Lovely Error by James O'Sullivan

James O’Sullivan electric guitar


This is my third solo release, and came about mainly through happenstance; a long-awaited quartet recording session at OneCat Studio gradually became a solo affair as the three other musicians dropped out either due to illness or other commitments - or so they told me! At the very last minute, I decided to take the session for myself instead of cancelling. The resultant music makes up the majority of the album (tracks 1-5); five edits from the over three hours or so of playing that day, which hopefully document my playing at its most fluid, dynamic, resonant and imaginative.
The final piece was recorded about 2 years ago, on holiday in a remote part of South-Western France, and is taken from many hours of improvisations recorded in much less ‘urgent’ conditions. I also play using an amplified archtop semi-acoustic here, instead of the more frequent Telecaster set-up heard in tracks 1-5.

I feel that how these recordings came about has played a role in how the music has developed. I hope that, beyond being an interesting sonic experience, these recordings capture some of what is exciting and life-affirming about improvisation - the heightened awareness of one’s surroundings; the blurring of the boundaries between the player, their materials and their environment; the resultant anticipation of renegotiating one’s relationship with the world from moment to moment.
[James O'Sullivan]


James is a London- based experimental guitar player and improvisor who employs a playful but meticulous approach to the instrument through the bringing-together of physicality, resonance, detail and dynamics.
He seeks to co-create a rich, layered and engaging music that entwines the excitement of the moment with a creative, focused exploration, so as to shape an enduring document of the guitar’s potential.
His interest in improvisation, recording and performance has led him to record and perform across the UK and internationally, both solo and with numerous improvised music groups.
More longstanding arrangements include Muster, a duo with Dan Powell (electronics), a duo with Paul May (percussion), the improvising trio Found Drowned, and a string of collaborative releases on the Aural Terrains imprint.
His debut solo album, "feed back couple", was released in 2011:
https://jamesosullivan.bandcamp.com/album/feed-back-couple
His second solo album, "IL Y A", in 2017:
https://jamesosullivan.bandcamp.com/album/il-y-a
He is an attendee of Eddie Prévost‘s London Bridge improvisational workshop since 2005

since 1994

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