burkhard beins: percussion / selected objects on assorted resonators
rhodri davies: harp
mark wastell: cello / bass
Although the group was formed in 2000, its members have been playing together in different groupings and settings throughout Europe since 1997. There is a special connection between the London and Berlin scenes, which The Sealed Knot exemplifies.
Although the musical form is composed in the moment, the structures are open. Nothing is forced – all three lock into a specific area of exploration in a subtle way. The group uses no pre-prepared material and they don’t eschew repetition, definite pitches and beauty.
"...Overall, they give the impression of a gradual ebb and flow of layered soundfields over a bedrock of silence. Confronted with the trio's intricately plaited tones, sometimes it's hard to tell the provenance of a particular sound - like many musicians exploring extended techniques, they're at war with their instruments...
...Gradual shifts and the kind of communication that develops within longstanding musical relationships are central to the group aesthetic. The slow, deliberate movement of The Sealed Knot's music often sounds semi-composed, a testament to the close bond that they have developed over the years..."
Will Montgomery, "Silence is a rhythm too: The Sealed Knot”, The Wire, June 2002
the sealed knot (confront cd 06, 2000)
the sealed knot: surface/plane (meniscus cd 012, 2003)
the sealed knot: unwanted object (confront cd 01, 2004)
the sealed knot: live at the red hedgehog (confront CD-R confront performance series 03, 2007 )