On Tuesday night the mesmerising sound of Trio Mediaeval and trumpeter Arve Henriksen enveloped Manchester's beautiful Victoria Baths. Combining hushed trumpet and live electronics with spine-tingling vocals, the sound was utterly breathtaking.

It was the first time RNCM had returned to the baths after our Noise of Many Waters project last year. It was great to back in such a fantastic space again and the atmospheric acoustics suited the haunting soundscapes perfectly.

Here are some shots from the evening. See the full album on our Facebook page or more of the behind the scenes shots on our new Pinterest board.

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Hey Volker, what are you doing today?

I am in the airport of Brussels answering your questions and traveling to London. On tour there is a kind of routine, which means you are having every day load in, soundcheck and concert, and in between those dates you have to get some how some rest and food. It sounds horrible but it is somehow a form of meditation if your energy is mainly concentrating on the performance.

The eight-date Transcendentalists tour began earlier this week. Have you been involved in this kind of tour before? Are you looking forward to it?

I am touring a lot and I did with one of my previous bands a long four-weeks tour in a bus. But I have never toured before with three artist that I like and where we have equal sets. Of course I am looking forward to every show, plus I have a great collaborator with me. Samuli Kosminen is a wonderful drummer and a friend and we have so much playing together.

Will there be any collaboration between the three artists, or will each set be completely independent of the others?

The sets will be independent from each other and I think that is the strength of the evening – that it is quite clear to present three different approaches with experimental music, that is circling around piano. I like this approach as, for the audience, you have three clear sections and a clear handwriting but you also are able to see the evening as a whole experience.

All three artists performing release on Fat Cat imprint 130701. Has that label exposed you to any music or artists you wouldn’t have otherwise discovered?

Yes, of course, with entering the world of a label you get in touch with bands that are connected with the label: you play label evenings together, you get asked for remixes at some point. or collaborations. So I got in touch with the band Múm through Fat Cat and I collaborated with two musicians from the band until now, so it is changing of course something.

The concert provides a chance to buy a tour-only, hand-numbered 12″ EP. Which of your music is included on that release?

I recorded a special track for the EP as I think it should have a special approach. I think in our days it is the question of giving records and things you buy a bigger value. So I set down and asked myself what I want to release on this EP. I spoke with Fat Cat about it and we thought that it would be nice to have a live recording and a specially recorded track.

Away from this tour, what have you been working on lately? Any new recordings on the horizon?

I released a week ago a record on Deutsche Grammophon with the American Violinist Hilary Hahn, which is called Silfra. The record has 12 improvisational pieces for prepared piano and violin.

Finally, your last performance in Manchester was an intimate event in the presidential suite of the Lowry Hotel. What’s the most unusual space you’ve performed in?

Yes, you are right, I played there and it was a great experience. I think I am not aiming in general for only extraordinary spaces but the atmosphere is always very important for the expectation. So a concert that I play for example solo is always nice with good acoustic rooms but it can be challenging as well to perform in a weird and obscure venue.

I think there is an ambivalence as, if you always play in extremely comfortable places, you can get used to it and on the other side it is necessary to let things happen that are not on your radar or that you would normally not do. It is stretching your mind.

But to answer your question: I would like to point out to unusual venues where I played, because I played in many unusual beautiful places, are the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the Hara Museum in Tokyo.

For the original interview head to Hey! Manchester's blog.

The 130701 Transcendentalists tour, featuring Hauschka, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Dustin O’Halloran takes place at the RNCM tonight. Click here for more information and tickets.

 In 1989 two gentlemen, named Alex Knight and Dave Cawley, opened a small record store in Crawley, West Sussex called FatCat, serving its loyal customers with Detriot and Chicago-based techno and house. Twelve years later, and after a move to London, the record store was closed but from its ashes rose their Brighton-based record label FatCat Records.

The label, which specialises in the likes of electronica, downtempo and indie, is now one of the UK's leading independent labels and has been home to critically-acclaimed acts such as Animal Collective, Múm and Sigur Rós.

To help facilitate their interest in the growing trend of 'post-classical' music the label developed an imprint called simply 130701, the name celebrating the date of its inception. The label has developed its own unique style, housing the more digestible forms of modern classical and traditional orchestration but coupling them with more abstract sounds, such as field recordings and radio static. The sonic palette, however, is far from limited. Guitars, drums and electronics intersperse with their trademark post-classical nuancés, leading to an eclectic, but as they put it, 'strangely and beautifully unified sound' over the course of their releases.

(l-r: Hauschka, Dustin O'Halloran, Johann Jóhannsson)

Next Monday (16 May) sees the label's showcase Transcendentalists Tour 2012 come to the RNCM. Comprising of three of the artists that, arguably, best sum-up 130701's graceful, delicate yet ultimately powerful sound; Hauschka, Dustin O'Halloran and Jóhann Jóhannsson.

Hauschka will deliver his jaw-dropping, classical/techno crossover Salon des Amateurs, offering a wholly unorthodox but completely compelling take on dance music, incorporating prepared paino, orchestral instruments and drumkit. Dustin O'Halloran's music is all hushed ambience and electronic elegance, featuring beautiful piano suites and, on his latest studio LP Lumiere, swooping strings and swooning ensemble arrangements. And Jóhannsson will deliver pieces from his acclaimed The Miners Hymns, a powerful and moving soundtrack to Bill Morrison's found-footage documentary on the mining communities of North East England, which was recorded live in Durham Cathedral by a 16-piece brass ensemble.

The work of 130701 reaffirms your faith in the avant-garde. It's innovative, progressive and highly relevant to our times. And it's at the RNCM next week. To book your tickets click here.

Since we announced Matthew Herbert's One Pig concert, we've spent a bit of time trying to explain the concept and vision behind the piece and what audience members can expect from the show. We thought, however, it may be best to let Matthew himself explain his motivation and process.

So, here's an engaging interview we've stumbled upon which looks at a piece which is as provocative as it is innovative...

Matthew Herbert: One Pig is live at the RNCM on Friday 18 May. To buy tickets click here.

The performance is part of Manchester's FutureEverything festival, which takes place from 16-19 May. For more information about the festival, click here.

To watch more of his wonderfully energetic and atmospheric live performances, click here and here. To buy your tickets click here. You won't regret it!

B&W photo credit: Dalibor Talajic

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You're currently touring the UK. What's it like being back on the road and do you still enjoy it?

It’s always good to be on the road. I’ve never really been off the road. I have toured somewhere every year since 1969. For the last 14 years, I’ve toured the UK at least once a year and I still enjoy it because music is my heart. When you are working and doing something you love, it doesn’t feel like work. Regardless of how tired or weary I might be, when I walk out on that stage I’m rejuvenated by the smiles and cheers of the audience.

Young Hearts Run Free and You Got the Love are just two of your biggest hits. What pieces do you enjoy singing most and what should we look out for during your set in Manchester?

I love both songs and both have been so good to me. Young Hearts is an anthem. It’s a story. The Bible says the older women will teach the younger women and each time I sing that song, I’m reiterating it to myself that I shouldn’t make those same mistakes that the song talks about. You Got The Love is a gospel song and when it’s all said and done, God does have the love to help you see it through.

I like singing whatever people want to hear because I haven’t sung many songs that I don’t like. I can’t really think of any that I fought recording other than Get Your Hands Dirty from my last CD. I just didn’t feel that song. When I come to Manchester, I’ll be singing the songs most people expect like Young Hearts and You Got the Love.

I’ll be singing In The Ghetto, I’m Just A Prisoner, Freedom Is Just Beyond The Door. I’m going to open the show with Listen to the Music from my album Music Speaks Louder Than Words that came out in 1977. I don’t think I’ve ever performed that song live anywhere. A lot of people have asked me about singing Mercy Now from my last CD in 2009 and I’m going to sing that this time.

You've collaborated with lots of big names over the years. Is there anyone in particular who stands out for you?

I haven’t really collaborated with that many big names. I did a song with Bobby Womack and I did one with Clarence Carter but I was sort of in the background on those songs. I wouldn’t necessarily call them duets. I did a collaboration with Groove Armada that I love called Love Sweet Sound. That was my first Top 10 dance hit in like 30 years. That was a lot of fun and we did another song that was never released. If I could have recorded with Ray Charles that would have been a dream come true. He’s my all time favorite singer and I would have felt like I died and went to heaven. I’d love to record with Peabo Bryson. I think he has a great voice.

You Got the Love was covered by Florence and the Machine. What did you think of this new version and were you surprised at its success?

I think Florence did a young version and she introduced the song to a younger generation and through her singing it, more people know of me as a result of her doing it. I was on Delta airlines going to Europe and picked up their magazine and was reading it on the plane. There was a story in there on Florence and I read it and she mentioned me. She always mentions my name and let’s people know that I recorded the song first and I appreciate that very much. I’ve never gotten to meet her but I’d love to meet her someday. I wasn’t really surprised that she had a hit with the song because there’s something about it that people love. It’s been a hit so many times before [Top Ten in the UK in 1991, 1997 and 2006] so I’d be more surprised if it wasn’t a hit.

Do you have fond memories of the 70s disco era?

I had a ball in the `70s. I don’t know what the critics were talking about when they wanted to burn all the disco records because they should have been building a monument to disco because that was the time that you could dance all your troubles away and really let your hair down.

To what degree have you controlled the course your life has taken?

I’ve had a little control but not as much as I should have had on my life. I’ve mostly gone with the flow. I love what I’ve experienced even though it was painful. You can’t have sunshine every day; you’re going to have some lightening and some rain. All of those experiences helped me mature. I’ve matured in a lot of areas and instead of making me want to give up, it just made me want to fight and become a better, stronger me.

Candi plays the RNCM this Wednesday. Tickets £24.50. Book online here or call our box office on 0161 907 5555.

Double bass supremo Steve Berry has never been one to shy away from innovation and his February show at the RNCM further highlighted his experimental side. As part of his performance, alongside the RNCM Big Band Steve, he delivered a Comprovisation piece (composed improvisation) and he's very kindly posted it up on SoundCloud for us all to enjoy. Check out the results...

The folks at Spotify have just developed a way for you to stream playlists and songs away from their downloaded application. This couldn't have come at a better time as you'll no longer have to leave here to listen to our fantastic playlists. First up is our Summer Season Playlist, designed to give you a flavour of the acts playing and the repertoire they'll play at the RNCM over the summer months.

Simply click on play below and enjoy...