Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx New John & Benge music The Machine Stops

the machine stops

A world premiere production of EM Forster's classic short story.
EM Forster is best known for his exquisite novels, but his short story masterpiece published in 1909 is astoundingly prophetic and poignant in 2016, and is a chilling prediction and exploration of our increasingly complex relationship with technology.
"You talk as if a god had made the Machine," cried the other. "I believe that you pray to it when you are unhappy. Men made it, do not forget that."
In a dystopian world where humans have retreated far underground, Kuno alone questions their now total dependency on technology to live and communicate with each other, but in his struggle to break out can he reach the Earth’s surface before the Machine stops?
Featuring a brand new soundtrack composed by John Foxx, pioneer of electronic music and founder of Ultravox, and analogue synth specialist, Benge.

https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/event/the_machine_stops.php#.VoLIasCLQnU

Steve Malins just confirmed that John & Benge are not performing it live so should we expect a release on CD?

Brian

Thanks for the heads up Brian.

Sounds like a very interesting piece of work. Let's hope the soundtrack does indeed get a CD release. I've always thought that John should get more involved in soundtracks. I know he's done the odd thing but a whole soundtrack of new material would be most interesting.

John has this to say on the project:

"I first read E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops in 1964, when I was at school. It struck me then as prescient and original. When I started discussing the music for this production with Benge, I read it again. In the intervening years the internet had happened, and of course the world had changed dramatically, yet the story was still ahead of it all - an amazing feat of predictive imagination for something written in 1909. I'm quietly pleased to be able to collaborate with such an astounding piece of seminal sci-fi."

You can see the play (and thus hear the soundtrack) at:

York Theatre Royal: 13th May - 4th June

The Point, Eastleigh: 8th - 9th June

The Minghella Studio, Portsmouth: 11th June

It then moves to the Platform Shift+ Festival in Budapest.
The play will then be re-staged for an extensive tour in 2017.

As Steve has already confirmed (above) this is the SOUNDTRACK TO A PLAY.
Thus John Foxx and Benge will not be present or performing at any of these venues

John & Benge are doing some short performances of this in May in a World War 2 bunker in York.

Tickets are free.The sessions are around 20 minutes long with a Q&A afterwards at York Theatre Royal.

Book here:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-bunker-experience-tickets-24458799929

Brian

Nice one Brian! Are you going?

I've just registered for a ticket at the first showing so yes I intend to go.Are you going?

Brian

I'll be in Sheffield weekend of the 7th, so it seems insane not to go - currently trying to work out how to get from York back down south without having to sell vital organs.

I'm driving past Sheffield so can easily give you a lift there and back.

Brian

Yippee!

The link suggests this is Monday 9th May?