Elliot Galvin's The Ruin

Release tour for Elliot Galvin’s new album The Ruin, with Mandhira de Saram, Ruth Goller and Sebastian Rochford.

"This album is the most personal I’ve made to date. Named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem from the 9th century AD about the former glory of an unnamed ruined city, “The Ruin” is inspired by the feeling of living in England (“a country that feels like a living ruin”), the bleak landscape of where I grew up (Medway towns), and a kind of self-portrait reflecting how we all live amongst the ruins of our past selves both collectively and individually. All the musical material on “The Ruin” is taken from iPhone recordings of improvisations that I played on my first-ever piano – bought using money left by my late grandfather. The whole album is structured cyclically so that it gradually builds up and crumbles away, starting and finishing with solo piano. To this end, the very beginning of the album starts with a reversed iPhone recording of me improvising a melody on this piano and ends with this same recording playing forwards."

"The musicians who recorded this music with me have all had a big impact on my voice over the years, featuring Ruth Goller on bass and voice, Sebastian Rochford on Drums, the Ligeti String Quartet, who I have been working with since the very first album I was on.

It is the start of a new chapter musically and one that feels the truest to my musical voice that I’ve ever made."

An artist with little need for introductions, Elliot Galvin is a long-time trailblazer in the UK jazz firmament with four solo albums that have seen him top album of the year lists at the likes of Downbeat and Jazzwise, as well as being a member of the Mercury nominated Dinosaur, and collaborating with Shabaka Hutchings, Emma-Jean Thackray, Norma Winstone, Marius Neset and Mark Lockheart. Galvin has also earned a fierce reputation as a borderless improvisor having released records with the likes of Mark Sanders and his now labelmate Binker Golding. His latest solo release was an entirely improvised piano album and was named The Guardian’s album of the month and BBC Music magazine’s album of the year. Outside of this, Galvin is a composer, commissioned by a multitude of groups like the London Sinfonietta, and an audio artist with works exhibited at the likes of Turner Contemporary Gallery, and more.

Location of event - Get Directions

Venue Information - The Complex

The Complex is run by creative artists. It is the new Northside arts centre. Since February 2009 it has staged a rich programme of artistic and cultural productions, exhibitions and events in the Dublin 7 area. From our original home in Smithfield Square to Benburb Street, our new permanent premises is located at Little Green Street, next to the old Fruit and Vegetable Market.

The new arts centre features nine artist’s studios as well as two performance areas, rehearsal and exhibition space.