News Story
B:Music & PRS Foundation commission not one but two pairs of artists to create new music in 2023.
After an overwhelming response from musicians across the region to the call out for this year’s commission, we are pleased to announce that we have commissioned two pairs of artists to create new music in 2023.
The PRSF & B:Music Commission is a unique funded talent development opportunity for Midlands based music creators to develop a new piece of collaborative work.
The project aims to showcase two different styles of music coming together, allowing two different audiences to interact and explore sounds they may normally not encounter in a single performance.
Previous commissionees include Stella Roberts and Will Glaser with the duo project JoyBang, Piera Onacko and Cassie Kanoshi with trio Un:procedure and Chris Young and Riley Stone-Lonergan with their quintet Orbits CQ.
COMMISSION 1 - BIGHEADMODE& PLUMM
Our first pair of commissioned artists are BIGHEADMODE& Plumm. Birmingham based BIGHEADMODE consisting of Robbie & Ewan Moore, will be collaborating with South London based multi-instrumentalist bandleader Plumm. Together they will be creating new music inspired by the iconic Midlands band Black Sabbath. The newly commissioned music will be performed at the Jazz Promoters Network conference taking place here in Birmingham on the 31st October at B:Music and 1st November at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
BIGHEADMODE describe their sound as “1970’s celestial, jazz fusion sounding, groove laced jam, reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi with flashes of J Dilla and Kruangbin.” The brothers share an abundance of musical influences that make their style tightly knit. Their sound is groove focused, but intertwined around rich analogue instruments and ethereal glitchy synthesised electronics.
Plumm, fiercely proud of her Welsh heritage, creates mood driven soundscapes through her rich vocals to create a sound unlike any other. Using an eclectic range of sounds, both from instruments and vocally, Plumm is inspired by the late greats of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin, who’s live shows are creating a buzz across the scene. Whether as a full force eclectic rock band or a one-woman vocal pedal show, Plumm’s music has real grit and soul.
Together they will create a new suite of music inspired by the sounds of the iconic Birmingham rock band Black Sabbath. You can come and watch the premiere of their new music at the Jazz Promoter Network showcase event on Tue 31 October at B:Music, tickets available from our box office.
COMMISSION 2 – TYRIQ BAKER & MUKTI RANA
Our second pair of commissioned artists for 2023 are Tyriq Baker & Mukti Rana. We were so compelled by the inspiration behind Tyriq & Mukti’s reasons for applying for the commission that we wanted support these young artists explore the sounds of their heritage. Jamaican, alongside Indian and the new nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh, are prominent communities that make up part of the diverse population of the city of Birmingham. Both having had a monumental influence on British culture, our pair will create a short commission that explores the sounds and stories from these communities and will have the opportunity to share their music on one of our famous Free Jazz Fridays.
Tyriq Baker, a musician born and raised in Birmingham of Jamaican decent, has been performing and composing music for most of his life. After graduating with a First Class from the University of Huddersfield in 2021, as a composer, he has worked creatively for several events and organisations within his hometown of Birmingham, including the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Birmingham Rep theatre, which is where he met Mukti.
Mukti Rana a British-Indian of East/Central African Gujarati decent, is an actor and vocalist born in London and raised in the West Midlands. Mukti was raised within a musical family that put emphasis on spiritual development through song. After leaving school and achieving her A-Levels in 2021, she chose not to go to university but instead, embrace a creative path.
The premiere of their new music will be part of our Black History Month Celebrations, where our commissioned pair will be the opening support for NeOne The Wonderer, on Fri 6 October at B:Music, tickets FREE available from our box office.
Everybody is invited to make music with us. We offer a range of performance opportunities, workshops and creative projects throughout the year for amateur enthusiasts through to established touring artists.
