Constellation Records Night

Sat 10th April 2004
Capsule
The Theatre - Custard Factory

HANGEDUP
POLMO POLPO
ELIZABETH ANKA VAJAGIC
+ JUST A FIRE (ex members of Hoover/June of 44/Sweep the leg
Johnny)

The label’s travelling showcase will encompass the sublime maudlin of Elizabeth Anka Vajagic, Hanged Up’s see-sawing rhythm outfit and the powerbook reconnaissance of Polmo Polpo, joined on this tour with a full organic band arrangement. With the showcase rotating bill and dynamic sense of participation there’s never been a better time to check out the next generation of artists on this most exquisite of record labels.

HANGEDUP has released two stunning albums on Constellation. The duo mixes punk, improv and European folk influences to form blistering instrumental music for drums and viola. Eric Craven is an incredibly inventive and kinetic drummer, beating out rhythms very much in the spirit of Dog Faced Hermans and The Ex, and incorporating percussion implements of his own design to fashion a totally distinctive sound. Genevieve Heistek rigs up her viola with looping pedals and bi-amplification to create huge swirling layers of chugging rhythms and dense drones. Hangedup have toured Europe twice in 2003, including an enthusiastically-received and critically-acclaimed opening slot for godspeed you! black emperor, and an appearance at the K-RAA-K festival with Tony Conrad, where they were proclaimed by many to be the festival highlight. This truly unique band puts on an amazing live show and rocks very hard.

POLMO POLPO released its debut record on Constellation in the fall of 2003, after a string of self-released 12″s. Using samplers, filter banks and various live instruments (slide guitar, accordion, double bass), Polmo Polpo creates full-spectrum drones and adds layers of melodic playing, resulting in a highly-evocative and emotionally-resonant hybrid of electronic and organic elements. With an approach to saturated sound similar to Fennesz and Pan Sonic, Polmo Polpo has a distinctive sense of melody anchored to submerged, pulsing beats. This will be the first European tour for this critically-celebrated artist, and will include a live band.

ELIZABETH ANKA VAJAGIC is a singer and songwriter with a raw, uncompromising voice in the same league as Patti Smith, PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux. She delivers a true gothic folk/blues music, with modern dissonances and noise textures, and is set to release her brilliant debut record on Constellation in spring 2004. Fans of everything from Cat Power to Mazzy Star will make a serious connection with this intimate, cathartic music.