CV
CLIVE BELL
website: www.clivebell.co.uk
Travelled extensively in Japan, Thailand, Laos and Bali, meeting and recording musicians.
Studied the shakuhachi (Japanese flute) in Tokyo for two years with Kohachiro Miyata. I also play the khene (Thai mouth organ), flute, accordion, and various Far Eastern wind instruments.
JAPANESE MUSIC:
2007: performed at Japanese embassy, London, with dancer Hanako Andou.
2006: performances with Japanesque and Okeanos.
Taught at the first European Shakuhachi Summer School, SOAS, London.
2005: Solo album of shakuhachi music reissued on ARC label.
The group Japanesque, led by koto player Rié Yanagisawa (including performance in Oman for opening of Toyota showroom).
2004: performed on shakuhachi as part of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s John Cage Festival at the Barbican in London; in the Spitalfields Festival alongside the BBC Singers; and live on Radio 3’s Late Junction.
Duo album (Rie Yanagisawa on koto and shamisen) on Saydisc label. Two Japanese library albums for KPM.
Featured as shakuhachi player on Karl Jenkins’s Requiem (2005), on the soundtrack of motion picture To Kill A King (2003), and the BBC TV series Mad About Music.
Lecture-demonstrations on Japanese music to schools and colleges.
Founder member of the London based Gagaku orchestra Tortoises In Heaven, performing ninth-century Japanese court music.
OTHER MUSIC:
2008: An Account Of My Hut with Bechir Saade, on Another Timbre.
Wood Wind Tide by Ampanman (CB & Richard Scott), on KwanYin records.
Different Fish by Numb & Number (CB & David Harrow): digital download.
2007: featured on Sound Body CD by David Toop,
and When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima by David Sylvian.
Midnight Voices by Pete Atkin.
2006: performances with Jah Wobble’s English Roots Band, Rie Yanagisawa’s Japanesque, Philip Clemo, David Ross, Kay Grant, Karl Jenkins’s Requiem;
touring with theatre shows by Kazuko Hohki.
City Of London Festival performances with David Ross and Okeanos;
London Jazz Festival and Jazz Services UK tour with Taeko Kunishima;
UK tour for SPNM and Asian Music Circuit with Okeanos;
recording for David Toop, David Sylvian, Matt Deighton & Chris Difford, Taeko Kunishima and Philip Clemo.
2005 recordings:
Bing Selfish And The Ideals, Calling All Dionysians
Kaya Project, Elixir (Interchill) http://www.kayaproject.com/
Jah Wobble, Mu (Trojan).
Paper Factory, Schlachtfest-Session I (Klangbad). Group with Sylvia Hallett, Mike Adcock, Mike Svoboda (Zappa), Hans Joachim Irmler (Faust). Toured autumn 2005.
Karl Jenkins, Requiem (EMI Classics): featured shakuhachi. Toured autumn 2005.
Clive Bell & David Ross, Mystery Lights & Nightflower (Metier).
Shakuhachi, The Japanese Flute - solo, newly reissued (ARC).
The Geographers, Clive Bell & Sylvia Hallett duo album (Emanem).
Freedom Of The City 2004 – Small Groups. Clive Bell & Sylvia Hallett duo, whole of live London festival set (Emanem)
Twinges: self-produced collection of pop songs.
Blue Juice: compilation of songs written with Louise Oliver (IOU Theatre).
Also in 2005:
Sound & The City: Sound installation in Beijing for British Council.
London Jazz Festival: played with Grutronics, and with Philip Clemo’s Separated By Shadows project.
Performed with Okeanos (contemporary music group) at Vale Of Glamorgan Festival.
Live jazz with pianist Taeko Kunishima.
Co-presented Onkyodo, regular show on Resonance FM radio.
2004:
The Nuclear Family – improvising group with Maxwell Hallett & Sylvia Hallett, premiered at the Klinker, 7.09.04.
Played panpipes at the Proms with BBC Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, 16.08.04.
Philip Clemo album, Ambiguous Dialogues on Metier. Touring autumn 2005.
Jah Wobble’s groups, Deep Space and The Invaders Of The Heart:
Five Beat, 2003 Deep Space album.
2003 Roskilde Festival (Denmark) with Wobble and Bill Laswell’s RadioAxiom project; includes Philip Jeck and Sussan Deyhim.
2003 Deep Space tour UK (seven dates) with Philip Jeck, and Molam Lao traditional Lao singers.
Kelsey Michael’s Minnow trio: voice, accordion, double bass.
2002 Deep Space played Ether festival (South Bank, London); main stage at Dour Festival, Belgium; and in Istanbul. 2001 May and October toured US and Canada. May 2001 World Festival Of Sacred Music in Hiroshima, Japan.
2002 Sleep It Off, album of improvised duets with Mike Adcock, on Emanem label.
Contributed flute and writing to James Hardway’s Straight From The Fridge album (2001); Big Casino (2003).
Paul Schütze (Impakt Festival, Utrecht, spring 99).
Solo instrumental album Eating on Sound & Language (1997), featuring shakuhachi, khene, pi saw (Thai free reed flute), Norwegian seljefloyte.
Solo album of songs on MegaRec: The West Has Won (1997).
British Summertime Ends trio with Sylvia Hallett and Stuart Jones (CDs on Nato).
Jah Wobble albums The Inspiration Of William Blake ,The Celtic Poets, The Five Tone Dragon, The Light Programme , Umbra Sumus, Deep Space, Full Moon Over The Shopping Mall, Beach Fervour Spare, Molam Dub (with Laotian traditional singers Molam Lao), Passage To Hades (with Evan Parker) Largely Live In Hartlepool And Manchester, Shout At The Devil (with Temple Of Sound), Fly, Five Beat, Bilmadim (with Yulduz).
Bill Laswell’s Sacred System Nagual Site.
Jeff Beck’s Who Else.
Boom Doctor (Richard Scott), debut album Dirty Machines.
Other recent CDs include Second Site, Third Site and The Gazing Engine by Paul Schütze; Steve Beresford’s Cue Sheets II on Tzadik and his Fish Of The Week on Scatter.
Wrote and produced three albums for London-based Japanese pop group Frank Chickens. Toured internationally with this group, including performances in Japan. Kazuko Hohki’s solo show, Toothless.
Wrote and produced for Indian pop singer Bindu, including the single Feel No Pain, on Radio 1 playlist in 1994. Three other songs featured on Bindu’s 1994 album Tabla Feelings (BMG Victor). This work was a collaboration with Moodswings.
Duo with guitarist and electronics manipulator Peter Cusack (LP on Bead).
Recorded and toured internationally with Chinese pop singer Liu Sola.
Wrote, recorded and toured internationally with groups Kahondo Style, British Summertime Ends, and Accordions Go Crazy.
I have played Far Eastern instruments for other musicians’ albums, including Bill Laswell, Jeff Beck, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen (ex-Japan), Kenny Process Team, and Louis Philippe (French pop singer).
TELEVISION:
Composed, performed and produced TV music for:
Japanese Language And People (BBC series)
Rik Mayall’s Grim Tales (Central TV series)
Japan Dreaming (Central TV documentary on future technology)
Food For The Spirit (C4 documentary on Japanese food)
Kazuko’s Karaoke Klub (chat show)
The Kings Of Siam and Chicken Wire, animated films shown on C4
The Ninety Days (cult drama series for Japanese TV)
Two Open University series.
Featured on two episodes of Mad About Music, BBC educational series; first as a shakuhachi player, and later as a member of Steve Blake’s Victims Of Death, playing for contemporary dance group The Featherstonehaughs.
Performed on TV soundtracks, including Aftermath, Absolutely Fabulous, Monarch Of The Glen, Manchild, Pyramid, Good Enough For The SAS, BBC’s People’s Century series, Madhur Jaffrey’s Far Eastern Cookery, Sunburn, The Sins, Gone To Earth, and documentaries on Japanese wildlife.
Played on Steve Beresford’s Sari & Trainers film score, and Watermark TV score, both released on Tzadik label as Cue Sheets II (2002).
FILM:
2004: Shakuhachi score for Walking Gently On The Earth, a video introducing T'ai Chi. Produced by the European School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan UK and directed by Tom Stanier.
2003: Shakuhachi on To Kill A King, score by Richard G Mitchell.
Played shakuhachi for Mike Leigh’s Topsy Turvy.
2002 Kin; feature film, score by Justin Adams.
RADIO:
2006: Co-presenting “Onkyodo”, fortnightly series devoted to Japanese music of all sorts on Resonance FM.
2005 The Piper’s Chair Radio 4 drama by Michael Butt.
2004 featured twice on BBC R3 Late Junction, once playing live in studio.
2003 Presented “Creaking Bamboo”, a series of world music programmes for Resonance FM (LMC open access artists’ radio station).
June 2003 interviewed Haruomi Hosono (YMO) live on Resonance FM.
Composed and played for:
2004 “S” by Kazuko Hohki, adaptation of The Shining Princess for Radio 3’s The Wire drama slot.
2003 Word From Cupid Radio 4 drama by Louise Oliver
2002 The Picture Palace Radio 4 drama by Louise Oliver
Far From Home R4 drama by Michael Butt
2001 Fresh Figs At 5 am R4 drama by Louise Oliver
2000 In A Grove, R4 drama based on Japanese ‘Rashomon’ short story
1999 Fly By Night, R4 drama by Louise Oliver
1999 Mixing It, Radio 3, session with Paul Schutze
1999 Mixing It, guest interviewer of David Sylvian
1998 As I Crossed A Bridge Of Dreams, Radio 4 play by Pomme Clayton
THEATRE:
2007: Oh Doh by Kazuko Hohki.
Collaborated on Shunkin by Complicite.
2006: Complicite workshops in Tokyo.
Compost by Whalley Range All Stars.
Project B by Doo-Cot.
Kazuko Hohki’s Wuthering Heights.
Toothless by Kazuko Hohki.
My Husband Is A Spaceman by Kazuko Hohki.
2004 Complicite: Measure For Measure at National Theatre.
2003/04: Complicite: The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami; Tokyo and international tour (artistic collaborator).
Soundtrack for Pig touring show by Whalley Range All Stars.
Evidence For The Existence Of Borrowers by Kazuko Hohki.
National Theatre Studio: John Patrick Norman McHennessey.
2002: Research workshops with Complicite in London.
Soundtrack for Bedcases touring show by Whalley Range All Stars.
The Peach Child revived at Little Angel (see 2001).
2001: Research workshops with Complicite in Tokyo.
Songwriting for Rashomon by Yellow Earth Theatre, Riverside Studios.
Composer for The Peach Child, children’s show at Little Angel Puppet Theatre. Directed by Anna Furse.
Yerma’s Eggs, science/drama project about infertility, at North London University. Directed by Anna Furse.
IOU’s Cure at Manchester X-Trax Festival.
Kazuko Hohki’s My Husband Is A Spaceman (show and CDR).
The Catfish And The Witch, shadow puppet show by Indigo Moon.
2000 Cure by IOU Theatre (Huddersfield Festival Of Contemporary Music).
National Theatre, Battle Royal by Nick Stafford; Romeo & Juliet.
1999 Songwriting for Kazuko Hohki’s Shining Princess.
1998 Royal Shakespeare Company, School For Scandal by Sheridan.
1998 National Theatre, Flight by Bulgakov.
1998 Touring Kazuko Hohki’s Toothless in England and Japan.
1997 National Theatre/Theatre de Complicite co-production of Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle.
1996/97 National Theatre, Fair Ladies At A Game Of Poem Cards (Japanese play by Chikamatsu).
1997/98 Noh plays at The Place, London.
Music for Alison McGowan’s Gothic puppet story Johnny’s Liver, filmed in 1997.
Toured 1995/96 with The Singing Turtle children’s puppet show (Kabutar Theatre).
Several shows by IOU Theatre (1992-94), including Boundary for Bradford Festival, and Cure (2000).
Impossible Theatre: gallery installation show The Evidence Room about offenders and victims of crime (1995).
Riverside Studios/Traverse Theatre production of Medea directed by Barney Simon.
Ritual Theatre (1970s) and Optik Theatre (1980s), both founded by Barry Edwards.
DANCE:
2007: performed at Japanese embassy, London, with dancer Hanako Andou.
2006 Nov: Liverpool International Festival Of Improvised Dance: duo with Gaby Agis.
April: performance at Siobhan Davies Dance Centre with Gaby Agis (London), Jennifer Monson (New York), Florence Peake (London) and Lionel Popkin (Washington); London Skinner Releasing Easter School.
2004 Recorded all the raw material for Rex Casswell’s score for Lene Boel’s Kurosawa Twist, inspired by Kurosawa films (premiere in Copenhagen, Jan 2004).
Worked with Malaysian dancer Pit Fong Loh and her Bi Ma Company at The Place, London; and Chinese dancer San Lee.
Toured with Extempore Dance Theatre, playing music by Tristan Honsinger, choreographer Katie Duck.
ART:
2005 Sound & The City: Sound Installation in Beijing for British Council.
2001 Soundscape for Bryan Tweddle’s sculpture exhibition in Ulverston, Cumbria, “Wet Foundations” (Welfare State International/English Heritage).
POETRY:
2002 Compiled the Poetry Lounge Radio tape for the Poetry Lounge in Festival Hall foyer; part of the South Bank’s Poetry International Festival. (Poetry Lounge designed by Jane Revitt).
JOURNALISM:
Writing regularly for magazine The Wire (London).
Reviewer for International Piano and Double Bassist.
2007 essay for Aldeburgh Festival programme.
2006 Contributed essay on Sachiko M to BLOCKS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE UNBROKEN CONTINUUM: book/DVD published by Sound 323.
2005 Contributed essay to Ear & Eye: Encounters With World Music: book of essays and antique postcards of musicians, edited by Christoph Wagner.
2002 Essay on amateur music for Unknown Public 14.
2001 Programme notes for Contemporary Music Network Tour: Jah Wobble’s Solaris.
Contributor and guest editor on Resonance, a new music magazine based at the London Musicians Collective.
Contributed to Total Theatre, Artforum (New York), Songlines magazine, Gramophone magazine’s Explorations, Variant magazine, 1997 WOMEX trade fair programme, Unknown Public.
Consultant for Unknown Public, Sensuality issue.
Sleeve notes for Real World and 30Hertz labels.
FASHION:
1999: with Peter Cusack, provided live music for Hussein Chalayan’s show in London Fashion Week. Recorded music for further shows in Japan.
Website: www.clivebell.co.uk
CLIVE BELL
DISCOGRAPHY
2008: An Account Of My Hut with Bechir Saade, on Another Timbre.
Wood Wind Tide by Ampanman (CB & Richard Scott), on KwanYin records.
Different Fish by Numb & Number (CB & David Harrow): digital download.
2007:
Sound Body by David Toop (SamadhiSound).
When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima by David Sylvian (SamadhiSound).
Midnight Voices by Pete Atkin (Hillside Music).
2006:
Red Dragonfly by Taeko Kunishima (33 Jazz).
2005:
Bing Selfish And The Ideals, Calling All Dionysians
Kaya Project, Elixir (Interchill) http://www.kayaproject.com/
Jah Wobble, Mu (Trojan).
Karl Jenkins, Requiem (EMI Classics): featured shakuhachi. Toured autumn 2005.
Clive Bell & David Ross, Mystery Lights & Nightflower (Metier).
Shakuhachi, The Japanese Flute – solo, newly reissued. www.arcmusic.co.uk
The Geographers, Clive Bell & Sylvia Hallett duo album on Emanem. www.emanemdisc.com
Freedom Of The City 2004 – Small Groups. Clive Bell & Sylvia Hallett duo, whole of live festival set. Emanem.
Twinges: self-produced collection of pop songs.
Blue Juice: compilation of songs written with Louise Oliver (IOU Theatre).
Paper Factory, “Schlachtfest-Session I” (Klangbad). Group with Sylvia Hallett, Mike Adcock, Mike Svoboda (Zappa), Hans Joachim Irmler (Faust). Toured autumn 2005.
SOLO:
Shakuhachi, The Japanese Flute, reissued 2005. www.arcmusic.co.uk
Art of Japanese Koto & Bamboo Flute (ARC)
Eating (Sound & Language SLCD 0005) - solo instrumental album: shakuhachi, khene (Thai mouth organ), pi saw (Thai free reed flute), Norwegian seljefloyte, Cretan pipes.
The West Has Won (MegaRec) - solo, pop songs.
I Can Jig; The West Has Won; Okinawa; Stanley; Twinges; Blue Juice: self-produced cassettes/CDs of pop songs (solo/collaborations with Louise Oliver, Kazuko Hohki, Amanda Hadingue, Lou Glandfield, and others).
The Georgia In Tottenham State Choir: self-produced cassette of “Georgian-style choir”, singing Georgian polyphonic favourites.
DUO:
An Account Of My Hut with Bechir Saade, on Another Timbre.
Wood Wind Tide by Ampanman (CB & Richard Scott), on KwanYin records.
Different Fish by Numb & Number (CB & David Harrow): digital download.
The Geographers - with Sylvia Hallett (Emanem).