12 Points Festival Day 4: Saturday, April 18th

Jazz Futures // Discussion // Odessa Club // 11am - 3pm

In-depth discussions on the state of jazz in Europe, featuring 12 Points delegates and band members. To inquire about attending email hello@improvisedmusic.ie

12 Points // Project Arts Centre // Doors 7pm // first act 7.30pm // Click HERE to buy tickets

Gothenburg's Black Dough are Saturday's first act, bringing explosive, dark, mystical music from Sweden with a grunge heart and vocals that evoke PJ Harvey tinged with Bjork. Black Dough mixes Peter Brötzman-like skronk jazz with a punk-rock energy & aesthetic, creating a sound that is immersive and open. If Tim Burton created music it just might sound like this.

Next up is 12 Points 2015's Irish Act, Umbra. Quintet Umbra effortlessly move between the rich harmonic world of contemporary jazz and cyclical grooves, displaying an approach to ensemble writing that has drawn comparisons from Meshuggah and Aphex Twin to John Hollenbeck & Jim McNeely. Led by guitarist & composer Chris Guilfoyle, the music cleverly integrates this smorgasbord of influences to distill a band sound that is decidedly contemporary and indeed complex, but one which never loses sight of the melody.

Finally, Hilderard Lernt Fliegen from Bern, Switzerland give us great musicianship, creative writing, but also a mischievous sense of fun and a desire to entertain. This über-jazz group are led by vocalist Andreas Schaerer - a vaudevillian front man who beguiles his audience with impressive vocal gymnastics. And as our first male vocalist in the festivals history, he sets a high benchmark.

Showcase Club // Sweeney's // 11pm

When the final performance at Project Arts Centre wraps on Saturday night, its time for musicians, festival delegates and audience to head to Sweeney’s on Dame St once again, for the after-show, starting with a performance by Leo Drezden at 11pm before the floor is open for an improv jam session. Leo Drezden take inspiration from 70's synth-rock, Japanese soundtracks and the experimental scope of early British electronica, whilst carving a sound completely of their own. Their recently released debut album got a 4 star review from the irish Times and summer 2015 is already filling up for them with multiple festival bookings.