Driftwood 'Maps' Album Launch | Bhairavi Raman + Nanthesh Sivarajah | Blue Mud

>>> This event will be held on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded. ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE <<<

//////////////////////

7pm Doors

7:30pm Blue Mud

8:30pm Bhairavi Raman + Nanthesh Sivarajah

9:30pm Driftwood

//////////////////////

$5 Vegan Laksa / Bar / Card and Cash accepted

///////////////////////

$10 - $60 Pay What You Can Afford ~ recommended ticket price for 3 acts is $25-$30

Free First Nations tix

Free companion tix

//////////////////////

Driftwood

A note from Aviva Endean

Following our 2024 self-titled release, Nick and I were compelled to make another record, expanding on the distinctive sound world we have found as the duo Driftwood.

Grounded in the unique instrumentation of two microtonally re-tuned pump organs, alongside clarinets and guitars, the sonic landscape of Driftwood has become a welcoming place for us to inhabit together. The distinctive characteristics of these instruments, as well as the challenge of playing multiple instruments simultaneously, have become a frame we've leaned into more and more, trusting the vitality of their combined resonance to lead us further into uncharted paths of improvisation.

For our second album, we wanted to incorporate additional elements from each of our solo practices into our sound: modular synth, effects pedals, electric guitar and contact mic’s (because playing two instruments at the same time wasn’t enough for us!)

In ‘Maps’, electronics are subtly worked back into the original improvisations, saturating the live instrumentation with bass undertones and signal processing, pushing the sound into more otherworldly realms.

Sometimes the pieces hint toward song-like forms, with repetitive guitar ostinatos lulling the music to the edge of familiarity, while other times the drones and harmonies blur, creating the ground from which glimpses of folk-like melodies surface, as if from a long-forgotten dream.

Bio

Driftwood is the duo project of Naarm-based experimental musicians Nick Ashwood and Aviva Endean. Performing face to face, with back to back organs, Driftwood meets in a microtonal, buzzing, blurring landscape. Their unique instrumental line up features two re-tuned antique pump organs, which create a resonant backdrop for their primary instruments of clarinets (Aviva) and guitars (Nick), complemented by modular synths and electronics. Their slowly evolving music draws influence from minimalist, drone and folk traditions to create a generous and shimmering sound, inspiring a hypnotic and transformational quality of listening in their audiences, who are momentarily immersed in this harmonic expanse.

Nick and Aviva met as two prominent members of the Naarm/Melbourne experimental and improvised music scene. In Driftwood their two distinctive artistic voices come together to create music which is not about virtuosity or individuality, but a joyous and open form of playing which is a reflection of the music communities that the two artists have been immersed in for over a decade.

///////////////////

Bhairavi Raman + Nanthesh Sivarajah

Bhairavi Raman is a versatile Indian-Australian violinist, extensively trained in Western Classical and Carnatic forms. She is joined by Nanthesh Sivarajah, a skilled mridangam player and percussionist. 

Both artists share a Tamil heritage, and their playing folds history, lineage, and experimentation into music that acknowledges inheritance while gently rewiring its circuitry. 

Collectively, Bhairavi and Nanthesh bring over 20 years of experience, with over 400 performances to their names, including the Madras Music Academy (2017, 2018), Melbourne Recital Centre (2023, 2024) and Belvoir St Theatre (2024). Their music represents a blend of traditional knowledge honed in India and musical boldness, expressed through an authentically Melburnian voice.

///////////////////

Blue Mud

Blue Mud is a trio of Naarm-based musicians Sui Zhen, Monosylabik (aka T. Xuân Nguyen / Tino) & C.M. Oliver (badskin). The group formed with the arrival of the Lunar New Year of the Horse, around a common practice of improvised, textured sets with vocal and melodic moments.

Blue Mud is what a three-year-old described as sand under blue water. The trio tap into those inner, childlike instincts in their sets, shedding their conditioned adult selves, so musical instinct can flow without pressure for resolve. This is where they play.

////////////////////

ACCESSIBILITY 

Eastmint is accessible via wheelchair through the non main entrance, there is a small sliding door frame that we can place a ramp over the top of. Please get in touch if you require this option via email eastmintrecords@gmail.com. Closest accessible toilets located at the Peacock Hotel 150m away. Please contact if you require any other info.