Squid

Cristian Vogel

Former Sussex students will perform in a one-off concert to celebrate the launch of the brand new Jonathan Harvey Electronic Music Studio at the ACCA.

The state-of-the-art recording studio will honour the memory and music of the late Professor Jonathan Harvey, to whom the space is dedicated, and celebrate the richness and variety of musical output by a vibrant gathering of Sussex music alumni and current students.

Cristian Vogel and Squid will both perform in the public concert on Wednesday.

Squid, dubbed by the NME as ‘the weirdo-punk band making the avant-garde accessible”, are a five-piece band on the rise in the UK and Europe. Four of Squid’s members are Sussex alumni.

Cristian Vogel, another Sussex alumnus, is a long-term innovator in the composition, mixing and performance of electronic sounds.

He studied with Martin Butler and Jonathan Harvey in the 1990s and his work spans over 25 years and is acknowledged as an outstanding influence in the fields of composition for stage, club culture and studio.

He has lived in Brighton, Barcelona, Berlin and Geneva and is currently resident in Copenhagen where he continues to innovate technologically-based music at the NeverEngine Labs studios.

The Jonathan Harvey Electronic Music Studio opening marks an exciting new stage in the renovation of the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.

Formerly the Electronic Music Studio in the Gardner Arts Centre, this space has been a  creative recording studio for music students and staff at Sussex in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, before being out of action for several years when the Gardner Arts Centre closed.

There will also be a number of other free launch events on Wednesday including drinks and nibbles and brief speeches, featuring reminiscences of Jonathan between 4-5pm in the ACCA Café.

This will be followed by Music by Jonathan Harvey between 5-6pm in the Auditorium, including Omnibus, introduction to Madonna of Winter and Spring for the BBC Proms 1986, Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco and Le Tombeau de Messiaen for piano and electronics.

Between 6-8pm there will be a music installation in the studio and ACCA Cafe when there’ll be a chance to hear music composed there during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Meanwhile in the cafe, there’ll be chance to have a drink and relax to a set by DJ Random (Sussex alum Sarah Collins) who will be doing a live mash-up of music by Sussex composers past and present, including music by current students.

Tickets for the 8pm evening concert in the auditorium cost £10 / £5 concessions.

Book your tickets by contacting the box office (phone line and drop-in service) on 01273 678 822 or email boxoffice@attenboroughcentre.com.

The box office is open from 10am to 4pm, Mondays to Fridays and one hour before the advertised show start time.