The Artaud Beats Press / Reviews
15 Sept 2014, The QUIETUS by Ben Graham [Fort Process festival, 14 Sept 2014]
'Despite forming in 2009, and acclaimed shows in Japan and Europe, The Artaud Beats are making their debut UK performance tonight. Pianist and singer Yumi Hara Cawkwel is joined by three-fifths of the classic Henry Cow line-up that recorded their 1973 debut Leg End- John Greaves on bass and vocals, Geoff Leigh on flute and electronics, and Chris Cutler on drums. Entirely improvised, their jazz-rock explorations occasionally dip into Beefheart territory, always punchy and slightly feral, often surprisingly melodic (especially when Yumi takes the lead) and never meandering or dull. More shows on British shores, please.'
Jan 2015, Record Collectors Feb 2015 Issue (Japan) [RIO JAPAN, 15 Nov 2014]
27 Feb 2015, EURO ROCK PRESS Vol.64 (Japan) [RIO JAPAN, 15 Nov 2014]
5 June 2015, LET IT ROCK by Dmitry Epstein (Canada)
July 21 2015, THE ROCKER By stuartahamilton (UK)
'Yumi Hara Cawkwell usually comes up with something interesting in the world of art rock, and this latest venture is no exception.
The Artaud Beats were conceived at Jean-Hervé Péron’s Avantgarde Festival in 2009, when Geoff Leigh and Yumi Hara were performing as a duo. Chris Cutler and John Greaves were performing with Peter Blegvad and Dagmar Krause before Mr Leigh suggested they get together as a quartet.
It wasn’t a huge leap as Geoff, Chris, and John had all been in Henry Cow, and after a successful show, they started getting some festival shows, before two tours of Japan and now this album. It’s very improv meets Canterbury with some jazz thrown if for good measure, and when the grooves of creations like ‘Prefab Wreckage’ hits in, you can well understand why fans of art rock and improv have taken to their sounds.'
4 Aug 2015, Strange Days (Japan)
'the extremely refined sounds are liberated in the space as they should be...I must say this is 21st century Henry Cow'
24 Aug 2015, le son du grisli, by Luc Bouquet (France)
'Les fantômes ont la peau dure et les fans le savent bien. Issu de la constellation Henry Cow, d'où sont nés Slapp Happy, Art Bears et tant d’autres combos singuliers, voici aujourd’hui The Artaud Beats (Geoff Leigh, Yumi Hara, Chris Cutler, John Greaves). Les fans possèdent déjà CD-R, bootlegs made in Japan et autres DVD du groupe et il n’est nul besoin de leur annoncer la sortie de son premier CD « officiel ». Pour les autres, voici une petite perle comme on les aime.
Voici les marécages. Voici des pianos et des flûtes convalescentes. Voici les brouillages. Voici les remontées d’acide. Voici les pluies blanches. Voici d’heureux cauchemars. Voici les chansons de guingois. Voici les spectres vivaces, les mélodies à tiroirs, les pianos sacrifiés. Voici les flottements sans fin. Voici le ciel blanc et les suspensions animées. Ne change rien et tout sera différent, disait l’Autre. On ne saurait mieux dire. Et puis, procurez-vous les bootlegs japonais : c’est du grand art.'
Aug 2015, ARS2 by Henryk Palczewski (Poland)
'Quartet of charismatic artists in the magical avant-garde art rock improvisations and emerging and absorbing the subtle song-not-songs.'
Sept 2015, Blow Up no. 208 (Italy)
Sept 2015, Highlands Magazine No. 74 (France)
27 January 2016, Rythmes-Croisés (France)
1 Dec 2014, Interesting Alternative Show (Kavus Torabi, Phoenix FM) [from Japan Revisited 2012]
22 April 2015, Prog Rock Deep Cuts #72 (Bob Drake & Chris Cutler guests, Ian beabout, House of Prog) [E=mc2 (Yumi Original mix)]
6 May 2015, Club Integral Radio Show (Yumi Hara-guest, Resonance FM) [Prefab Wreckage]
28 June 2015, The Other Rock Show (Resonance FM) [E=mc2 (Bob Drake mix)]
6 July 2015, Interesting Alternative Show (Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi, Yumi Hara-guest, Phoenix FM) [Logos, Prefab Wreckage, E=mc2]
6 July 2015, Prog Rock Deep Cuts #77 (Ian Beabout, House of Prog) [Prefab Wreckage]
17 July 2015, Podcast from the Yellow Room (Sid Smith) [E=mc2 (Bob Drake mix)]
17 Aug 2015, ARS2.pl (Henryk Palczewski, ARS2) [Logos, E=mc2 (Bob Drake mix)]
18 Aug 2015, Late Junction (Nick Luscomb, BBC 3) [Power]
19 Aug 2015 the Mystery Lesson (Daniel Spicer, totallyradio Jazz) [Prefab Wreckage]
3 Sept 2015, Folk It! (Concertzender.nl) [Logos]
9 Sept 2015, Club Integral Radio Show (Resonance FM) [Prefab Wreckage, E=mc2 (Bob Drake mix)]
14 Sept 2015, Radio Radio 106.8fm Toulouse, [RIO France 2014 Live & Interview] [Archive will be uploaded soon]
16 Sept 2015, Battiti (RAI Radio 3, Italy) [Logos]
17 Sept 2015, Battiti (RAI Radio 3, Italy) [Prefab Wreckage]
16 March 2016, Club Integral Radio Show (Resonance FM) [Live at Tokorozawa MOJO, 2012]
24 April 2016, Stuart Marconie's Freak Zone (BBC Radio 6) [Logos]