Jazz saxophonist, spoken word poet and activist Gus Fairbairn, aka Alabaster DePlume, combines atmospheric music with personal politics. DePlume’s songs are built on circular melodies that transmit waves of calm – unless they’re raging against complacency and the everyday inhumanity of capitalism.
A musical maverick, his last two albums were created on the premise of spontaneous collaboration. To encourage true improvisation, there were two rules in the studio: limited practice time, and no listening back to sessions after recording. The result is a raw, eclectic sound.
DePlume’s daring new album A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole was released to critical acclaim in March this year. Through 11 songs he communicates themes of agency and survival, and of banishing escapism to confront life’s pains rather than avoiding them.
"Stunning... you can’t argue with DePlume’s outstanding melodies." The Guardian
Join DePlume at this late-night gig to discover this spirit of spontaneity and creativity.
At the Hub we encourage artists to offer a free, more spontaneous performance style and to introduce the music themselves. The final programme will be updated here after the event.