Going Along by Dominic Lash + Emil Karlsen

Dominic Lash electric guitar
Emil Karlsen drums


This music was produced by two musicians improvising, using an electric guitar and a drum kit. Sometimes it sounds like what has become known as "European Improvised Music"; at other times it gets loud for fairly long periods and might seem to have a bit more in common with the noisier fringes of rock and metal. You may hear other connections. Derek Bailey once expressed exasperation with jazz critics who assumed that if the guitar got louder than a saxophone, we must be dealing with rock. I don't know about Emil's listening habits, but personally I do listen to a lot of rock music. But then again, as John Butcher has observed, the distinction between an influence and something one likes is not at all clear. We didn't go into this session with any particular plan in mind, other than to make a studio recording of this duo. We've played a few times live in this configuration, but most frequently in larger groups (such as our trio with John Butcher) where I play double bass and Emil plays a smaller and lighter setup than the rock kit that we found waiting for us in the studio. Presumably the other music we've played together is 'an influence' on this music, but I wouldn't find it easy to say exactly how. The idea of what music 'sounds like' has an interesting ambiguity: it can mean what other music it resembles, or it can refer to a characterisation of the music ("it sounds like they were really angry when they recorded this"). Perhaps improvised music is particularly well-placed to explore this ambiguity. This is a selection of the music that Emil and I played one Sunday in April 2025; what it sounds like – in both senses – is for you to decide.
Dominic Lash


Emil Karlsen is a Norwegian improvising drummer currently based in the UK. Described as “a real force on the UK improvised music scene”, he’s establishing himself working the span from free improvisation to free jazz. Occupied with the exploring timbral possibilities of the drum kit, he performs with Philipp Wachsmann, John Butcher, Dominic Lash, Phil Durrant and Maggie Nicols to mention some. Apart from being an active performer, he’s central in the revitalisation of the historic Bead Records.
https://emilkarlsen.com/

Dominic Lash plays the double bass and the guitar. His most frequent collaborators include Angharad Davies, Matthew Grigg, N.O. Moore, Heather Roche and Alex Ward. He is a member of Pat Thomas's group The Locals and often plays the music of Éliane Radigue. He also collaborated with the late Tony Conrad, Steve Reid, and John Russell. He plays regularly with Emil Karlsen in a variety of settings, including on double bass in a trio with John Butcher and on guitar in a trio with John Edwards.
https://dominiclash.bandcamp.com/

since 1994

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