Music > Live Reviews

Orchestra of Samples

Fisher Theatre, Bungay

02/11/24

'It's not where you take things from, it's where you take them to.' - Jean-Luc Godard

Addictive TV was formed in 1992 by music samplers and digital artists Graham Daniels and Tolly. Their work appeared on mainstream television channels in the UK, where they created bold and innovative bootleg remixes of blockbuster cinema themes. In 2010, after Mark Vidler replaced Tolly in the line-up, Addictive TV began an epic project to travel the world, collecting and creating an archive of eclectic and diverse musical performance. From those recordings, featuring improvised performances from over 300 musicians, emerged the Orchestra of Samples. Addictive TV have since performed this show in over 50 countries, including appearances at Olympic Games' opening ceremonies, and at festivals including Glastonbury and WOMAD.

Since moving to Suffolk a few years ago, Daniels has also immersed himself in the local cultural scene, and last year worked on a project with the music students and choir members at Norwich School. It resulted in another unique new Orchestra of Samples collaboration, and was performed at Norwich Theatre Playhouse in February of this year.

Imagine, then, my excitement to find that Addictive TV would be performing their own Orchestra of Samples show at the Fisher Theatre in Bungay, just a few miles down the road from Norwich. No wonder that all tickets were quickly snapped up. I was lucky enough to secure one of them.

After an illuminating opening question and answer session hosted by local folk musician Pete Sewell, Graham Daniels donned his virtual cloak of many colours and was joined by live musicians Johan (drums), Frank (clarinets) and Lizzie (charango and percussion). Thus began this performance of the Orchestra of Samples' audio-visual journey, a still-expanding multi-cultural jukebox that celebrates world music in all its glorious shapes and forms. With its cloak of many colours, and its patchwork of melody and rhythm, the evening becomes a celebration of both composition and performance. The record of Addictive TV's nomadic journey to seek out and discover new musical shapes and forms is laid out before us, whilst renowned artists like percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and tabla player Kuljit Bhamra MBE are also shown performing in collaborative sessions.

Presented as a patchwork of samples and soundbites, and against a giant video-wall of performers and players, the evening is probably the most mind-expanding experience that this sleepy Suffolk market town has served up in a very long time (although some of the old Barsham Fayres in the 1970's were also quite enlightening). And, as we revelled in the diversity of the performances, and in the project's fusion of technology and tradition, that Jean Luc-Godard quote written above the stage suddenly seemed to make perfect sense.

Following hot on the heels of the inaugural two-day Folk Festival that the town hosted in September, Bungay is surely on its way to becoming the cultural capital of the Waveney Valley. This was certainly a stunning night out. Many thanks to both Addictive TV and the Fisher Theatre. More of the same, please!