Black Swamp News and Events

So Percussion: It is Time

So Percussion released their latest cd It is Time last fall, accompanied by a full length performance DVD.
The CD features a single work composed by Steve Mackey, commissioned specifically for the members
of SO Percussion.

"It Is Time marshals the virtuosity of the individual members of So Percussion to speed, slow, warp, celebrate and mourn our perceptions of time. Each
of the four sections of the piece is a mini-concerto
for one of the players." - Steve Mackey

For more information, including track list, additional liner notes and purchase details, click HERE.

Welcome to our news page featuring the latest product updates, Artist Endorser hubub, educational articles and more!

So Percussion: It is Time

So Percussion released their latest cd It is Time last fall, accompanied by a full length performance DVD.
The CD features a single work composed by Steve Mackey, commissioned specifically for the members
of SO Percussion.

"It Is Time marshals the virtuosity of the individual members of So Percussion to speed, slow, warp, celebrate and mourn our perceptions of time. Each
of the four sections of the piece is a mini-concerto
for one of the players." - Steve Mackey

For more information, including track list, additional liner notes and purchase details, click HERE.

Esclats: 10th Anniversary Performance

Esclats celebrates their 10th anniversary with a special performance at the IPEW Festival - INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE WEEK in Bjelovar, Croatia.

Visit www.ipewfestival.com for more information.

Enjoy a promotional video produced by Esclats for their milestone!

A note from Esclats:
5,258,880 minutes, 87,648 hours, 3,652 days: TEN YEARS. This is how long Juan Ponsoda, Antonio Sola, Enrique Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Carrillo have been making music together, initially as the OSA Percussion Quartet and subsequently as ESCLATS. It could seem like a long time, but hours, days and years pass quickly, one after the other, almost without us being aware of it. However, it comforts us to look back and see that the time has not passed fruitlessly; the amount of work that has been done is enormous, the experiences that we have had are both numerous and intense, and the awards that we have reaped are abundant and rich.

TorQ Percussion Quartet: two + two

TorQ Percussion Quartet recently released their latest cd featuring new music by Jason Stanford (Canada), Nebojsa Zivkovic (Germany), Christos Hatzis (Canada) and John Cage's venerable "Third Construction".

TorQ is celebrating the launch with a show at Toronto's Lula Lounge on December 4. The concert will feature two tracks from the album as well as improvisations and recent, TorQ-commissioned Canadian works.

Click HERE to visit TorQ's website to preview sound samples from their new album, read liner notes and more.

"two + two" is an important recording. The performances project a unanimity of purpose and spirit while demonstrating an artistry that puts TorQ squarely on par with the best percussion ensembles in the world. [...] Sonically, I believe this to be a landmark recording. [...] The entire effort is a tour de force. TorQ and (producer) Ray Dillard have serendipitously teamed up to create a "must have" percussion ensemble recording."

- Robin Engelman, founding member of NEXUS percussion ensemble

New Black Swamp 2012 product flyer

Click an image below to download and view a pdf version of our latest product flyer. Features include our new BSP concert toms and Multi-bass, S3 series tambourines and Dynamicx snare drums.

Jonathan Shapiro: solo / ensemble performances

In September Shapiro presented solo performances in Berlin, Lubeck, and Neumunster featuring works of Iannis Xenakis, Georges Aperghis, Alvin Lucier, Anthony Pateras and Maria Bulgakova.

Jonathan also visited Schleswig-Holstein Germany with Ensemble Reflexion K, performing works by Gerald Eckart, Chaya Czernowin, Johann Talgren, Asko Hyvarinen, and a world premiere for ensemble and electronics by Ludger Kisters.

In Alvin Lucier's solo work for triangle Silver Streetcar for the Orchestra Jonathan utilized the "shimmering overtone possibilities" of his 8" Spectrum triangle. Shapior's set of all 5 Black Swamp woodblocks with multiclamp mounts were used for Johan Tallgren's virtuosic Codename Orpheus.

So Percussion & The Meehan/Perkins Duo: Pleiades

So Percussion and The Meehan/Perkins Duo, BSP Ensembles, performed Iannis Xenakis' Pleiades at PASIC 2010 last November. Thanks to PAS and Vic Firth for posting the live performance, and Drumchattr.com for helping spread the word.

Iannis Xenakis (born in 1922) composed Pleiades over the years 1978 -79 on a commission from the City of Strasbourg. This piece was played for the first time by the Percussions de Strasbourg at a concert with the Ballet du Rhin on 3 May 1979. Although the term Pleiades normally refers to the cluster of stars in the right shoulder of the Taurus constellation,the title Pleiades refers to the six members of the Percussions de Strasbourg. (Vic Firth)

For additional information about the performance and composer,
visit vicfirth.com.

Click the image above to visit the drumchattr website for full performance video.

Coalescence Duo: Travels to Honduras

Greg Secor and Judy Moonert (Coalescence Duo) spent a week in Honduras for a percussion festival, July 4-8. Greg and Judy performed in concert, presented masterclasses and taught lessons at the Escuela Nacional de Musica y del ensamble ACROPOLIS PERCUSION, in Tegucigalpa Honduras.

Evelyn Glennie: Recording Project

Two Black Swamp drums were sent to a production company in Vancouver, BC for a video shoot featuring Evelyn Glennie. The first was Evelyn's personalized "Bling Drum", a custom retrosonic Evelyn has used for performances around the world the last several years.

The second was a new custom drum from Black Swamp Percussion and Dynamicx Drums (a division of BSP). The drum features a Dynamicx Tybrid shell and a Black Swamp Pro10 Studio snare system. The mixture of titanium and wood (zebrawood veneer over 10-ply maple) balances projection and warmth, while the cable snares add articulation and dynamic contrast. Overall, a pretty sweet lookin' drum!


	Esclats: 10th Anniversary Performance
		Esclats celebrates their 10th anniversary with a special performance at the IPEW Festival - INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE WEEK in Bjelovar, Croatia. Visit www.ipewfestival.com for more information. Enjoy a promotional video produced by Esclats for their milestone!

	A note from Esclats: 5,258,880 minutes, 87,648 hours, 3,652 days: TEN YEARS. This is how long Juan Ponsoda, Antonio Sola, Enrique Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Carrillo have been making music together, initially as the OSA Percussion Quartet and subsequently as ESCLATS. It could seem like a long time, but hours, days and years pass quickly, one after the other, almost without us being aware of it. However, it comforts us to look back and see that the time has not passed fruitlessly; the amount of work that has been done is enormous, the experiences that we have had are both numerous and intense, and the awards that we have reaped are abundant and rich.


	TorQ Percussion Quartet: two + two
		TorQ Percussion Quartet recently released their latest cd featuring new music by Jason Stanford (Canada), Nebojsa Zivkovic (Germany), Christos Hatzis (Canada) and John Cage's venerable "Third Construction". TorQ is celebrating the launch with a show at Toronto's Lula Lounge on December 4. The concert will feature two tracks from the album as well as improvisations and recent, TorQ-commissioned Canadian works.

		Click HERE to visit TorQ's website to preview sound samples from their new album, read liner notes and more.
	"two + two" is an important recording. The performances project a unanimity of purpose and spirit while demonstrating an artistry that puts TorQ squarely on par with the best percussion ensembles in the world. [...] Sonically, I believe this to be a landmark recording. [...] The entire effort is a tour de force. TorQ and (producer) Ray Dillard have serendipitously teamed up to create a "must have" percussion ensemble recording."
		- Robin Engelman, founding member of NEXUS percussion ensemble


	Jonathan Shapiro: solo / ensemble performances
	In September Shapiro presented solo performances in Berlin, Lubeck, and Neumunster featuring works of Iannis Xenakis, Georges Aperghis, Alvin Lucier, Anthony Pateras and Maria Bulgakova. Jonathan also visited Schleswig-Holstein Germany with Ensemble Reflexion K, performing works by Gerald Eckart, Chaya Czernowin, Johann Talgren, Asko Hyvarinen, and a world premiere for ensemble and electronics by Ludger Kisters.

	In Alvin Lucier's solo work for triangle Silver Streetcar for the Orchestra Jonathan utilized the "shimmering overtone possibilities" of his 8" Spectrum triangle. Shapior's set of all 5 Black Swamp woodblocks with multiclamp mounts were used for Johan Tallgren's virtuosic Codename Orpheus.


	Coalescence Duo: Travels to Honduras
	Greg Secor and Judy Moonert (Coalescence Duo) spent a week in Honduras for a percussion festival, July 4-8. Greg and Judy performed in concert, presented masterclasses and taught lessons at the Escuela Nacional de Musica y del ensamble ACROPOLIS PERCUSION, in Tegucigalpa Honduras.