In October 2013, Charlemagne Palestine, Mika Vainio and Eric Thielemans got together for the first time, meeting each other at Les Ateliers Claus in Brussels, for a 4 day residency and 2 live performances. The music of the residency takes, edited by Thielemans, mixed and mastered by Frederic Allstadt, is now released on Matière Mémoire and Godbear, Charlemagne Palestine's archival music label.
Charlemagne Palestine: Piano, Voice & Organ.
Mika Vainio: Electronics & Live Processing.
Eric Thielemans: Drums & Percussion.
Charlemagne Palestine (born Charles Martin ni 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) wrote intense, ritualistic music in the 1970s, intended by the composer to rub against audiences' expectations of what is beautiful and meaningful in music. A composer-performer, he always performed his own works as soloist. His earliest works were compositions for carillon and electronic drones, and he is best known for his intensely performed piano works. He also performs as a vocalist. Palestine's performance style is ritualistic; he generally surrounds himself (and his piano) with stuffed animals, smokes large numbers of kretek (Indonesian clove cigarettes) and drinks cognac.
See also
Marie Canet: Palestine, first name Charlemagne – Meshugga Land.
Mika Tapio Vainio (1963-2017) was a Finnish musician and producer of electronic music, half, with Ilpo Väisanen, of the legendary duo Pan Sonic. Mika Vainio also recorded several solo albums, under his name or different pseudonyms (Ø, Kentolevi, Philus, Tekonivel), as well as in collaboration with
Joachim Nordwall,
Franck Vigroux,
John Duncan,
Carsten Nicolai,
Vladislav Delay,
Alan Vega,
Christian Fennesz, Lucio Capece,
Axel Dörner, etc.
Belgian drummer Eric Thielemans is one of the most idiosyncratic figures in Belgian music, someone who not only demonstrates that special musicians always seek out (and find) their own place, but above all that they always remain students of the art of questioning and listening. No musician better illustrates the difference between playing music and playing with music than percussionist Eric Thielemans. He gets to the heart of the matter with an at times extremely minimalist approach, but on the other hand he frequently relies on a range of objects beyond the regular drum kit: a drum placed on its side, a bicycle wheel with a bow, hands and the body.
