Collaborations

Most of this music is not just a solo effort. Collaborators have included (in no particular order)

Mike Kingston (cello, acoustic guitar, charango), Dr Emit Snake-Beings (Creative Ethnography, DIY percussion, woodwinds, electronics), Paul Winstanley (fretless bass, turntables), Simon Sweetman (percussion), Nigel Patterson (grand piano, hammond organ, conductor), Cylvi M (shakuhachi, percussion, field recordings), Simon O’Rorke (percussion, synthesiser), Francesca Mountfort (cello), Jeff Henderson (clarinet), Blair Latham (bass clarinet, alto sax), Sam Prebble (violin, percussion), Chris Palmer (electric guitar), Chris O’Connor (drums), Antony Milton (violin, keyboards), Campbell Kneale (electric guitar, synth), Frey (laptop), Dean Brown (drums), Nat da Hatt (electric guitar, keyboards), Hayden Gifkins (electric guitar), Ryan Prebble (tone generator), Matthew Thornicroft (electric guitar), Cylvi M (vocal, field recordings, percussion, shakuhachi), Chris Prosser (violin), Julie Bevan (acoustic guitar), the Digitator (electric drums, keyboards & loops), and more…

The Troubled Times (2021-2023)

Wairarapa-based psychedelic improv/rock collaboration with Antony Milton and David Heath

The Electricka Zoo (2016-2018)

The ex-Taranaki duo of live electronica by the Digitator, and Dave Black on bass and electric guitar (2017)

“A totally original, mind warping album that smacks you across the face with big sound…. I salute anyone that makes a whole album out of EDM post-punk avant-garde rock / jazz, reggae, Balkan, [and] Portuguese music” – http://www.muzic.net.nz

Gamelan Padhang Moncar (2016-2018),

Javanese-style gamelan ensemble directed by Budi Putra, of which I played in the 2016–2018 lineups,

Gamelan Taniwha Jaya (2010, 2015),

Balinese-style gamelan ensemble directed by Gareth Farr, of which I played in the 2010 and 2015–2016 lineups,

The Winter (2003-2015)

An improvised music trio of Mike Kingston, Dave Edwards, and Simon Sweetman – first formed on winter solstice day 2003 in Wellington, The Winter is our longest running side-project.

free improvisation

ensembles such as The Slab Septet, Wellington’s Most Famous Orchestra, Confluence Quintet, and other ad-hoc groupings

Ascension Band (2003-2005)

Award-winning electric symphony for post-punk big-band – by organist/conductor/arranger Nigel Patterson (The Black Seeds, The Manta Rays, Fly My Pretties), guitarist & organiser Dave Edwards (fiffdimension, The Winter), and over a dozen musicians including Ryan Prebble, Bell Campanita, Warwick Donald and more on guitars, basses, drums, electronics, keyboards, trumpets and vocals (2005)

“The 50-minute piece of music, broken down into six movements, was performed live over a few nights for the Fringe Festival in 2005; the group taking out the Best Music Award.

“It was stunning.” – Simon Sweetman

dAdApApA (1999)

Waiting for the Drummer

Taranaki improvised rock/noise deconstruction with sputtering synth, air-sucking turntables, didgeridoo and sundry toys providing layers of surreal abstraction, by Paul Winstanley with Dave Edwards, the Digitator, Paul Winther, and Brian Wafer (1999)

“after recording tracks for The Marion Flow at Wafer HQ in New Plymouth, an ad hoc group of associated locals assembled to record… the only rock references here come from the guitars… throw in some spoken word and a special guest appearance by N.P. record mogul Brian Wafer on vacuum cleaner and the dAdApApA nova had blazed and fizzled in the blink of an eye” – Eden Gully

and duos with

Dr Emit Snake-Beings

Ruasagavulu

Meditative tropical instrumentals made in Fiji by Dave Black & Dr Emit Snake-Beings (one of the last in-person international collaborations from before the world ended)