Night Four: Shelta // Insufficient Funs

Commissioned by Diatribe Records, Shelta explores the parallels between the aural traditions of Traveller / Mincéir uilleann piping traditions and experimental turntablism via the spoken verse of Helen Hutchinson. A founding member of Pavee Point, a groundbreaking group set up in 1985 as a collective community development approach to fighting for Traveller & Roma human rights, Hutchinson is a poet with a lifetime of activism and community building. Awarding the UL President’s Medal to Mickey Dunne in 2025, Shane Kilcommins stated that “as one of the last living links to the Traveller musicians’ tradition, uilleann piper Mickey Dunne’s lived experience is invaluable to the traditional music community and crucial to understanding Ireland’s cultural heritage. His contributions help to preserve not just a style of music but a way of life that is rapidly disappearing,” Described as “ancient cave music from the future” by saxophonist Tim Berne, Jack Dempsey is a two-time world champion turntablist on a quest to explore new musical ideas while still paying respect to the traditional influences that inspire him, most recently accompanying Lankum on their 2025 tour of the UK. Mariam Rezaei is a multi-award-winning composer, turntablist and performer working across experimental new music, free improvisation, mutant club music and hip-hop, and described by The Wire as “one of the most technically adept and creatively daring artists to use the turntable as a musical instrument.” In addition to her mastery of classic turntablist skills, Rezaei has pioneered several techniques of her own, including free juggling, turntable sines, needle dripping and needle weaving.

Sam Comerford (bass saxophone) and Matthew Jacobson (drums) – two preeminent figures in Ireland’s creative/improvised music scene – have been cavorting around Europe together since early 2016. Their duo ‘Insufficient Funs’ has been described as “Ed Blackwell and Don Cherry meets Autechre” (composer/performer Matthew Noone), “like a slow-burning Nirvana” (All About Jazz) and “adventures at the outer reaches of music” (The Irish Times), with performances at 12 Points Festival (Saint Sebastian), Jazzycolors (Paris) and Another Love Story (Meath). Their 2016 eponymous debut EP was hailed as “delightfully unhinged from expectation” by Nialler9. This performance at New Music Dublin 2026 marks the launch of their debut album ‘Chunk’ on Diatribe Records. Expect revelry.

Presented by New Music Dublin with support from the Arts Council & in partnership with RTÉ and the National Concert Hall. The Diatribe Stage is supported by the Arts Council.