Leafcutter John w/ Simon Bookish August 4, 2006

Avant-electronica meets acoustic folk. The spine-tinglingly fine compositions of Leafcutter John (aka full time Polar Bear affiliate John Burton) harness a dynamic hybrid of processed instrumentals and haunting, narrative-led melody. ‘The Forest and the Sea’, a new album on Berlin based Staubgold, tells the tale of two souls lost in a forest, their tortuous trail strewn with field recordings of crickets, birds, ticking and pylon hums. An innovative participant in live sound installation at spaces such as the Serpentine and ICA, Leafcutter John now brings his bravely beautiful and tenderly inventive explorations to the Spitz.

In the past 18 months Simon Bookish has become notorious for his exuberant live performances supporting the likes of Gravy Train, Angie Reed, Avenue D and most recently Leafcutter John. With his unique brand of monotone drone and pre-pop non melodies he has played at venues at diverse as The Whitechapel Art Gallery to The Queens of Noize clubnight at The Barfly. With a background in modern classical and experimental music Bookish effectively fuses new wave pop and electro, treading a fine line between dance floor sensation and performance art chaos. His lyrics strongly reference literature and visual arts pouring out everything from Euripides to Bruce Nauman, along with an intense and attention grabbing vocal style producing a confrontational and absorbing live show.

Official Website: http://www.spitz.co.uk/venue.htm