Oto Concentratio by Z360
This four part gallery represents the best of my Cafe Oto photography from 2010 to 2025 in large 4K size. Please look at them on a high resolution monitor using the expand button, although they should still work on your phone if necessary. The photos were usually taken on Nikon digital cameras and a few on iPhones. They feature panoramas, infrared and timelapse photography. All the images were made as a normal audience member, so they vary in quality and on many nights I was not in a position, or it was simply too busy, to take any good photographs. Naturally I regret not having any good photos of Annette Peacock, Lydia Lunch or Ted Milton aka Blurt!
Cafe Oto was started in 2008 by Hamish Dunbar and Keiko Yamamoto to showcase experimental music in Dalston, East London. It is a single room ground floor space with no stage, and functions as a coffee bar and record shop during the day. Cafe Oto is a deconstructed venue, there is no branding or signs, just little monthly flyers scattered about. This is not a traditional jazz venue, the idea of neon signs and slick marketing would be anathema to the down-home vibe. In contrast the website is highly informative, containing biographies of the performers and video examples, as well as a record of all shows back to 2016. The venue has become integral to experimental music featuring performers from around the world 7 nights a week - that will be roughly over 6,000 shows!
Of course I haven't been to all those performances and this site features my own favourites, which tend to be improvisational jazz, but can include rock, folk, rhythm and vocals. I try and avoid anyone "playing" a laptop, there is usually nothing to see. This site is divided into four roughly chronological parts and starts with the mighty Sun Ra Arkestra, who I had first seen at The Venue in Victoria back in 1983. I was to see them at least six times at Oto, only two editions are documented here in this gallery, but you can read about their 2014 performance here in my blog.
Following up the great Sun Ra is the Harry Beckett Memorial Concert, featuring the cream of British Jazz Improvisers, several of whom were to appear in later concerts at Oto. I was lucky enough to see Harry Beckett play at Sibyl Madrigal's Boat-Ting on the Thames a few years before this concert. If you are interested in Cafe Oto they are keen for new members, and you can sign up here.