Ether line-up announced for 2011

Killing Joke, James Blake, Micachu and the Shapes, Pantha Du Prince, and more have been announced for this summer's Ether which celebrates it's tenth anniversary this year.

Once again, technological pioneers and musical innovators past and present take over Southbank Centre for a series of concerts, talks and strange collaborations that could happen nowhere else.

The first acts confirmed include Killing Joke, Stanley Kubrick's seminal 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey with a live score from the Philharmonia Orchestra, and special shows from Tim Exile, Pantha du Prince, Wolfgang Voigt, Micachu & the Shapes, Fitkin Band V Trinity Laban, Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, and London Sinfonietta.

Festival highlights include he return of the band that inspired a generation Killing Joke; Piccard in Space, Will Gregory's debut opera in collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra, inspired by August Piccard's 1931 flight into the stratosphere; KrautPopAmbient (3 April), a night dedicated to groundbreaking German electronica label Kompakt including performances by The Field and founders Wolfgang Voigt and Jörg Burger; and Chopped and Screwed -a digital/analogue mash-up between Micachu and the Shapes and the London Sinfonietta.

There's also Tim Exile's interactive live jam with the audience providing sounds; the return of 2001 - A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick's seminal film - with live accompaniment by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Voices, following a sell-out success in June 2010; and a special performance by James Blake as part of cellist Oliver Coates' Harmonic series.

There will be two club nights produced in association with trouble tune featuring new material from German electro stars Pantha Du Prince and Apparat and New York's Oneohtrix Point Never who will also present the first UK live show for his side project Games, and Adrian Utley and Will Gregory perform their new score to Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc.

Following the huge success of Varèse 360° in 2010, Ether continues to honour avant-garde icons with a celebration of the pioneer of computer generated music Iannis Xenakis, including performances by London Sinfonietta and Ensemble Exposé.

Ether will also present the UK Premiere of Louis Andriessen's Anaïs Nin and, returning to Southbank Centre is Klaus Obermaier's 21st century realisation of Stravinsky's early modernist masterpiece The Rite of Spring including live dance and 3D visuals.

An extensive free programme during Ether 2011 includes two Friday Tonic sessions (1 and 8 April) hosted by DJ Nick Luscombe featuring performances by Kelpe, Architeq, and The Simonsound, with Friday Lunch performances including Young Xenarchitects and Mirror. Festival-goers can manipulate sounds at Tim Exile's Jamshops, journey into the human psyche guided by neuroscientist David Eaglema, and encounter Xenakis' groundbreaking music composition tool from the 1970s at Discovering UPIC and the UPIC Workshops.

The full confirmed programme so far is as follows:

Thu 24 March: Fitkin Band v Trinity Laban (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Thu 31 March - Fri 1 April: Will Gregory's Piccard in Space (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Fri 1 - Sun 3 April: Xenakis International Symposium (Weston Pavilion)
Fri 1 April: Killing Joke
Fri 1 April: Young Xenarchitects (Foyer Bar - level 2) Fri 1 April: Kelpe & Architeq (The Front Room at QEH)
Sat 2 April: London Sinfonietta: Xenakis - Architect of Sound (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Sat 2 - Tue 5 April: Tim Exile Jamshops
Sat 2 - Sun 3 April: Discovering UPIC (Discovering UPIC)
Sat 2 - Sun 3 April: UPIC Workshops (Sunley Pavilion)
Sun 3 April: Xenakis Inspires: Ensemble Exposé conducted by Roger Redgate (Purcell Room)
Sun 3 April: Kompakt: Wolfgang Voigt and Jörg Burger
Sun 3 April: Xenakis: Music for Percussion & Saxophones
Mon 4 April: David Eagleman (Purcell Room)
Tue 5 April: Micachu and the Shapes and London Sinfonietta (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Wed 6 April: Tim Exile
Thu 7 - Fri 8 April: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Royal Festival Hall)
Fri 8 April: Pantha du Prince (The Front Room at QEH)
Fri 8 April: Nick Luscombe Presents: The Simonsound (The Clore Ballroom)
Fri 8 April: Mirror (Foyer Bar - level 2)
Sat 9 April: Oneohtrix Point Never (The Front Room at QEH)
Sun 10 April: Harmonic Series: Oliver Coates (Purcell Room)
Thu 14 April: Louis Andriessen & London Sinfonietta (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Sat 23 April: Rites - Live performance with 3D Visuals - Rites: Klaus Obermaier and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Royal Festival Hall)
Thu 28 April: Adrian Utley and Will Gregory perform a live score to Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)

Ticket prices vary depending on event. To buy tickets, click here.

Once again, technological pioneers and musical innovators past and present take over Southbank Centre for a series of concerts, talks and strange collaborations. Ether is currently in it's ninth edition and runs from Friday 9th until Saturday 24th April at the Southbank Centre.

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