Tag: William S.Burroughs

JG Thirlwell backs Thurston Moore and Anne Waldman on Burroughs Tribute Box Set

JG Thirlwell

The Travel Agency Is On Fire featuring poet Anne Waldman and musician Thurston Moore, is the second major studio composition by bassist and composer James Ilgenfritz to deal with the work of 20th century experimental writer William S. Burroughs.

The second disc features Waldman’s and Moore’s readings accompanied by musical backing from JG Thirlwell on two of the tracks, as well as musical contributions from by Bob Bellerue, AC Diamond, Chuck Bettis and others.

This limited-edition hand-assembled 4-CD box set on September 25, 2026 on Infrequent Seams. Each box set includes a hand-painted box, decorative slipcover, 12-page booklet, and four CDs. Two discs feature Waldman and Moore reading the Burroughs texts, while the 3rd and 4th discs showcase selections from the instrumental recording sessions, featuring Zeena Parkins, Elliott Sharp, William Winant, Daniel Carter, Brian Chase, and others.

JG Thirlwell pens new composition for Burroughs opera

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10.16_experiments_in_opera_temp_imageJames Ilgenfritz has commissioned JG Thirlwell to compose a composition for an opera with the text based on William S. Burroughs cut ups of Clockwork Orange author Anthony Burgess. The piece will form part of a larger opera entitled The Travel Agency is on Fire, drawn from a book of Burroughs cut-up experiments, where he re-appropriates everyone from William Shakespeare and Arthur Rimbaud to William Wordsworth and James Joyce. The other composers contributing to the opera include Jason Cady, Natacha Diels, Anne Guthrie, James Ilgenfritz, Travis Just, Lukas Ligeti, Charlie Looker, Elliott Sharp, Aaron Siegel and Katie Young.  
The opera will premiere on October 16 2015 at John Zorn‘s club The Stone in NYC as part of James Ilgenfrtiz’s residency. It will be performed by the Anagram Ensemble, consisting of  Megan Schubert, Amirtha Kidambi, Nick Hallett and  Michael Douglas Jones (voices) PK Harris and Sarah Bernstein (violins), James Moore (guitar), Jonathan Singer (percussion), Brian Chase (drums), James Ilgenfritz (basses) and Nathan Koci (conductor)

JGT reads WSB

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William-S-Burroughs-william-s-burroughs-24368992-1329-1389JG Thirlwell  will take part in William S.Burroughs reading marathon presented by The Poetry Project as part of WSB100, New York’s month-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Burroughs, the iconic writer of Naked Lunch, Queer, Junky, and many other experimental works of great American literature. The event will take place at the sanctuary of St Marks Church in New York City, on April 23 2014, beginning at 8.30pm. JG will read with interpretive guitar accompaniment from Sam Mickens. Also on the bill are Anne Waldman, Bob Holman,  Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Matt Mottel & Kevin Shea, James Ilgenfritz, Jack Womack & Elliot Sharp, Iron Dog, Nick Zedd,  Penny Arcade, Simon Pettet, Steve Dalachinsky and many others.

JG Thirlwell / Sarah Lipstate duo for WS Burroughs centenary

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noveller-promoA duo of JG Thirlwell and Sarah Lipstate (Noveller) will perform at The Stone on April 16 2014 at 10pm, as part of the William S.Burroughs centennial celebration. This is Thirlwell and Lipstate’s first collaboration.

Sarah Lipstate is best known for her solo electric guitar project Noveller project. Noveller creates evocative soundscapes and compositions with layered guitar phrases and sounds, both played and looped live. Lipstate is also a filmmaker and film score composer, and has released five full-length albums on such labels as No Fun, Important and her own Saffron Recordings imprint. She has previously collaborated with the likes of Carla Bozulich, Lee Ranaldo and David Wm Sims, and has been a member of the groups Cold Cave, Parts & Labor, and One Umbrella.