ÁINE: Aww. **‘Improvisation in performance.’** Nice, that was so nice. **Yeah he’s cool, and it is true he used to be much more angry and he’s much softer and nicer now.** Brilliant. He had a very nice smile. \[Mark attempts to resume the conversation but struggles to recall the exact details of a quote that he had read earlier in the week regarding performance. To spare the reader further confusion, this section of the transcript is replaced with a copy-paste of the quote in question.\] IRENE REVELL: \[Posted January 23 at 6:08pm.\] “During one of the many improvisational sessions of the Group \[Ongaku\], Shiomi threw a bunch of keys up to the ceiling for a change of mood. Unexpectedly, the keys’ rattling sound became an interesting music. While trying to create a sound of the same strength in equal intervals by controlling the timing and strength of throwing the keys, she suddenly realised that she was not creating sound for sound’s sake anymore; she was now concentrating on the very action of throwing keys. She felt herself liberated from the realm of sound and released into the realm of action.” (Midori Yoshimoto on Mieko Shiomi.) **I like to do things that really hover on not really being music. Where we kind of people play it is generally always perceived as a musical concert, whether or not a note is played. I really want to explore non-musical components within this enforced musical frame.** Yeah, I like to think about this and to question not just what music is but what the space is between the performer and the audience, and coming to a place where they question it too, without walking out. **Hahaha.** Or even if they do walk out that’s quite a nice expression also. **Yeah I don’t mind if people don’t like it, it’s honest. It’s not bad at all.** Yeah, it’s quite nice. It’s quite a nice sound you know: “Pssss ssst,” “Excuse me,” whispering and you know, the quiet footsteps. Tap, tap, tap, tap tap tap taptaptap thudthudthudthudthud! \[Laughter\] **Oh so you have had the slow start pit-pat turn into quick getmeouttahere flee-thud have you?** Ha ha! **I’ve never had that. Mine are always silent when they leave, they are silent until they get on the bus when they leave my shows.** \[Laughter.\] **But yes, the divide between audience and performer is a funny one.** Yeah, even if there is no money involved there’s a type of transaction or an unspoken hierarchy at times. **Yes, there’s many positions there I am never too fond of. I don’t think things should be presented as being ‘amazing’ or whatever so I don’t want an audience to come in thinking this is going to be amazing as it instantly creates a fog between the two. Nothing should be like that, we should just observe things and move on.** Yes. ‘Experience.’ **Yes, experience, exactly.** \[Abby enters. She is super happy with herself as she just went for a swim at the London Fields Lido. It is mid-winter and close to freezing temperatures. The Lido in question is outdoors and is open at night.\] ABBY: I feel like a superhero! **We are doing an interview. I’m going to run inside and get a drink so sit down and ask some questions. Would you like a drink?** ABBY: Porter. **Water!?** ABBY: Porter you clown. Water? Pah! **Áine? Laphroaig?** ÁINE: Deadly. ABBY: Someone’s been treating you well. ÁINE: It’s the magic tab card. ABBY: You ever been swimming in winter at all? ÁINE: Yes, once I took a dip in the Atlantic on New Year’s Day. That was icy cold. ABBY: In Ireland? ÁINE: Very very icy. ABBY: As a ceremony? ÁINE: No, it was with my boyfriend at the time and we thought it would be a good thing to do, so we did, ha ha. \[A conversation ensues about the fractured conversations you hea