A festival of improvised music takes place in Dublin this week.

Featuring six Irish musicians and six international musicians, the i-and-e festival hopes to present audiences with a chance to experience first-hand some of the many different approaches to improvised music currently being employed at the cutting edge of music-making.

Alongside i-and-e regulars David Lacey, Dennis McNulty & Paul Vogel, the festival will feature Irish composer Jürgen Simpson and Irish sound-artists Fergus Kelly and Mick O'Shea.

Each of the musicians taking part in the festival has developed a unique approach to sound-making, either using extended techniques on traditional instruments or inventing their own instruments from scratch.

Londoner Mark Wastell will be playing 'amplified textures' and Berlin-based Annette Krebs describes her approach to her instrument with the phrase 'electroacoustic guitar'.

New York based Sean Meehan uses a series of preparations and implements to produce a bewildering array of drones and textures from his snare drum & cymbal, while Birgit Ulher (trumpet) and Mathias Forge (trombone) focus on expanding the palette of sounds available to them on their respective brass instruments.

i-and-e gratefully acknowledgse the support of the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the British Council and the Music & Media Technology Course, Trinity College Dublin.

i-and-e fest 06 takes place in Dublin on Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April 2006. See Calendar for details.

Posted: 27 March 2006