Well, it’s been a crazy year. Tonight, after a dinner in the club with friends (and checking out the light show that’s been prepped for the handover event tomorrow), I’m just thinking over all the incredible experiences I’ve had at The Hospital… more than that, it’s all the incredible people I’ve been introduced to, the friends I’ve made and the partnerships that are developing. It all feels incredibly exciting, and, as exhausted as I am from travel and a lot of shows recently (oh, and writing a new album!), I couldn’t be more excited by the year ahead: if last year has taught me anything, it’s to say yes and do more.

Please keep in touch – I’ve loved every minute of my residency and can’t wait to see what next years residents do, and look forward to many more happy cappuccinos (and Twinkles) in the club in the coming years!

Thankyou all so much for supporting me and my work, it means a great deal to all of us in the CiR programme. One parting word: next time you see Lolo in the club, please ask how you can be involved. The CiR initiative is absolutely fabulous and a world class development programme, but thrives on fresh input and perspective. I’m sure you’ve got something to offer…

Til soon!
Peter

Gosh, sorry for radio silence… things have been cra-zay.
Several trips to/from the US, a few jaunts back through Europe, commissions and concerts… annoyingly, much to blog about but little time in which to do it.

So, here’s a little filler for now until I really bring you up to speed!

The Hospital incredibly kindly picked up an Eventide Harmonizer for me. It is, for those who aren’t audio nerds like me, THE piece of kit that the big names in listenable electronic music use – it’s amazing.

Anyway, I’ve been stuffed up in my studio playing with it, and have a few tracks uploaded to my site which I’d like to share with you -

http://petergregson.co.uk/pages/new-music

I’ll be putting more up in the next few weeks, I’ve got quite a few kicking around on the HD at the moment and adding more all the time! I’d love to know what you think of it all…!

As part of a stella line up of performers and music industry figures, Peter performed live at the Aldeburgh Music Tedx  towards the end of last year. Hosted by TED Music Director Thomas Dolby, with speakers including Grammy award-winner Imogen Heap, producer William Orbit, music journalist David Toop and renowned pianist Louis Lortie, the day included mind blowing talks and performances. TEDx events are based on those of world-famous conference organisers TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design), with whom TEDx organisers are affiliated.

Further extending his month of experimental audiovisual performance, Peter also formed part of a brand new collaboration between Tod Machover, Ben Bloomberg and United Visual Artists for the cutting edge performance Spheres & Splinters. Produced by Faster Than Sound, this ambisonic audio environment with an interactive laser light show, was based around a new piece of solo cello music written for Peter by Tod Machover. The performance explored the properties of acoustic and electronic music to create a unique experience for audiences at Snape, Suffolk and Kings Place, London.

I’m trying something new out over at my homepage – giving a new track away every month.

It’s working really rather well; giving myself some sort of “deadline” as well as a nice way to hear what y’all think of what I’m scribbling away at..

I did my biggish concert at Kings Place on Monday night with Microsoft Labs – it was a lot of fun and felt like a really satisfying event – a number of really tricky variables came together just right, and I was happy.. a rare event!

Then, on Tuesday morning (yesterday!) bright and early, I popped off to LHR to make a flight to Boston for a dinner, then an early start for some meetings with labels, people and MIT and a talk at the New England Conservatory about contemporary performance practice.
It was rather lovely today… (pics to follow)

As I type, I’m at Boston airport on my way back to London (23hrs in the city, my new record!) for Frieze and a few other meetings, before an early morning flight on Friday morning to Turin for the weekend for a conference and music development in the EU. Fun fun fun!

In less jetset news, I’m really knuckling down to my new album. Well, by knuckling down, I mean to say I’ve started it a bit more than I had last time, so that feels quite satisfying right now.

Tied but happy, looking forward to a cappuccino in The Hospital tomorrow afternoon!

Well, maybe I do. Just a little bit.

I’m pretty excited – today, logging into iTunes, as you do, I had a little look at the New and Noteworthy section. It’s not something I do every day, but it’s a good way of seeing what else the music industry is spitting out other than Glee and X Factor.

Along the top line are some of my all time heroes: Steve Reich, Kathryn Stott, Beethoven… and a newer contemporary/occasional drinks chum, Nico Muhly.
And me.

I don’t want to gloat, but I’m pretty thrilled right now.

I can honestly say that, due to a childhood intolerance to “E Numbers”, I’ve never touched Red Bull before.

But this was different.

It was the only option. Fridges, shelves and rooms of the stuff.

You see, I was in Red Bull’s insanely amazing studios in south London all weekend, collaborating with the Red Bull Music Academy’s very own kidkanevil. We were tasked with producing a track, whatever we wanted, for two days. This is, actually, a lot harder than it sounds. Made harder by them having the worlds largest Pro Tools monitor – below – bear in mind that that’s a normal human head and the perspective is a little skewed… massive.

So, kidkanevil (aka Gerard) and I were emailing back and forth about themes, ideas, inspirations (which included rainbows, kittens and clouds. Very mature) and, in the end, decided that it was quicker to just shut up and do something. So we did.

92 channels of cello later, we were listening to “Mod Synth vs Cello”.  We’re both, actually, very proud of it!

Lolo spent some of Saturday with us, and after picking through our sweetie stash, agreed to read some Victor Hugo poetry over the intro of the piece

We have to mix the track, but I’ll be performing it live at the next alt_classical on September 14th… nice and loud! All in all, a great weekend well spent, even supposing my caffeine levels were spiked higher than they probably have been before!

Since my sojourn to Balamory/Tobermory (where I ate naught but hand dived scallops and drank the finest Tobermory 18y.o single malt) I have been back in the metrop, mainly in meetings and practice rooms – but also a little trip to The Secret Garden Party (more coming in the newsletter!) to hear the piece I wrote for the Courvoisier Pedal Powered Punch Machine being played mighty loud.

As I type, I’m in New York preparing for a concert I’m doing on Sunday at Le Poisson Rouge which is getting some great press – I’m the Critics Choice in the New Yorker and NY Mag, and it’s being recorded for WNYC/Q2, so I’ll link to that as soon as I can.

What else…

When I’m back, I’ll be collaborating with Kidkinevil from the Red Bull Music Academy. We’re going to be doing a weekend long writing/recording session which is being filmed and stuff, so I’ll post that as and when, too!

I’m also starting work on my new album when I’m back in the UK! Ãœber-producer Guy Sigsworth is going to be working with me on it and we have some big ideas floating around right now… I’ll keep you updated on it, but suffice it to say, I’m excited.

Oh, and finally, the next alt_classical is on September 14th. I will be unveiling some big shiny new toys and it should be a fun evening – let me know if you’d like to come!

I’m doing a concert next week in a place so awesome that it has a CBeebies theme tune with a modulation. Not even Cheers had a modulation (check it out)

It also has a killer tricky golf course, so when I say I’m practicing the cello, I’m almost certainly rehearsing my opening drive on the dogleg par 4…

Next up in London, I’m performing at The Courvoisier Revolutionary Spirit Festival at The Future Gallery. Tickets are in short supply, so drop me a line if you’re wanting to come (the cocktails are killer)

Furthering my cognac themed summer, I’ve just finished the music for the Courvoisier installation at The Secret Garden Party – I’ll be there for the opening, so if you’re going, let me know! It’s a big field and I’ll probably only know the make-believe Napoleonic time travelers (um… yeah. That’s part of the brief)

I’ve also started talking with Lolo about my end of residency project – looking likely that I’ll be writing and recording a new album. There are some big ideas kicking around my little head, and I’m looking at writing/recording from mid-November. I’ll write about this properly soon, but there’s quite a lot to get done before then!

On Friday night, I played at The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.

It was a really exciting concert – we had loads of speakers, lots of visuals, cool lighting and a great audience!

I was playing a really large programme (including my new album, Terminal) and a really “showy” first half, too… suffice it to say, I was pretty tired by the end!

I’ll be playing some of the newer pieces from that concert at the CiR Showcase event (another alt_classical) on July 5th, and then again in Mull, New York and Aberdeen (all the usual places..!)