TURNmusic presents: Wrekmeister Harmonies

Thursday, Aug 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM

The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall, Waterbury, VT

Sliding scale admission $15-40; Youth and Caregivers free

Tickets here.

The duo of JR Robinson and Esther Shaw are sonic shape shifters with expansive ideas, and a distinctly dark bent. Inspired by artists such as Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham and Lou Reed, Wrekmeister Harmonies’ approach each album as a new sonic adventure.

From festival director of Dunkfestival in Belgium:

“Wrekmeister Harmonies are what we love most about experimental music, that is, how the most disparate styles, the most disjointed song structures, unconventional compositional approaches and dissonant sounds all come together in one exhilarating sonic cauldron. In the case of Wrekmeister Harmonies, this is all executed with each effortless ease, that are only left to wonder how they can continue to innovate and push boundaries with each consecutive release. In theory, Wrekmeister Harmonies are an experimental drone/doom duo; in pratical terms they employ a wide array of instruments (mostly guitar and violin) to produce sprawling and immersive soundscapes that vary from the neo-classical to the noise rock-ish verging on pure improvisation. In simple terms: classify under unclassifiable.

Self-described as “expansive and deeply personal” Robinson & Shaw’s compositions are exactly that: a desire for connection expressed in musical form; an invite to toss aside all differences and connect over what ultimately makes us all human, our immense vulnerability. “Serialist drone-rock”, “pastoral doom”, call it as you wish, Wrekmeister Harmonies’ sonic brilliance has an almost oncological quality to it in how it dives deep into the nature of being arriving at music’s true essence. Somewhat ominous yet always strangely hopeful, Wrekmeister Harmonies will once again take over our festival for one full hour of blissfully weird sonic exploration. We still don’t know what they have in store for us this time but we can guarantee you it’ll be epic.”