb)
Here’s a remix we did for the new lofly/feral media collaboration, Strain of Origin II. It’s a truly awesome release, and it’s FREE! Go get it!
