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The Spolkestra

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"In our eyes and in our hands"

Location: Edinburgh / London, United Kingdom

Website: http://myspace.com/scotlandpagans

Bio: The Spolkestra are a multicolour art-pop explosion;

A punk orchestra patched together from instruments and genres all over by pomo magpies Jamie Chambers and Duncan Strachan, ... (more) to make a towering musical Frankenstein with a thunderous beating heart...

The Spolkestra emerged in 2007 from the fertile soil of Scotland's Transgressive North (TN) community; a group of young filmmakers, writers, poets, fine artists and musicians set on doing things their own way. Their debut EP, Open Arms - a joyous celebration of community and collective endeavour - will be released on the TN's netlabel Heretical records on May 4th.

At the bloody core of both TN and Spolkestra is a two-handed yet tightly held commitment to both a progressive art which refuses to alienate its audience and the need to channel art energies into social engagement and outreach.

The Spolkestra are currently curating 'Everything is New', the TN's latest multimedia arts project performed with and in aid of Dalit 'untouchable' children in South-East India. 'Everything is New' will take both album and film form and will see the polkestra collaborate with musicians such as Jarvis Cocker, Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu),and Margaret Bennett, alongside Scottish writers such as Irvine Welsh, Valerie Gillies and Tom Leonard.

'Everything is New' (the album) will be released in early 2010, and the film (starring Dalit children and narrated by Irvine Welsh) will be released in late 2009.

Live, the Spolkestra are a musical fireworks display; a deafening circus of energies and enthusiasms spilling literally off the stage if it can't hold them. (less)