Simon Hanes: GARGANTUA

Thursday, December 12, 20248:00 pm

GARGANTUA is an epic new composition of bombastic extremes for a large ensemble consisting of three drum sets, three electric basses, three trombones, three french horns, and three voices — by Simon Hanes (Tredici Bacci).

The title of the work is inspired by Rabelais’ 16th century pentalogy Gargantua and Pantagruel. The compositional strategy is also inspired by the Icelandic sagas, Finnish, Celtic, Welsh and Greek mythology, medieval brass music, renaissance polyphony, Ukrainian trembita music, the long horns of Tibet, Scottish pipe & drum music, 70s hard rock, American minimalism and turn of the century European avant-garde music.

The ensemble’s instrumentation is designed to capture and provide maximum possibility for new heights of epicness, volume, and extremity — both terrifying and explosively joyous.

Drum sets and electric basses will provide the rhythmic and tonal foundation & backbone for the work; trombones and french horns will express the gamut of cultural references in the piece — the clarion call of Nordic battles; and the voices are fundamentally representative of the human condition.

Simon Hanes composer/conductor
isabel crespo-pardo voice
Priya Carlberg voice
Jolee Gordon voice
Jen Baker principal trombone
Colin Babcock trombone 
Jacob Garchik
trombone
Kevin Newton principal horn
Blair Hamrick horn
Noah Fotis horn
Trevor Dunn electric bass
Jesse Heasly electric bass
Anna Abondolo electric bass
Matt Bent drumset
Jonathan Starks drumset
Kevin Murray drumset

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing. Watch below or on YouTube.


Simon Hanes is a California born, Brooklyn-based composer, performer and arranger. His work revolves around bridging his main influences; soundtrack music from 1960s/70s Italian films, contemporary classical music, and non-idiomatic improvisation.
Hanes composes for, conducts, and performs extensively with his Italian soundtrack-pop large ensemble Tredici Bacci, which has collaborated with such musicians as Elysian Fields, Ryan Power, Ruth Garbus, JG Thirlwell, Charlie Looker, Ed Askew, Vincenzo Vasi, and underground music legend Gary Wilson. Other projects include extreme noise-thrash trio Trigger, which has performed extensively in the US and Europe as part of composer John Zorn’s bagatelles project; GNR8RZ, a noise/improv quartet with Anthony Coleman, Grant Calvin Weston and Aliya Ultan; and the infamous Brooklyn quartet Shimmer with Anina Ivry-Block, Nina Ryser, and Paco Cathcart. His debut solo album is set to be released in 2023.
As an arranger, orchestrator and music director, Hanes has worked extensively with Eartheater, Keyon Harrold, and with frequent collaborator JG Thirlwell on his Foetus Ensemble project, in which Hanes also plays electric bass, electric guitar, and sings. In addition, he has worked as an orchestrator and conductor for the legendary producer Hal Wilner on his 2020 album Angelheaded Hipster: A Tribute To Marc Bolan. Working with singers Marc Almond and Emily Haines. Hanes has also conducted the Sun Ra Arkestra as part of Harper Simon’s 2022 album “Meditations On Crime.” He has also provided string arrangements for Quilt, Lina Tullgren, Ryan Power, Eartheater, Sessa, Roy Blair, Gruppa Soyuz, and John Andrews. His film composition work includes Graham Mason’s detective-comedy film Inspector Ike (2020), Peacock Network’s Carmen Christopher’s Street Special (2021), and Matt Barat’s pseduo-comedy documentary Cash Cow (2022) which had its premiere at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival.
Hanes was musician in residence at Pioneer Works in April 2018, and has held Stone residencies in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Simon Hanes: GARGANTUA

Thursday, December 12, 20248:00 pm

GARGANTUA is an epic new composition of bombastic extremes for a large ensemble consisting of three drum sets, three electric basses, three trombones, three french horns, and three voices — by Simon Hanes (Tredici Bacci).

The title of the work is inspired by Rabelais’ 16th century pentalogy Gargantua and Pantagruel. The compositional strategy is also inspired by the Icelandic sagas, Finnish, Celtic, Welsh and Greek mythology, medieval brass music, renaissance polyphony, Ukrainian trembita music, the long horns of Tibet, Scottish pipe & drum music, 70s hard rock, American minimalism and turn of the century European avant-garde music.

The ensemble’s instrumentation is designed to capture and provide maximum possibility for new heights of epicness, volume, and extremity — both terrifying and explosively joyous.

Drum sets and electric basses will provide the rhythmic and tonal foundation & backbone for the work; trombones and french horns will express the gamut of cultural references in the piece — the clarion call of Nordic battles; and the voices are fundamentally representative of the human condition.

Simon Hanes composer/conductor
isabel crespo-pardo voice
Priya Carlberg voice
Jolee Gordon voice
Jen Baker principal trombone
Colin Babcock trombone 
Jacob Garchik
trombone
Kevin Newton principal horn
Blair Hamrick horn
Noah Fotis horn
Trevor Dunn electric bass
Jesse Heasly electric bass
Anna Abondolo electric bass
Matt Bent drumset
Jonathan Starks drumset
Kevin Murray drumset

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing. Watch below or on YouTube.


Simon Hanes is a California born, Brooklyn-based composer, performer and arranger. His work revolves around bridging his main influences; soundtrack music from 1960s/70s Italian films, contemporary classical music, and non-idiomatic improvisation.
Hanes composes for, conducts, and performs extensively with his Italian soundtrack-pop large ensemble Tredici Bacci, which has collaborated with such musicians as Elysian Fields, Ryan Power, Ruth Garbus, JG Thirlwell, Charlie Looker, Ed Askew, Vincenzo Vasi, and underground music legend Gary Wilson. Other projects include extreme noise-thrash trio Trigger, which has performed extensively in the US and Europe as part of composer John Zorn’s bagatelles project; GNR8RZ, a noise/improv quartet with Anthony Coleman, Grant Calvin Weston and Aliya Ultan; and the infamous Brooklyn quartet Shimmer with Anina Ivry-Block, Nina Ryser, and Paco Cathcart. His debut solo album is set to be released in 2023.
As an arranger, orchestrator and music director, Hanes has worked extensively with Eartheater, Keyon Harrold, and with frequent collaborator JG Thirlwell on his Foetus Ensemble project, in which Hanes also plays electric bass, electric guitar, and sings. In addition, he has worked as an orchestrator and conductor for the legendary producer Hal Wilner on his 2020 album Angelheaded Hipster: A Tribute To Marc Bolan. Working with singers Marc Almond and Emily Haines. Hanes has also conducted the Sun Ra Arkestra as part of Harper Simon’s 2022 album “Meditations On Crime.” He has also provided string arrangements for Quilt, Lina Tullgren, Ryan Power, Eartheater, Sessa, Roy Blair, Gruppa Soyuz, and John Andrews. His film composition work includes Graham Mason’s detective-comedy film Inspector Ike (2020), Peacock Network’s Carmen Christopher’s Street Special (2021), and Matt Barat’s pseduo-comedy documentary Cash Cow (2022) which had its premiere at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival.
Hanes was musician in residence at Pioneer Works in April 2018, and has held Stone residencies in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Simon Hanes at Roulette 2024 (audio)

 

This work has been supported by a grant from Shifting Foundation 2024.