The score for the ‘theatrical demonstrations’ of Red Ladies was developed over a few years. Initial performances at Hackney Empire in 2006 included a live onstage band, but this version was subsequently jettisoned in favour of a largely recorded score augmented by guest musicians (generally a drummer and a violinist).
At the heart of this new version – first performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2007 – are hundreds of vocal samples woven into the musical fabric.
Selected tracks from the score to be available for streaming soon.
Paul Clark - Music
Calina de la Mare - Violin
Vanessa Domonique - Drums
“Paul Clark’s music is as integral to the piece’s whole as any of the movement or other visual signifiers and his soundtrack has a cumulative restless feel to it, like moving around a busy city or flitting through an FM radio dial [...] it feels and, as such, it continued to remind me of albums like [J Dilla’s] ‘Donuts’ or [Madvillain’s] ‘Madvillainy’: composed of short, exquisite moments, never trying to milk anything. Some people may find this frustrating but, when so many companies seem to make work that feels like it’s treading water, it’s invigorating to see something like this that is overflowing.”
Exeunt
This is a short extract from toward the end of the production that pulls together several of the voices we hear throughout the piece.
Red Ladies is an ongoing performance piece featuring a group of identically dressed women.
Almost a decade on from their last UK sighting, the Red Ladies will appear as part of the world-famous museum's Performance Festival in April.
