Piece by Piece #9: Aengus Hackett

Following the international success of the series Piece By Piece in April-May 2020, Improvised Music Company (IMC) return with a second season of this unique musical ‘chain letter’ of online improvisation, with eight exciting new artists from Ireland creating new work in sequence.

The first series of Piece by Piece demonstrated the rich possibilities of the online medium, as some of Ireland’s finest improvising artists created new musical works. Creative use of film and manipulated visuals showed the artists’ inspirations and thought processes, and became as much part of the experience as the music. With a fresh impetus for this second season of Piece by Piece, the principle of interconnectedness will continue, with each artist’s performance influencing or inspiring the next.

This season opens with guitarist, composer, and producer Aengus Hackett (AKA Penji) on Friday 27th November.

Hackett has been an integral part of the flourishing jazz scene in the West of Ireland for more than 10 years via his work with Galway Jazz Festival and his ‘JAZZGate’ series at the BlackGate Cultural centre, working with the cream of Ireland’s jazz scene. A graduate of the prestigious Conservatory of Amsterdam, Aengus studied under world-renowned guitarist Jesse Van Ruller. Aengus’ creative projects are eclectic and dynamic, and include explorations of Irish and Turkish folk music, Javanese Gamelan and post-rock. Giving into a lifelong passion for electronic music, this year Aengus released his acclaimed debut EP as ‘Penji’. A new recording ‘Shimmer’ of compositions for guitar and electronics, is set for release this 26th November.

Read Aengus' reflections on his work here.

The eight sequential solo performances for ‘Piece by Piece’ Season 2, will be broadcast via IMC's YouTube channel, as well as IMC's social media platforms on Fridays at 8pm.

Enjoy fresh new music, influenced in real-time, from world-class Irish improvising musicians, telling the story of these times through new music and live performance, piece by piece.

Connect with IMC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube

Connect with Aengus Hackett on his website, Facebook, and Twitter

See the whole series here.