Pulse preview: Tim Hecker, Adrian Utley and Drew Mulholland and Tape come to Glasgow

Stewart Smith
19 September 2013

Adrian Utley and Drew Mulholland, Tim Hecker and Tape part of Pulse electronic music series

The elgig series brings cult electronica artists to some of the city's finest venues

A two-year programme of electronic music, Pulse has already brought such artists as David Toop, Scanner, Ben Frost and turntablist Philip Jeck to Glasgow's City Halls and Old Fruitmarket. Its autumn season is already underway, with an inaugural performance by 'Arctic ambient' pioneer Biosphere and visual artist Egbert Mittelstadt earlier this month.

Following last year's stunning Scottish church performances, Canadian composer and sound artist Tim Hecker returns to Glasgow, supported by Pete Swanson, formerly of cult noise duo Yellow Swans. Hecker layers minimalist piano pulses, synth melodies, organ drones and electronics into dense, immersive pieces that combine elements of minimalism, post-rock and noise. The show may offer a chance to hear tracks from his new album Virgins, released in October (on Kranky).

On November 1, Portishead guitarist Adrian Utley and Glasgow composer Drew Mulholland reunite to perform a new version of their 1999 collaboration, Warminster, a tenebrous slice of British Weird. Mulholland is perhaps best known for his 2001 Mount Vernon Arts Lab album Séance At Hobs Lane, an uncanny blend of analogue electronics, free jazz, industrial noise and British science-fiction and occult references. Reissued by Ghost Box in 2007, it has become a hauntological classic. Warminster channels these dark energies over a single half-hour piece, incorporating modular synths, percussion and sampled sound.

The season concludes on November 6 with a set from Swedish trio Tape. Comprising brothers Andreas and Johan Berthling with Tomas Hallonsten, Tape combine semi-acoustic textures with subtle electronics, creating a pastoral, yet otherworldly, atmosphere.

Tim Hecker plus Pete Swanson, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Fri 20 Sep; Adrian Utley and Drew Mulholland perform Warminster plus Spoken Mirror, Old Fruitmarket, Fri 1 Nov; Tape City Halls, Fri 6 Nov.