Trina Basu & Arun Ramamurthy + Unseen Rain
Event description
Violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy reimagine the potential of string chamber music with a unique sound both deeply intimate and cinematically expansive. Rooted in traditions of Carnatic (South Indian classical) music, Western chamber music, and jazz, the duo is uniquely positioned to create a sound that feels ancient, orchestral, and contemporary or as The New Yorker put it “free-flowing and globe-spanning.” Combined with the duo’s fluency in improvisation, there is a clear architecture to their sound that still gives space for the two violins to be delightfully indiscernible and shine individually. Their debut album on SPINSTER records, Nakshatra, the Sanskrit word for constellation, is a profound exploration of this dance between a collective and singular sound, bursting with energy, playfulness, and a cosmic gravitas.
As a duo they have been artists-in-residence at Avaloch Farm Music Institute and Next Stage Arts Project, and have performed at Ragas Live Festival, The Jazz Gallery, Bang on a Can, Benque Cultural Center, Sri Ramanjaneya Sangeetha Sabha, and Lyric Chamber Society of NY. Varying colors, shapes, and sounds emerge from the ensemble with their esteemed collaborators, who have included cellists Marika Hughes and Jake Charkey, percussionists Dan Kurfirst and Rich Stein, bassists Damon Banks and Rashaan Carter and guitarist Shane Parish.
Unseen Rain is an experimental ensemble from Philadelphia. Delving into the sound worlds of places beyond human reach, the music evokes the echolocation of ocean floors, the bustling of anthills, and the cosmic reverberations of extraterrestrial life. The group’s instrumentation of strings, vibraphone and modified drum kit lends itself to an intimate, quieter aesthetic that embraces space and slow-building forms.
Unseen Rain was formed by violinist June Bender in 2017. Recent projects include the release of their debut album, Out Beyond, and film scoring for the documentary, Queer Genius directed by Catherine Pancake.
Unseen Rain areJune Bender violin/compositions, Alban Bailly guitar/cello/electronics,Matt Engle double bass, Mike Szekely percussion & Andy Thierauf vibraphone.
venue is wheelchair accessible