Bill MacKay + Kult Masek

TICKETS

Guitar wizard, improviser, song-writer and composer Bill MacKay discovers a new territory all his own on brand new record Locust Land (Drag City) — bringing it to Prague for the first time in October

The work of renowned Chicago-based musician Bill MacKay intertwines a vibrant range of influences, from experimental folk to avant-rock songwriting and garage jazz. Mackay has been active on the US alternative scene for over twenty years, and his journey has been defined by numerous collaborations: as the founder of the bands Sounds of Now, Broken Things, and Darts & Arrows, as well as a collaborator of Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy, Steve Gunn, Katinka Kleijn, Nathan Bowles, and Ryley Walker, among others.

Equally active as a solo performer, he released his debut Bill MacKay & Sounds of Now back in 2005, later joining the Drag City family with the album Esker in 2017. In the meantime and afterward, Mackay has released a number of solo records — among them the hallucinogenic Fountain Fire (2019) or the drone-driven long piece Scarf.

His latest, Locust Land, blends crunchy guitar lines, colorful keyboards, swelling organs, and a subtle rhythmic pulse into buzzing psych-folk instrumentation, occasionally accompanied by hazy vocals. Bill Mackay will bring Locust Land to MeetFactory on Friday, October 17.
 

“​Exuberant solo record by returning guitar maestro… There’s a glorious sense of momentum on Bill MacKay’s first solo record for five years… Largely instrumental, but when MacKay decides to sing it brings another element into play. Utter joy.” —​ UNCUT​

The evening will open with Kult Masek, the solo project of Prague musician Michael Nechvátal, who primarily works with a modular synthesizer in his live and studio work. Focusing on textural qualities of sound and seeking the most organic synthesized material, Kult Masek employs simple synthesis and arrangement tools, perhaps in an increasingly reductive manner. His work can be described as purist, even minimalist.

He is a member of the free-rock formation Raw Deal, connected to label Stoned To Death, and also appears in several other projects, including the noise-drone act Jasnovidec (together with Daniel Jakeš), a collaboration with Anna Ruth under the name Kult Koruth, with Angel Dodov in the duo No Points, and with improviser Petr Vrba.

Tickets:
450 CZK in pre-sale
550 CZK at the door

Before your visit to MeetFactory, we recommend checking out the page Information for visitors.