Biography
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Born
1968 (age 56)
Mark Wastell is a British cellist and improvisationalist born in 1968.
Much of Mark Wastell's relationship with his chosen instrument is concentrated on the tactile, textural and sonic possibilities of both violoncello and bow. He is increasingly interested in working with extreme elements drawn from frequency, timbre and pitch.
His early activity was consciously and subconsciously influenced by a variety of improvising musicians including John Stevens, Barry Guy, Phil Durrant and John Russell.
Subsequent exposure to contemporary composers lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of the works written for strings by Feldman, Cage, Nono, Lachenmann and Sciarrino. The use of live electronics and music concrete by Tudor, Parmegiani, Xenakis and others was another important early influence.
Wastell's instrumental material primarily focuses on using abstract principles of space and texture – encompassing elements of New London Silence, pro-instrument minimalism, new complexity and electro-acoustics. Because of the very nature of his chosen instrument, he tends to favour 'chamber' style ensembles, and is a member of groups like Assumed Possibilities, IST, Broken Consort, The Sealed Knot, Evan Parker's String Project, and many others.
In more recent years, Wastell has favoured "amplified textures" using contact mic's on various surfaces, and has recently been using a type of gong called a Tam-Tam as his main instrument of choice, to produce meditatively hypnotic drone pieces.
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