"Madrum's music is more than just music; it's an experience! The voice and instruments resonate in the space. Madrum are professional and a joy to listen to in a live setting" --- Sadie Green , Projects Officer, Devon Artsculture.

"The sounds of a heart surrendered to the voice of God" --- Cathy McGavin, Lifecoach

April 2010 --- There are no performances planned for the immediate future. This is giving us both the much needed space to explore other avenues of our own individual creativity. Gavin is learning the art of studio recording and one project in the pipeline is a CD of chants. Lawrence is at present in the process of upgrading his studio and has plans to develop his percussive scoring.
So if you were hoping to get a copy of our new CD at one of our gigs, I'm afraid there wont be any this year but you can still order a copy from the Music page. Dont forget our album Soma is now available at a bargain price. Have a great spring/summer time.      Gavin


March 2010 --- MADRUM are excited to announce the release of their eagerly awaited 2nd album, "MARRAKECH". Tracks from this album have been inspired by playing for a dance retreat in the Moroccan Desert as well as absorbing the sounds, smells, spirit, people and music of this amazing country.

TO ORDER YOUR COPY AND LISTEN TO EXTRACTS OF THE ALBUM CHECK OUT THE MUSIC PAGE AND MARRAKECH CD.
We are also offering our SOMA CD at a reduced price so take advantage of this great offer also on the Music page.

March 2009 --- My time in Marrakech was very productive and I have returned with some useful sounds and images to be worked up at a later date. I met many warm hearted people and feel indebted to their generosity in letting this eccentric westerner record the sounds of their work. The Haddadine or ironworkers souk was a fascinating area and I can see how Rumi came upon the realisation, by wandering through such a place with its intense banging and tapping, that all of life is rhythm. I was acutely aware not to intrude too much or take more than I needed. My french lessons prior to going served me well and encouraged some interesting meetings and conversations including one with a shoe maker about the vocal techniques used when singing the Koran. I heard some great Marrakchi music in a cyber park just outside the old city. It was simply a group of guys hanging out singing and drumming, and clapping polyrhythmically. They demonstrated such passion and committment to the joy of the moment. This was present when, later that night, I asked some guys working at one of the food stalls about it who then instantaneously 'exploded' into the same piece of music! It was hard to leave the colours, the smells, the snow covered Atlas mountains glistening in the african sun, and the storks that flew slowly overhead as I drank mint tea from the roof terrace of my hotel. It was a very creative time and both Gavin and I would like to spend more time there some day with the specific intention of writing.       Lawrence

January 2009 --- I'm off to Marrakech again in early February with the aim of recording the sounds of the streets and the souks for use on a few tracks on the new album which is beginning to take shape. I'm excited to be going back to the red city which seduces and inspires my creative spirit.

We have recently had this website upgraded and are grateful to Francis Cox for his expertise and generosity with this. We will endeavour to publish regular news updates from now on. 2008 was a fairly busy year in which we played at some great venues and festivals, most notably the Global Inspiration Conference in Herefordshire, Chagstock in Devon, and an International Peace Day event in Brighton. We are currently working on the new album and exploring some exciting new directions with performance.        Lawrence

 

January 2008 --- What a wonderful start to the year! We were lucky enough to return to the Moroccan Desert playing for a 5 Rhythms Dance and Voice retreat. I was facilitating the voice part. What a joy to wake up every morning chanting to the sun and singing for our lives off the high dune! The Berbers welcomed us again with such generosity and care and we were privileged to play music with them and record their incredible rhythms and melodies. This trip enabled us to gather musical ideas and inspiration from a culture far removed from our own. New ideas are seeding themselves and we are beginning work on our next CD along with developing new material to perform. Our travels took us to Fes, an 8th Century medieval city, with its narrow cobbled streets full of vibrant colours and smells. We made some great contacts and may perform at venues there in the future. So we will see what the year brings! Wishing you all a Happy and Inspirational New Year!       Gavin

 

July 2007---This has been a busy few months for us. The CD is being well received and we have been promoting it at gigs and through local radio interviews. The launch at Harberton was a special evening, and we were joined in support by Stella Davies and musicians. A big thanks to them and to everyone who helped out on the night. We have just appeared at Quest again. All the musicians who appear there agree that this is a great festival to play. There is always a good, receptive audience, and we enjoy the support and networking among fellow performers. We have also been to Paris a few times to work with the 5-Rhythms team we were in Morocco with. August looks set to be a busy month, and in between all this we are looking at creating new material to provide the bulk of a new album for 2008.

 

May 2007---  The CD has finally arrived back from the distributors and is now available for sale. For more details see the contact page. We will be performing at Mind Body Spirit Festival in London on May 27th. Hope to see you there. 

 

March 2007--- STOP PRESS !!   Madrum will be launching their debut album "SOMA" on Fri 1st June at Harberton Village Hall ( see performances page)  so please come along and support us.  At present we are putting the finishing touches to the CD and aim for it to be completed and ready for sale by the end of May. More information about this will follow soon.

 

January 2007---We wish you a creative and prosperous new year! What an incredibly inspiring start to the year we have had! We have just got back from The Naked Voice Friends Gathering at Croydon Hall (www.thenakedvoice.com) where Gavin was accredited as a Naked Voice Introductory Teacher. Lawrence was so inspired by the weekend he has decided to deepen his practice of the work by signing up for the facilitator trainings. Madrum played a 30 minute set on the Saturday evening which was very well received. 

 

December 2006---On Boxing Day we flew to Marrakesh to begin an extraordinary trip which took us to the desert dunes close to the Algerian border. We provided music for a 5 Rhythms dance retreat in the sand. It was lead by an inspiring team from France who ran an intensive workshop for 19 participants, who were a courageous, creative, and open-hearted tribe of dancers. We were looked after in a camp by a group of Berbers and their camels. The desert is so still and peaceful, and we both felt at home there. We enjoyed the delicious, simple food, and watching the sun rise and set from the high dunes. We played at dusk in the black desert, and sat round a fire late into the night drumming with the Berbers whose playing was a heady mix of power, passion and precision; a real joy! We spent another week in Marrakesh which was quite an assault on the senses after the tranquility of the desert! But it's a fascinating city, alive with colour, sound and smells. The rhythm of Morocco will stay with us for a long time.

  

November 2006---We have had a very successful summer of gigs where we played at the Totnes festival, Quest, Fordstock, Midsummer Events in Cornwall, and the Whitefeather Festival. We are continuing to record our debut CD of which we are about 75% of the way through. We are aiming for a spring launch event in the Totnes area.

 

September 2006---Madrum have been asked to play for a 5 Rhythms Dance retreat deep in the Moroccan desert.

 

April 2006---The Barrel House, Totnes---This was our first solo performance where we played two 40 minute sets to a packed and enthusiastic audience.This was a great night for us and we showcased some new material. Following the success of the gig we have been asked to perform there again on 29th June.

 

January 2006---Devon Artsculture 1st birthday celebration. We were invited to play a half-hour set as part of a celebration and general networking event. It was held in a stunning, restored tithe barn near Chudleigh.

 

October 2005---CD progress. We have just finished re-mixing some material for a demo CD to be sent to concert and festival organisers for performances in 2006. Work continues on our full length studio album.

 

August 2005---Devon Artsculture Showcase Event, Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe. This was a great opportunity to play a 40-minute set in a smart venue. The sound crew did a thorough and professional job and the sound was clean. We hope to support future Devon Artsculture events.

 

August 2005---RAWA Benefit Gig, Totnes. This was a great night of cabaret in aid of Women of Afghanistan. We kicked off proceedings with a 15 minute set and played a further two pieces towards the end of the evening. It was good to be seen by a local audience.