Lithe All Dayer - headlining Leafcutter John

Event information

Lithe All Dayer - 1st June
@ The Macbeth, 70 Hoxton Street
Doors open at 2pm

Full Line up –
Leafcutter John
Hamilton Yarns
Dollboy
Woodcraft Folk
Rocketnumbernine
Tenebrous Liar
Duke Garwood
Mary Hampton
Eoin O”Ruainigh

On the roof terrace -

Leafcutter John
Leafcutter John (aka John Burton) uses processed instrumental and environmental recordings to create a confident sound that embodies the wisdom and tradition of ancient folklore with the mastery of technology, as if nostalgia was to give birth to evolution. His compositions are a meaningful co-existence of guitar and voice based writing with experimental electronic sonic forms. This unique electro-acoustic folk hybrid has dubbed Burton as one of the most important and exciting composers of the moment.

Burton’s interest in audience interaction makes each performance unique, emphasizing the importance of live performances on the development of his music. There are often passages of conversation between the band and Audience as well as improvised songs born out of audience’s suggestions.

"Alongside Aphex Twin and Bogdan Raczynski – he’s one of the UK’s most fearlessly inventive electronicists”….”a striking hybrid of pastoral songcraft, glitch, field recordings and traditional Greek instrumentation that goes far beyond ‘folktronica’, running the gamut of moods from sweetly mournful to darkly malevolent." - 5 Stars. - Sharon O’Connell/Timeout

"…blend traditional sounds and vocals that cry forth from the ordinary folk long past, with mastery of technology and laptop proficiency. And it's a journey, too, not just an escape from the urban jungle, but a progress of learning, adventure, and discovery." - Luke Turner/PlayLouder.com

"Whoah, this is absolutely great" .... "It's like Leonard Cohen is having a cup of tea with Warp Records in a truck stop outside of Denver." – The Stool Pigeon

Hamilton Yarns
Hamilton Yarns tell tales using cleverly arranged, experimental, pre-rock clunky ramshackle.
 Songs are woven together by a fanfare of lost horns, stubby finger picked guitar and a creaking harmonium to form off-kilter folk-pop which
 unravel poetic tales made up from half truths and allegories. You may see them perform their tales as a slide show, rhyme story or in puppet form.

“mayhem and mischief which sees the band guide us through their collection of instruments as the clatter and rattle their way through the duration. Occasionally sounding like Islaja and occasionally sounding closer to an Irish folk jam they certainly have a distinct sound...” – boomkat

Dollboy
Dollboy's exploration of ambient sonics with acoustic instrumentation produces a soundscape of 'harmonic convergences' where clarinet, kalimba, glockenspiel, harpsichord, singing bowls, glass glock, space echo recorders and trusty Moog are used to produce complementary sounds exploring a “post-post-industrial urban-folk” sound. Philip Glass style-loops and mellow harmonics build to form lasting eddies in the mind (there's a magic portal quality to be found, like entering Mr Ben's wardrobe).

Oliver has recently returned to remixing and has produced mixes for Tunng, Mighty Math, Animat, Woodcraft Folk and Digitonal. He was also a winner in the recent Penguin ReMixed competition with “Status” featuring the philosophy writer, Alan de Botton.

“A gentle, melodic and delightfully organic selection of Electronica-based tracks that mix it up with guitars and music box sounds to create a Summery, happy and mellow vibe. Truly there are some fairytale moments here.” - Small Fish

Woodcraft Folk
Woodcraft Folk carve melody and rhythm from the combination of traditional instrumentation and discreet electronics, forming a very organic sound. Tones are applied with precision to highlight a particular twist in the melody or a slight change of mood. These subtle changes of direction in the compositions constantly renew ones focus as well as the use of a wide range of instruments, such as glockenspiel, xylophone, melodica, stylophone, guitars and bells progressively wrapping layers of sounds around a recurring melodic line.

"A collection of exquisitely rendered pastoral electronica…explores textures and the interplay between folk and electronica.” - Wire Magazine



“Woodcraft Folk have proved that homespun charm can have a sharp, cutting edge.“ – boomkat

Rocketnumbernine
Rocketnumbernine are a London based duo of improvised drums and synths. Formed by brothers Ben and Tom Page in early 2006 their live shows have proved to be powerful and unpredictable. Once described as a cross between The Stooges and Sun Ra, the brothers also members of sonic heavy weights Rothko, deliver a fusion of driving, freewheeling drums, mutilated electronics and pulsing basses. Between them they have played with Delicate Awol, Damo Suzuki, Roger Eno and Peter Bjorn and John and have recently supported the long anticipated Fridge come back gig at Bardens Boudoir.

“So what if you weren't alive to see Can play Munich in '68? Watching Rocketnumbernine perform is the next best thing” - by Do The Du.

Tenebrous Liar
Tenebrous is the recording project of Steve Gullick, better known to the world as one of NME's star photographers. His music is a post-apocalyptic selection of doom and gloom where the willfully lo-fi qualities and Gullick's sparse and deadpan vocals add to the mood. A heavy dose of existential darkness is achieved in Tenebrous Liar music by the distant sound of a harmonica or a lightly strummed acoustic guitar.

“The lo-fi mix of country and blues is often ripped apart by attacks from swirling guitars, buried beneath great swathes of rumbling distortion. This is music likely, perhaps even designed to disorientate and confuse.” - Indigo Flow

Duke Garwood
Duke Garwood is the kind of man you envy for his style and talent, he doesn’t just play the Blues he is the blues. His maverick, rapid, crab-like style of playing the guitar, as Duke would say “keeps the sound going and the notes ringing”, it really is a spectacle that must be seen to believe. Garwood’s thick black tar voice is reminiscent of the classic Delta tradition, artists such as Charley Patton, Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, yet he defines his own unique blend of blues, psychedelia, folk and avant-garde rhythms.
Garwood performing live is the best way for his music to be heard. Watching him play is like witnessing an exorcism. You can feel the music creeping out of him when he lays his hands on the guitar, a truly possessed performer.

Mary Hampton
Mary Hampton plays songs that make you realise that you have hairs on the back of your neck. Her voice is mesmerizing and beautifully uncomplicated, sitting proudly within the folk tradition.

"spine-thrilling attic folk" - Time Out London

Eoin O'Ruainigh
Eoin O'Ruainigh is a new talent; his songs have hints of Will Oldham with a bit more of a country twang. One can’t help but feel nostalgic when listening to his music, a sad drawl, delicate cracking vocals and sweet guitar melodies breath deep sighs of beauty.