After a stunning show in Limerick last December, Donal Dineen brings his Fresh Air back to Dagdha’s Dance space with this May.

A musical pioneer since his early days as the presenter of No Disco (RTE) in the nineties, through to his current late night radio show The Small Hours on Today FM, Kerryman Donal Dineen has used his discerning ear to seek out, listen to and encourage experimental music in all genres, especially music made in Ireland.

Dineen is putting this ear to good use in St. John’s on Friday 28^th May, where he is presenting three of Ireland’s freshest soundmakers at an unusual gig in the Dance Space.  Presented for Eightball as part of Dineen’s Fresh Air Festival 2010, the night will see performances from Natural History Museum, Thread Pulls and Sunken Foal.

Sunken Foal (aka Dunk Murphy) was last in Limerick for a killer set as part of the Tweak Festival in September. After completing his MA in Music Technology at the University of Limerick, Sunken Foal released his debut album “Fallen Arches” on Planet-Mu records alongside the “Fermented Condiments” E.P. in late 2008. Since then, he has played a string of successful gigs developing a unique ‘finger-triggered’ improvisational live performance setup. His music tangles stringed instruments with analogue synthesis and walks a fine line between murky pessimism and ethereal harmony. Occasional vocals are met with digital percussion that twist and turn at every juncture.

Dunk is also one half of Natural History Museum, along with Carol Keogh- ex of the Tycho Brahe. Her vocals are unmistakable, and the fusion of voice and electronica makes for a potent mix. One listen to standout track Billy Pilgrim will have you hooked

Thread Pulls is an experimental two-piece with the drumbeat at their core. The first Irish band to be invited to play at the celebrated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. After releasing four EPs on 9-pt records as a three piece, they stripped down to the duo of Gavin Duffy and Peter Maybury. Thread Pulls are currently recording their debut album which will delve further into the upbeat, progressive sound they’ve become known for, which meshes trumpet, electronics and treated vocals with a no-wave inspired mix of repetitive bass and drums. Thrilling to watch live their sets have an energy and urgency that you can’t help but respond to.

Dineen will be on hand for the night to present the musicians and to provide live visuals to accompany their performances taken from his own photographic and visual work, to create a truly multi-sensory event. Dineen’s visual work, be it still photography or super8 film, charts a personal journey that is influenced by music, people, landscape and a sense of place.

The night in Limerick is part of Fresh Air Festival, a month long celebration of new Irish music supported by Music Network and The Arts Council. Going to Sligo, Tralee, Cork and Limerick it will be accompanied by a celebration of new music on Donal’s radio show The Small Hours on Today FM.

Eightball presents Fresh Air with Thread Pulls, Natural History Museum and Sunken Foal on Friday 28^th May at the Dagdha Dance space at St. Tickets are €15/12 and are available from tickets.ie or on the door.

Fresh Air is presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award.

Donal Dineen studied communications in Dublin City University and it was here that he first picked up a camera.  From this point onwards he developed a fascination with the visual image.  His first exhibition, This Storm is an Angel, for The Galway Arts Festival in 1993, was a series of photographs taken around his home in Kerry, which focused on family, place and identity.  2009 exhibitions include an installation for the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (DEAF) entitled Words Are Something Else, and solo photographic shows for Kilkenny Arts Festival and The Joinery Gallery, Dublin.

As a Curator Dineen has worked on several musical series, most significantly A Month of Sundays which was devised with The Model Arts and Niland Gallery Sligo in 2006 and evolved into a touring series in 2007.

Musically, Dineen is credited with breaking David Gray amongst other artists in Ireland.  His programme, Here Comes The Night, was first aired on the opening day of Radio Ireland’s existence, 17 March 1997.  13 years later his is still with the station, now Today FM, where he presents Small Hours between Monday - Thursday from midnight - 02:00.