It’s been quite some time since I’ve written about the Bays. These guys really continue to push the envelope with live, improvised electronic dance music. You might compare them to U.S. acts doing similar styles (the Disco Biscuits, STS9, Lotus), but their whole schtick is that they do not record albums, have songs, or really practice together as a group. They improvise, live and onstage. And they’ve been touring this with this strategy for years.
A while back, I put together a “Best of the Bays” podcast, featuring some of my favorite moments of Bays improv. It’s a good example of their standard live sound. But I recently decided to check back in with these guys, and I came across their latest progression…
The Bays have paired up with an orchestra and a composer to perform their standard set with a seriously cool twist. Through the use of composition software that allows the composer to compose on-the-spot, they’re creating live electronic dance music with an orchestra.
They’ve released a new (free) podcast of their collaboration with the Ensemble at Integra and also have this video that runs through the entire project:
The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra at The Liverpool Phil [YouTube]
This is some groundbreaking s***.
