Musician / Composer / Producer / Educator
The two weeks I spent on my artist residency in Courthouse Arts Centre Tinahely was truly inspiring and nourishing as an artist. It was also a challenge, but that is what sparks creativity.
Getting out of your comfort zone is always good!
Here is a little piece I wrote as a reflection on my time there
Thanks again to Improvised Music Company for making this happen, it was a fantastic experience.
#navigatorresidency
Very happy to announce that I have been chosen for an artist residency at The Courthouse Arts Centre in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow!
https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/whats-happening/news/four-artists-chosen-for-imcs-navigator-programme
The 14-day Navigator Jazz Residency programme is run by Improvised Music Company and it offers jazz and improvising musicians professionally remunerated time and space to develop and perform work, while building relationships locally.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to be embarking on this residency. As an artist it is rare to get the support to focus on your work for an extended period, away from the distractions of day to day life, and I feel very fortunate for this opportunity.
Community engagement with the arts is something very close to my heart and I’m really excited to work with and be inspired by the local community of Tinahely.
In recent times, nature has been inspiring my work more and more. I’m also looking forward to drawing inspiration from the beautiful surrounds of Co. Wicklow and the nearby ancient oak trees of Tomnafinnoge Woods.
I’m very thrilled to have been awarded an Agility Award by The Arts Council!
For this project, I will be doing some field recording around Lough Corrib, Co. Galway and using nature sounds and ambient recording to make some new Penji tracks.
Let me present ‘Shimmer’! This is the first in a series of six pieces I created using improvisation as a compositional process. The full EP will be released on Nov 26th.
Created with support from Arts Council Ireland‘s #COVID-19 Crisis Response Award.
I’m proud to present my contribution which was supported by the Arts Council Ireland Covid-19 Crisis Response Award.
I have composed and recorded six new pieces for guitar and electronics, and two live videos.
I set myself a strict method of composing through improvisation. So all the main thematic material was written in the heat of the moment and the pieces were meticulously finished afterwards. It was an interesting process and I’m pretty happy with the result!
All will be revealed in the coming days and weeks, so please stay tuned..
Leading Irish publication The Journal of Music have written an extremely positive review of my Penji EP! Here’s a nice extract:
“Adopting the name of Penji for his solo project, Hackett appears to have taken his most interesting musical digression…in the process (Penji) has created a groove-laden sound that is augmented by weighty beats, shimmering processed guitar and warm synths. These are songs to reward repeated listens as various elements seep up to the surface and reveal themselves..
With this EP, Penji has revealed a knack of merging the ecstatic with the downbeat.”
Don O’Mahony, The Journal of Music (read full review here)
Pretty fantastic review of the Penji EP on award-winning cultural media website HeadStuff!
Read the full review here: https://www.headstuff.org/entertainment/music/review-penji-electric-eponymous-debut/
Wonderful news – I have been awarded the COVID-19 Crisis Response Award by Arts Council Ireland! This will enable me to compose and record a series of pieces for guitar and electronics, which I will be publishing online for you good folks. So stay tuned for that..
Now I’m off to write some new music! 🎶
http://www.artscouncil.ie/Funds/Arts-Council-COVID-19-Crisis-Response-Award/
#newmusic #artscouncil
Nice write-up in Connacht Tribune this week! Being in Zinc was a formative time for me, and helped me to have a free approach to writing and producing with the new Penji record.
https://connachttribune.ie/pushing-out-the-boundaries-with-jazz-electronica-fusion/
I’m delighted to announce that my debut EP of electronic music is out May 21st on all platforms!
I am releasing under the alias Penji, and here is the beautiful artwork by long-time collaborator AMW Visual
