By Demdike Stare & Michael England, Scoring for Strings by Danny Norbury Featuring Sinfonietta Cracovia

Demdike Stare’s “occult project” fuses obscure library records, horror soundtracks, rhythm and dub elements, and has gained a strong following in recent years.

In 2012, Miles Whittaker and Sean Canty were commissioned by Unsound to create a special work. Teaming up with cellist/composer Danny Norbury, Concealed marks the duo’s first take on live instrumentation, making use of string players from Krakow’s Sinfonietta Cracovia. The music makes reference to a variety of Demdike influences, from lush Morricone-style movie scores to jungle and noise.

For Concealed, the visual element is of equal important to the musical. Known for working with the likes of Autechre, Warp and Skam Records, Michael England’s live video explore urban decay, bleak English landscapes and Japanese dance/mythology, to tell a story that lies enticingly just out of grasp. When combined with the music, the result is a sublime piece part-mystical and part-Kafkaresque, where each aspect of the whole complements the others perfectly.

Concealed is now available for rare live shows, fitting to both music and arts festivals. The number of players present from Sinfonietta Cracovia can be adapted according to the concert space and context.