Wire Events

An "international celebration of the art and science of sound” organised by the Exhibition Road Cultural Group of major London museums and gallery spaces, and co-sponsored by The Wire. The event comprises artist's residencies, installations, and three days of talks, presentations, lectures and performances covering a wide variety of contemporary sound art, theory and practice. Speakers and performers include Jacob Kirkegaard, Bernhard Leitner, Jana Winderen, Rebecca Horn, Kaffe Matthews, David Toop, Mira Calix, Aleks Kolkowski, David Cunningham and many more. London various venues, 21-23 June.

No Regrets: Writings On Scott Walker is a new survey of the life and work of one of the most mercurial and enigmatic figures in contemporary music. Published by Orion Books in association with The Wire, and edited by the magazine’s Contributing Editor Rob Young, the book covers all aspects of Walker’s music, from The Walker Brothers to The Drift, in a series of essays by several of The Wire’s staff and contributors, including Ian Penman, Nina Power, David Toop and Brian Morton, as well as a number of other Scott observers and experts, such as musicians Damon Krukowski and Anthony Reynolds, and film maker Stephen Kijak, director of the 2006 documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man. For this edition of The Wire Salon, Rob Young will give an illustrated talk which synthesizes the book's multiple texts. Plus a panel discussion featuring a number of the book's contributors. London Cafe Oto, 12 June, 8pm, £4.

Digital arts and electronic music, supported by The Wire. With Jeff Mills, Kode9, Monolake, Public Lover, Shackleton, Stephen O’Malley, Ursula Bogner, Tim Hecker and more. Montreal various venues, 30 May–3 June.

The series of symposiums on electronic dance music and club culture, co-hosted by The Wire and the University of East London, continues with a panel discussion on the culture of sound systems. With Julian Henriques (author of Sonic Bodies: Reggae Soundsystems, Performance Techniques And Ways Of Knowing), Colleen Murphy (Lucky Cloud Sound System) and others tbc. London Stratford Circus, 14 June, 7:30pm, £4/£2.

UPDATE: We're sorry to say that due to a number of reasons the Critical Beats event has had to be postponed, with the next one taking place on 14 June. Anyone who has bought tickets will be contacted by Stratford Circus.

Critical Beats in London/Rave as Militant Modernism
Ahead of the panel discussion next week, Reynolds has published an extract on the hardcore continuum as a form of street modernism, from Partly Political #4, his series of reflections on the debate over the hardcore continuum.

The History of Our World: The Hardcore Continuum Debate (Dancecult, Vol 1, No 2)
For a longer overview on the hardcore continuum, Reynolds points to his article from Dancecult, which looks at the hardcore continuum, its relationship to history and how it’s changed in the internet era.

Running On Empty (The New Statesman, 30 April 2009)
The following is a piece by Mark Fisher (who is no longer able to attend the panel due to illness) on what he terms an energy crisis in music. Fisher asks: "Were rave and its offshoots Jungle and Garage just that – a sudden flash of energy that has since dissipated? More worryingly, is the death of rave only one symptom of an overall energy crisis in culture? Are cultural resources running out in the same way as natural resources are?"

Critical Beats #3: Aesthetics, Innovation and Tradition, features Simon Reynolds, Joe Muggs, Lisa Blanning, plus Steve Goodman (moderator), discussing the aesthetics of current dance scenes. London Stratford Circus, 23 February, 7:30pm, £5/£3.

Co-hosted by The Wire and the University of East London, Critical Beats is a series of talks and panel discussions exploring various aspects of electronic dance music and club culture as they manifest in East London and beyond. The events will feature contributions from some of the most active musicians, producers, critics and theorists on the scene.

The monthly events will take place at London's Stratford Circus. Stay tuned for information on the remaining events, taking place in 2012.

Critical Beats #4: Sound Systems
The series of symposiums on electronic dance music and club culture, co-hosted by The Wire and the University of East London, continues with a panel discussion on the culture of sound systems. With Julian Henriques (author of Sonic Bodies: Reggae Soundsystems, Performance Techniques And Ways Of Knowing), Colleen Murphy (Lucky Cloud Sound System) and others tbc. London Stratford Circus, 14 June, 7:30pm, £4/£2.

Online tickets available here. Alternatively, ring 0844 357 2625 to purchase tickets from the Stratford Circus box office directly.