Avant-garde musicians lend support to Grenfell Tower victims as Cafe Oto benefit announced

Musicians from the cutting-edge of experimental, neoclassical and other niche music genres have been recruited by Richard Thomas, a writer for Hackney-based music magazine The Wire, to play a benefit for Grenfell Tower fire victims on 15 July.

Acts from all around the world have confirmed for both the matinee (running 2pm to 4pm) and the evening show, which kicks off at 7:30pm.

Afternoon performers include Adam Bohman – a twenty year veteran of the tape-editing scene whose recent album title Four Pieces For Prepared Strings And Objects tells you of his penchant for found objects – and virtuoso of the twinkly Japanese instruments the koto and the shamisen, Keiko Kitamura.

The latter has performed at Sydney Opera House and collaborated with punk legend Jah Wobble, an indicator of the calibre of performer on show.

Aisha Orazbayeva. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons

Looking to the evening’s bill, London duo Howlround will lay on some dense, tape-spooling textures, Kuljit Bhamra will prove why he is considered a pioneer of bhangra and one of the best modern tabla players, and Kazakhstani Aisha Orazbayeva will, as Thomas puts it, turn the violin “upside down and inside out”.

The night will conclude with a pair of DJ sets: the former from founder of the UIQ label and purveyor of experimental club tracks Lee Gamble, who is crafting a bespoke repertoire for the evening; the latter a more traditionally party-oriented, Miami bass-driven affair from Shadow Justice Crew.

There will be no advance tickets available, as donations will be requested on the door – £10 is recommended, £5 the minimum.

Free entry will be extended to any Grenfell Tower residents, firefighters or NHS medical staff who wish to come, and all money raised will go to charities and groups supporting the victims of the disaster.

You can listen to some of the artists involved and read mini-biographies over at the Cafe Oto website.