AMERICAN UnPOP

A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble.

- NEW YORK TIMES

Taking the title of "Bang on a Can", one of the most innovative groups on the contemporary music scene emerged from New York in the late 1980s, characterized by a mixed vein of sound, fusing rock and jazz with classical music. The immediacy of the rhythm, the high volume, and the instruments of modern pop have always been present in the resounding environment of Bang on a Can All-Stars. In AMERICAN UnPOP, the New York ensemble perform songs that show how the popular and underground sounds of the US have filtered out and mixed with classical music and other styles from all over the world.

In the AMERICAN UnPOP programme, Michael Gordon explores the world of The Beatles with his work, I Buried Paul. Thurston Moore's Stroking Piece goes deep into the sound of Sonic Youth (he is a guitarist with the band) and their legendary Daydream Nation. David Lang performs a revised version of the Lou Reed classic, Heroin. And, amongst other surprises, Lukas Ligeti brings us African fusion with his Glamour Girl. AMERICAN UnPOP is a modern approach to the rock of both modern contemporary composers - such as Lukas Ligeti or Louis Andriessen - as well as innovative rock icons such as Lou Reed or Thurston Moore.

www.bangonacan.org