A showcase from The Garrote label, featuring solo sets from Mat Ball (BIG|BRAVE), the debut performance of Ghost Marrow, and Gabi Vanek, followed by a special collaborative set with all three musicians. Label founder Joshua Ford will DJ between sets, including tracks from Death Bag’s album, Flagellant Songs, in honor of the late Chris Wiersema.
Mat Ball – Electric Guitar
The solo work of BIG|BRAVE guitarist Mathieu Ball balances spontaneity with control, and minimalism with melody. It is a high-wire act: solo performance, no overdubs, deliberately avoiding loops or heavy effects. There is nothing to hide behind, so what shines through is pure emotion and the soul of the artist. Ball’s work is described as deeply moving, evocative, narrative and elegant. These words are not often associated with music that leans toward minimalism, and that is exactly what makes his work so special.
Ball spent the first half of the year performing this solo work as an opener for Godspeed You! Black Emperor across the US and Europe, as well as a full European tour with his band BIG|BRAVE.
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Ghost Marrow – Synth & Voice
Aurielle Zeitler’s patient command of atmospheric, shifting synthesizer tones and her intimately presented voice are the cornerstones of her work. At the intersection of these two elements is a sort of magic. Zeitler’s Earth + Death album – the third under her Ghost Marrow moniker and her first for The Garrote – is patently breathtaking. This is, perhaps, over and against years of experience playing music in much more rehearsed settings as Chelsea Wolfe’s touring lead guitarist during the Abyss album cycle or singing on tracks for Emma Ruth Rundle and Suzanne Ciani. This will be the debut LA performance for Ghost Marrow and is not to be missed.
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Gabi Vanek – Bassoon & Contrabassoon
Vanek is a bassoonist who exists in a world of drone, doom and noise. She’s performed as a soloist and ensemble member around the world, but you’re just as likely to find her making noises in more “unconventional” spaces like your local dive bar or arts space. Vanek has been described as being “unafraid to be anything at all” and making “shadowy music that prickles on your skin”. April of 2025 brought the long-awaited release of Death Bag’s Flagellant Songs, her collaborative work with Chris Wiersema (who passed before his time, in 2024).