John Butcher is well known as a saxophonist who attempts to engage with the uniqueness of time and place. His music ranges through improvisation, his own compositions, multitracked pieces and explorations with feedback and unusual acoustics. Since the early 80s, he has collaborated with hundreds of musicians – including Derek Bailey, John Stevens’ SME, Rhodri Davies, Andy Moor (EX), Phil Minton, Christian Marclay, AMM, Gino Robair, Polwechsel, Eddie Prévost, John Tilbury, and Okkyung Lee. Alongside long term projects he values occasional encounters; from large groups such as the EX Orkestra & Butch Morris’ “London Skyscraper”, to duo concerts with Fred Frith, Akio Suzuki, Paal Nilssen-Love, Keiji Haino, David Toop, Otomo Yoshihide, Sophie Agnel and Matthew Shipp. Recent compositions include “Penny Wands” for Futurist Intonarumori, two HCMF commissions for his own groups, “Good Liquor …” for the London Sinfonietta and “Tarab Cuts”, a response to recordings of early Arabic classical music, which was shortlisted for a 2014 British Composer’s Award. The well-received “Resonant Spaces” CD is a collection of solo site-specific performances recorded during a tour of unusual locations in Scotland and the Orkney Islands.
