Nil

Nil performing ‘Culinary music’ by Bobby Barry at The Scope, Brighton. Photo by Agata Urbaniak.

Nil on Bandcamp

Nil: Acoustic free improv & performance for wind, voice and metal.

“In spite of the high-seriousness associated with free improv, they bring something of a sense of the ridiculous to scraping paper, prayer bowls and free reeding. Not to say they’re not serious, but there’s a camp brilliance to two men old enough to know better buggering about with their box of sound-toys; moreover, there’s an astute sense of timing to their spatial improvisations. Cracking, in several senses.”
-Kev Nickells, Supernormal

Nil is Chris Parfitt on wind instruments, voice and found objects and Dan Powell on tuned percussion, found objects and voice. They combine acoustic free improvisation with elements of performance art and have performed at venues across the South East. Nil explore the boundaries between audience and performer, as well as the not very loud and the very quiet.

Chris Parfitt is resident in Porthcawl South Wales. Alongside nil Parfitt is part of Noteherder & McCloud, Improvisers Ensemble, PSANCK, as well as a collaborator with What IIIF? Nowwhere & everywhere, I’m Dr Bouyant and Noterherder. He guests with Glasgow Improvisors Orchestra, and Blank Canvas octet (online). Releases can be found at noterherder.bandcamp.com, Spirit of Gravity, Chocolate Monk, Exotic Pylon, and Amazon Records

Dan Powell is a sound artist who uses field recordings, handmade and proprietary electronics and tuned percussion. The main focus of his work is exploring places which have a particular personal resonance. Dan has been active in electro-acoustic improvisation in London and Brighton. As well as Nil, he currently performs as part of Muster with James O’Sullivan and is a member of Brighton’s Spirit of Gravity collective.

From the Spirit of Gravity event at the Coach House in April

Nil One on Bandcamp

The next Nil album, Too, free to download from Bandcamp
with a picture of a horse

The difficult third album, recorded at Splitting the Atom

The Golden Headress, recorded at The Cowley Club, August 2014

The Tariel cell, recorded at The Sallis Benney, Brighton, January 2016

Recent performances:
Supernormal Festival (curated by Bang the Bore)
Splitting the Atom
Aural Detritus (with visuals by Andrew Greave)
The Spirit of Gravity