bedouin ascent >> biog

Bedouin Ascent first materialised in about 1989 as a development of earlier solo and collaborative projects of Kingsuk Biswas. It had its roots in the industrial, experimental music of the late 70’s by way of dub, jazz, punk, funk and the newly emerging acid club scene. By 2001 he had amassed a large catalogue of published material, and an even larger one of unreleased stuff. His newly-formed label, ‘no immortal’ will attempt to dip into some of this, as well as journey elsewhere.

"I seek a mindful and intuitive approach to sound rather than one which is overtly intellectual". Whilst still acknowledging the need for reflection or even analysis, his work maintains a natural fluidity at its core - an attempt to reconcile the polar opposites of head, heart and hips. The modes and methods of language deconstruction, tao, and natural systems theory have been some of the signposts and maps to this terrain.
The original motivation behind his activity was that the use of primitive music/noise and the process of improvisation and performance could more starkly reveal a condition of 'possibility' existing somewhere between musician, music + listener.

He also felt that the implicit spirituality of modern urban experience could be better explored using the familiar technology and tools of that environment. The music of the time that masqueraded as 'contemplative' simply pandered to tired clichés of idyllic fantasy or escapism and didn’t resonate, at all, with Biswas' concrete, suburban background. To this end the music he made was to become an union of the organic and the electronic at a more fundamental, structural and linguistic level. The motive was to challenge and deconstruct the creative assumptions which prevent a more compellingl and lucid form of expression.

"Looking forward, it’s my intention to work with musicians and artists of all kinds of background. I hope to be able to understand as much as possible about the relationship between sounds and to integrate all these different ideas and structures with my particular approach to technology. To develop new shapes and forms."


bedouin ascent >>

bedouin ascent biography discography interviews reviews gallery apache 61 icarus			Bedouin Ascent first materialised in about 1989 as a development of earlier solo and collaborative projects of Kingsuk Biswas. It had its roots in the industrial, experimental music of the late 70’s by way of dub, jazz, punk, funk and the newly emerging acid club scene. By 2001 he had amassed a large catalogue of published material, and an even larger one of unreleased stuff. His newly-formed label, ‘no immortal’ will attempt to dip into some of this, as well as journey elsewhere. "I seek a mindful and intuitive approach to sound rather than one which is overtly intellectual". Whilst still acknowledging the need for reflection or even analysis, his work maintains a natural fluidity at its core - an attempt to reconcile the polar opposites of head, heart and hips. The modes and methods of language deconstruction, tao, and natural systems theory have been some of the signposts and maps to this terrain. The original motivation behind his activity was that the use of primitive music/noise and the process of improvisation and performance could more starkly reveal a condition of 'possibility' existing somewhere between musician, music + listener. He also felt that the implicit spirituality of modern urban experience could be better explored using the familiar technology and tools of that environment. The music of the time that masqueraded as 'contemplative' simply pandered to tired clichés of idyllic fantasy or escapism and didn’t resonate, at all, with Biswas' concrete, suburban background. To this end the music he made was to become an union of the organic and the electronic at a more fundamental, structural and linguistic level. The motive was to challenge and deconstruct the creative assumptions which prevent a more compellingl and lucid form of expression. "Looking forward, it’s my intention to work with musicians and artists of all kinds of background. I hope to be able to understand as much as possible about the relationship between sounds and to integrate all these different ideas and structures with my particular approach to technology. To develop new shapes and forms." COLLABORATIONS: Coldcut. David Toop. Luke Vibert. Jon Tye, Plaid. Bernard Purdie. Menace. Talvin Singh. Kaffe Matthews. David Moufang. Pete Namlook. Deep Space Network. Mixmaster Morris. Ansuman Biswas. Techno Animal. Jon Hassel. Bill Laswell. Zakir Hussein. BJ Cole, etc. SELECTED MEDIA QUOTES: Biswas' debut LP Science, Art & Ritual has been hailed as a classic of the new techno/ambient music of the mid 90's; late night tantric-shag music. TONY MARCUS, I-D Kingsuk Biswas is feted as a vanguard figure in the area of intelligent techno. TONY HERRINTON, THE WIRE Truly individual electronic musicians are few but Biswas is certainly one of them. This (Science, Art & Ritual) is one of the most left-field techno albums ever made. MIXMASTER MORRIS, I-D Biz's meanderings certainly can't be accused of playing safe. Time and again he pushes sounds, ideas, concepts, motifs just that little bit further, right to the edge, and in doing so weaves a powerful web of intrigue. PETE LAWRENCE, ON Bedouin Ascent ploughs an ambient, percussive furrow; rhythms punctuated by electronic popcorning. Yet lorry loads of soul come wafting through the machinery - ghostly yet positively uplifting, and so beautiful that it defies categorisation. CARL LOBAN, GENERATOR