Harry Christelis & Pedro Velasco
Tuesday 5 April 2022 8pm
Harry Christelis and Pedro Velasco formed a guitar duo that explores and challenges the boundaries of improvised music. Theirs is a melting pot of jazz and folk harmony, immersive sonic textures, and calm, introspective moments that are interjected with wild intensity. In a world that rushes to excite and distract, their music focuses on taking time to develop and create space. This often-understated approach puts just as much emphasis on the notes that are not played, as the ones that are.
The partnership was born in 2016, when the two London-based guitarists came together for a concert and discovered a like-minded approach to music. Their musical connection has developed with each meeting since. They share a respect of jazz traditions but also a love of expanding these to incorporate elements from folk and electronic music, as well as ambient styles and free improvisation. Together, they’ve built a unique, intimate setup and found a way of conversing that’s equally unassuming and thought-provoking.
They recorded their first album, Scribbling, in December 2020. The result is a truly distinct album that challenges the ideas of what a guitar duo should sound like. Some tracks might transport you to a sound world that feels like it belongs in outer space, others as if you’re immersed in the depths of the ocean. It is, however, a beautifully balanced piece of work that keeps its feet firmly rooted in traditions of the instruments and the music they are playing.