SIR RICHARD BISHOP

0	LONDON: Upset the Rhythm @ Bethnal Green Working Men's Club
P	Thursday 8th November, 2018
N	7:30pm

LONDON: Upset the Rhythm @ Bethnal Green Working Men's Club

Thursday 8th November, 2018

7:30pm

Event information

Upset The Rhythm presents…

SIR RICHARD BISHOP
Thursday 8 November
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, 44 Pollard Row, London, E2 6NB
7:30pm | £10 |

SIR RICHARD BISHOP is an experimental guitarist whose improvisations and compositions often reflect the shadow worlds of India, the Middle East, North Africa, and other points along the Gypsy trail. Richard is perhaps best known as a founding member (along with brother Alan Bishop) of experimental ethnic-improv pioneers and underground tricksters Sun City Girls, who for nearly 30 years have produced an extensive discography of over 50 full length albums, 20 one-hour cassettes and a dozen 7” records. Sun City Girls formed in 1981 after the Bishop brothers' stint in the group Paris 1942 which also featured J. Akkari and former Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker.

Richard's first solo record, Salvador Kali, was released by John Fahey's esteemed Revenant label in 1998 under the moniker Sir Richard Bishop (the name stuck). The album showcases Bishop's own particular obsessions and roots, drawing from a variety of worldwide sources. Locust Music issued his second record, Improvika, in 2004. This release consists of nine extemporaneous and free-flowing pieces for solo acoustic guitar. In 2005, Bishop began performing relentlessly as a solo artist, playing throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States. He has not stopped since. 2007 saw the album Polytheistic Fragments released on the Drag City Label. It includes works for acoustic, electric and lapsteel guitar, plus two piano compositions. Next up was The Freak of Araby (Drag City, 2009). In May of 2010, Drag City released the album False Flag by Rangda, a new group featuring Bishop, Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire), and Chris Corsano (Flower-Corsano Duo, Flaherty/Corsano, Jandek, Bjork, etc). Richard teamed up with fellow guitarist Bill Orcutt in 2014 for the excellent Road Stories album on Unrock, whilst Drag City again released his most recent solo record, ’Tangier Sessions’. This album sees Bishop’s music driven by clever stylistic juxtapositions and attractive melodicism, showcasing his love of Andulsian flamenco guitar style, infusing it with gestures from across Morocco's borders.

Richard was also a co-founder of the Sublime Frequencies label (with Alan Bishop and Hisham Mayet). The label, whose mission is dedicated to acquiring and releasing obscure sights and sounds from Africa, India, S.E. Asia and beyond, began in 2003 and currently has over 110 releases to its credit.
http://www.sirrichardbishop.net/