A Sweet Niche: a digital guide to what we do

LATEST

16th April 2012 - Beautiful words from our sound engineer for the EMII recording
thank you Grant!

12th April 2012 – We have entered our musical adolescence!

19th March 2012 – Our new Don Quijote goes into development at The Old Vic Tunnels for two weeks
before appearing at Camden People's Theatre: Sprint Festival.

9th March 2012 – We Have Won, Live (Edit): The Place, Kings Cross.

7th December 2011 – A full live video of Fork Crime, from Eye Music II

7th December 2011 – Ka's Green Notebook / Duodecimal

1st December 2011 – Playing in the centre. 7:30pm with some other bands. Click here.

10th October 2011 – Playing Oxjam. 6pm at the THE WINDMILL this Sunday.
Here is full line up

8th September 2011 – Preview and/or buy our new recording here.

11th August 2011 – Back at the Eden Project as session musicians for Sam Smit.

3rd August 2011 – Come to the Pleasance Courtyard at 1pm daily. You can buy the soundtrack as well.

23rd July 2011 – The Rock Trio play at the FARM: Dalston from 9pm.

4th July 2011 – Jaleo premiered at the Guildhall in ten days.

21th June 2011 – Down in Exeter for three days with GECco. Come see...

13th June 2011 – Roebuck Pub, Borough, on 8th July. HEAR OUR ROCK BAND's first new outing!

27th May 2011 – A brand new tab and a new 10 minute rock track for you...

12th April 2011 – And finally today...

12th April 2011 – A new commission/performance for Read Not Dead at The Globe.

12th April 2011 – It's that time of year again!

21st February 2011 – Comissioned to write the original score for new 70 minute show playing at the
Edinburgh Festival this August, Free Time Radical by the award-winning company named above.

Instrumentation – Guitar | Cello | Clarinet | Bicycle Wheel

21st Febuary 2011 – Meanwhile, above is the theme for the imaginary fishing island in the show Högelsund
by DAS BERLINER ZIMMER being performed in Berlin from Wed. 23rd February

21st Feb 2011 – Oliver is performing with The Workers Union Ensemble in Jamm,
on Wednesday 23rd February. New collaborations by composers and scientists.

25th January 2011 – A busy few months ahead...

5th November 2010 – It's happening...

“…SERIOUS MUSICAL SKILLS ON DISPLAY...”
Emailed critique of EYE MUSIC from Derek Walmsley, reviews editor of THE WIRE.

“AWESOME NICHE!!!”
Ben Perowsky: New York City drummer and musician

19th October 2010 – Some nice words...

5th October 2010 – Ben Handysides has very foolishly confirmed to take the drum challenge on
Eye Music 2. HOORAH FOR US!!! (oh dear for him). Expect great things folks.

5th October 2010 – New piece: Flirt with Pascal, explained in structure for your curiosity as a sneak
prelude before we unleash the new sounds upon you.

23rd August 2010 – Nine new pieces written for Eye Music 2, ready to practice up. Swimming pool and a nice sunny
break in Madrid town, in very good company.

16th August 2010 – Heard this and laughed heartily. An itunes gem!

15th August 2010 – Start of week two in Spain. Seven pieces written so only two to go! 24 Note Waltz contains a chord
progression which makes me blubber like a l'il baby. [Keir]

10th August 2010 – End of day 4. All tracks have been develpoed conceptually and some
are finished. The studio owner has the same toilet patterns as oliver – a little freaky.

8th August 2010 – Currently in the Madrid Studio writing for Eye Music 2.
First two days a success. 2 more weeks to go!

18th July 2010 – Space now booked in Madrid [www.hangar19.es]
to write and rehearse for the Rock Trio throughout August.

12 April 2010 – It’s our birthday! I'd never have guessed we’d be doing these sorts of things when we were 4.
What a bizarre journey! Now for synchronised dancing…

junefleuve

29th March 2010 – Summer dates confirmed in London. Performances will include a reworking of Fleuve and a
new piece of dance and music. Details to follow soon.

15th February 2010 – EYE MUSIC released. Click here to download.

10th February 2010 – Fleuve is set for London tour this spring. Find out more here.

Photo: Ciaran Cunningham

ROCK TRIO

Setup

Guitar | Baritone Sax | Drums

Setlist

Chaponner, Ka's Green Notebook, Stay There, Suite [4/3], Duodecimal, Fork Crime, Gaol Bird, COS WE CAN, Marionette, Choked Dog, Black Tango (on Sevens), Eye Music, Bananagirl, Flirt with Pascal, 24 Note Waltz.

Recordings

Eden Project – Eye Music (2009)

Recorded at The Eden Project Studios, Cornwall and engineered by Jimi Marshall. Mastered by John Webber at Blue Pro Mastering, London.

Eye Music II (2011) is currently being gigged with Ben Handysides at the drum kit

ACOUSTIC/ELECTRONICS QUARTET

Setup

Laptop (Max MSP) | Saxophones | Latin Percussion | Guitars
Double Bass played by Antione Ollivier (2008)Electric Bass played by David Chong (2007)

Setlist Highlights

The Map's Crease, How You Like Them Apples? Marionette, Little Trick, Stay There, Another Fine Day Inside, As If.

Recordings

Cardiff Easter Sessions (2008)

Recorded at The Atrium, Cardiff and engineered by Jimi Marshall

ORIGINAL QUINTET

Setup

Vox | Guitar | Guitar | Alto Saxophone
Bass – Jimi Marshall / David Chong
Drums – Joe Davis / Tom Howarth

Setlist Highlights

One Step, The Femur Treatment, Alternative Encore, My Delicate Enemy, The Jet Song,
Headcold, A Few Frames per Second, Hieronymous Bosch, The Art of Cultivation.

RecordingsPrimal Lullaby (2000)
Elevator Poetry (2001)
The Small Album (2004)

The first two were done in-house but The Small Album was engineered and co-mixed by Jake Ashworth Jone s.

JALEO

Instrumentation

Oboe - Anna Oliver | Soprano Saxophone - Ellie Steemson | Percussion – Caz Wolfson & Joley Cragg
Double Bass - Mercedes Carroll | Piano - Edward Pick

Sound Engineer – Oliver Sellwood

Performance

Guildhall, London (2011),as part of the New Music Festival

Video by Markus Kinch

A SMILE IN THE DESERT

Instrumentation

Alto Sax 1 – Oliver Sellwood | Alto Sax 2 – Ellie Steemson
Guitar 1 – Arthur Carabot | Guitar 2 - Jon Mitchell
Drums 1 – Maxwell Hallett | Drums 2 – Ben Handysides

Sound Engineer – Keir Cooper

Recording

Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston, London (2011)

RUBBLE

Instrumentation

Conductor – Ben Oliver | Sound Engineer – Jimi Marshall

Recording

Coombehurst Studio, Kingston, London (2009)

AN ALLEGORY WITH VENUS AND CUPID

Instrumentation

Conductor – Gregory Rose

Recording

St John's, Smith Square, London (2009)

ONKYO

Instrumentation

Alto Saxophone – Oliver Sellwood | Piano – Ben Oliver | Laptop – Keir Cooper

Recording

Sussex University, Brighton (2007)

WE HAVE WON

Personnel

Grace Sellwood – Lighting Design | Keir Cooper – Guitar
Ben Handysides – Drums | Zoe Gilmour - Cello

Dancers

Chloe Hunter | Georgie Hay | Grace Sellwood | Lottie Selwyn

Choreographed by Grace Sellwood and Georgie Hay (Black Gecko Dance)

Vdeo from a performance at The Place.

FLEUVE

Personnel

Ciaran Cunningham – Lighting Design | Elen Evans – Harp | Antoinne Ollivier – Double Bass/Percussion
Keir Cooper – Guitar/Drums | Oliver Sellwood– Laptop/Percussion

Dancers

Choreographed by Grace Sellwood

First performed in Chichester (2009). Future dates to be announced...

4X6

Personnel

Ciaran Cunningham – Lighting Design | Lucy Fowell – Cello

Dancers

Choreographed by Grace Sellwood

Performed in Roehampton (2008)

DON QUIJOTE (work-in-progress)

Credits

Devised and performed by Ultimo Comboio
Anton Coimbra | Tom Frankland | Keir Cooper | Pete Holdway

Instrumentation

Guitar (hammer-on technique)

Performance

Touring in 2012 - includng Ipswich PULSE festival

In this case, A Sweet Niche are involved in every aspect of the
theatre piece: concept, performace, image making and music.

FREE TIME RADICAL

Credits

Devised and performed by The Frequency D'ici (Tom Frankland, Sébastien Lawson & Jamie Wood)
Video by Magali Charrier

Instrumentation

Performance

The Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh (Aug 2011) | Touring in 2012

Recordings

London/Gunfactory – Free Time Radical: Original Music by A Sweet Niche (2011)

Recorded in house, and drums at The Gunfactory, London. Mastered by Barry Gardner, London.

CDs available to buy from us. Email contact us via our facebook page or
by writing to info@asweetniche.co.uk for delivery by post.

THE LOVE OF KING DAVID AND FAIR BETHSABE

Credits

Written by George Peele (1588) and Directed by Tom Frankland

Instrumentation

Alto Saxophones | Guitars | Laptop | Floor Tom

Performance

Shakespeare's Globe, Read Not Dead season (May 2011)

HÖGELSUND

Credits

Alisa Tretau – Konzept, Text, Regie | Nils Erhard – Konzept, Co-Autor | Theresa Reiwer – Dramaturgie, Videoregie

Instrumentation

Guitar | Cello | Clarinet | Bicycle Wheel

Performance

Berlin Fringe Theatre Festival (February 2011)

ROCKBOTTOM RISERS

Credits

Score

Sound design | Alto saxophone | Cymbals | Guitar

MIxed at De Lane Lea Studios, Soho, London.
Third Place at Los Angeles Cine Gear Expo 2008, for Best Short Film.

BIOGRAPHIES

Keir has performed and written for
A Sweet Niche since their start twelve years ago. Completed works include projects in feature-film, short-film, design, theatre and music.

He is involved with varying projects including work as an educator
(The Royal Opera House, Creative Partnerships) and working as an arts free-lancer. Previous clients include the Science Museum and Edinburgh Art Festival. He is currently making a new work inspired by Don Quixote, to be playing in the summer.

Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Percussion

Duncan is a founding member and co-writer for the group. He lives and works in Cornwall.

Graduating with a degree in sound engineering from Glamorgan University in 2008, he is mainly a guitarist, however, he has worked more on the drums in recent years including for the Rock Trio's first Eye Music album.

Guitar, Drums, Percussion,
Laptop, Bass

Oliver is a founding member of
A Sweet Niche, creating music for film, contemporary dance and theatre, alongside various ensembles, for the last twelve years.

He is currently composer-in-residence with the Black Gecko Dance as well as writing music for The Workers Union Ensemble and award-winning theatre company The Frequency D'ici.

Oliver lives and works in London.

Alto, Soprano, Baritone, C melody
Saxophones, Laptop, Piano,
Percussion

MUSICIANS AND COLLABORATORS

Ben Handysides
Max Hallett
Arthur Carabott
Jon Mitchell
Ellie Steemson
Grace Sellwood
Último Comboio
Jimi Marshall
David Chong
Antoine Ollivier
Elen Evans
Caz Wolfson
Magali Charrier
Tom Frankland
Sébastien Lawson
Jamie Wood
Nils Erhard
Joe Davis
Tom Howarth
Ben Oliver
Anna Durance
Tom Gebhart
Kieran Morris
Jon Cottle
Alex Eichenberger
Emily Hall
Natalie Noonan-Smith
Fraiser Patterson
Lucy Fowell
Hannah Philip
Jake Ashworth-Jones
Matt Brealey
Dickon Knowles
Sekani Doram
Ed Risbey
Tom Norfolk

A Sweet Niche formed as a band in 1999 under another name with
Jimi Marshall on bass and Joe Davis on drums. Initially the sound
was close to favourites like Radiohead and Gomez and various
eras of The Beatles but went through a micro-evolution that turned
into the collective that exists today.

We are currently performing Eye Music II in the rock trio, and devising
a new fringe theatre production of Don Quijote with Último Comboio,
soon to be touring.

Performance highlights:
Shakespeare's Globe,
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre
National Gallery
St John's Smith Square
The Place, Kings Cross

Recognition:
Graham Fitkin Award for LCO New:Explore competition 08/09
3rd Place at L.A CineGear Film Festival for Best Film 08

If you are a: musician/band/venue/dance company/
film-maker/artist/other and would like to talk about
collaboration or booking, please contact us using
the details below.

info@asweetniche.co.uk

Web

www.myspace.com/asweetniche
www.facebook.com/pages/A-Sweet-Niche