The Kitchen Presents Dither Performing John Zorn's GAME PIECES Tonight

New York-based electric guitar quartet Dither will perform a raucous evening of John Zorn's game pieces in conjunction with their forthcoming Tzadik release Dither Plays Zorn, tonight, December 13 at The Kitchen. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Zorn's influential game piece Cobra and the earlier pieces to be presented, dating from the late 70s and early 80s, provide an exciting window into the development of this seminal work.

Dither is among a new generation of musicians that Zorn has charged with performing and developing these notorious compositions, which run the gamut of sonic worlds and interactive techniques. Each game piece incorporates a set of rules and tactics in order to create a unique improvisational playing field: Ivesian layering of styles in Fencing, twisting impressionistic textures in Curling, fast-paced exchange of short musical ideas in Lacrosse, dramatic orchestral shifts inRugby, and a musical language reduced to five sounds in Hockey. For a few larger group pieces, the quartet will be augmented by two of Zorn's closest collaborators, Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) and Kenny Wollesen (percussion).

Dither's eclectic, experimental repertoire spans composed music, improvisation, and electronic manipulation. Formed in 2007, the quartet has performed across the United States and abroad presenting new commissions, original compositions, multimedia works, and large guitar ensemble pieces. The quartet's members are Taylor Levine, Joshua Lopes, James Moore and Gyan Riley.

Dither has worked with a wide range of artists, including Eve Beglarian, Fred Frith, David Lang, Phill Niblock, Larry Polansky, Lee Ranaldo, Elliott Sharp, Lois V. Vierk, and John Zorn. Past performances include the Performa Biennial, The MATA Festival, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Amsterdam Electric Guitar Heaven Festival, Hong Kong's Fringe Theater, and the Bang on a Can Marathon. Dither produces their annual Extravaganza, a raucous festival of creative music and art, which has been called an "official concert on the edge" by the New Yorker. Their critically acclaimed debut album was released on Henceforth Records, and their upcoming record Dither Plays Zorn will come out on Tzadik in January 2015.

The concert will begin at 8pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.thekitchen.org; by phone at 212.255.5793 x11; or in person at The Kitchen (512 West 19th Street), Tuesdays to Saturdays, 2:00 - 6:00 P.M.

About The Kitchen - The Kitchen is one of New York City's most forward-looking nonprofit spaces, showing innovative work by emerging and established artists across disciplines. Our programs range from dance, music, performance, and theater to video, film, and art, in addition to literary events, artists' talks, and lecture series. Since its inception in 1971, The Kitchen has been a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of this country, and has helped launch the careers of many artists who have gone on to worldwide prominence. For more information, follow on Facebook: facebook.com/TheKitchenNYC and Twitter: twitter.com/TheKitchen_NYC.