This weekend sees Steve Reich performing in East London as part of the 2012 Bloc festival of dance and electronic music, taking his place alongside eminent musicians from the realms of electro, hip hop, IDM, techno, House music, reggae, drum and bass, and dubstep. Described by Bloc as “one of the most talked-about bookings we’ve ever made”, Reich’s presence at the festival is testament to the scope and versatility of his work: inspirational and relevant to “genres as diverse as techno and hip-hop” (The Evening Standard). As The Guardian maintains “Reich’s influence on electronica is hard to quantify: you hear it in everything” – an exchange of ideas fully embraced and explored by Reich himself.
Discussing his influences in a recent video interview with Bloc, Reich sites his creative associations during the 1970s with the likes of Brian Eno and David Bowie, stating that “the normal thing is to have popular music, folk music and classical music influence each other, and now we’re back to living in that world.” This interaction between musical genres is something Reich is currently exploring in his latest commission for the London Sinfonietta and Alarm Will Sound - Radio Re-write - which draws on two Radiohead tracks, “Everything In Its Right Place” and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”, as source material. Reich’s music will once again return to the Classical concert stage for Radio Re-write’s premiere at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 5 March 2013.
Watch Steve Reich perform Clapping Music at Bloc 2012.
