Jon Hopkins has based his entire musical career on contrast, polarisation, the destructive storm and the healing calm. Whether it is through his five studio albums (the latest, the acclaimed Singularity, released in 2018), his soundtracks (with Monsters from 2010 being particularly acclaimed), the rara avis like his cult album with King Creosote (Diamond Mine), or his latest forays into meditation music (the 20-minute Meditations, released last year), the British artist and producer is a true alchemist of organic electronica. Capable of venturing into martial, suffocating techno landscapes, yet within a few moments moving through to a realm of ambient contemplation, his radically contrasting approach does not divide, but is rather understood as a whole: the outbursts would be distressing if they were not followed by these peaceful havens… and vice-versa.
True to his essence, Jon Hopkins’ Polarity tour is a unique opportunity to see both sides of the artist for the first time in a single performance. “The two disparate elements of harsh and fragile” in his music, in Hopkins’ own words, featuring the combination of a grand piano and his usual analogue machinery, with musicians including Leo Abrahams (guitarist), Emma Smith (violinist), and Daisy Vatalaro (cellist) joining him on stage this time around.
The tour, which kicked off in early 2020, had to be postponed due to the circumstances of which we are all too aware, and will not be able to resume until the end of this year, but this time a Spanish date has been added: at L’Auditori de Barcelona, which is co-producing the concert, on Thursday 18 November, 2021. Rounding off the night will be an extra special guest: Hayden Thorpe , lead singer of the much-missed Wild Beasts, already comfortable in his solo career thanks to the album Diviner (2019) and the EP Aerial Songs (2020), which graphically defines his music. The perfect complement, in short, a night of polarising music … in the best sense of the word.
THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER – BARCELONA (L’AUDITORI)
Tickets are already on sale on L’Auditori de Barcelona’s website from €33 to €52 (plus booking fee).
L’Auditori i el Primavera Sound porten Jon Hopkins a Barcelona
04-Mar-2021 – Aleix Palau