‘We did a seance for Beethoven, to see what he thought’: the playful, pioneering life of field-recording maestro Annea Lockwood The New Zealand composer burned pianos, sampled earthquakes and recorded Belfast’s peace walls. And at 86 is still invested in her life’s work: to appreciate the music in everyday sound

A feature in @theguardian.com on Annea Lockwood and her work at Counterflows Festival this year.
www.theguardian.com/music/2026/a...

Pics courtesy of Brian Hartley.

A heart-felt THANK YOU to everyone who made the space with us at this years' Counterflows Festival 💞

We're proud to have the best team, staff and volunteers, the most respectful, engaged and enthusiastic audience, and a selection of artists we think are making some of the most vital work today.

I want to big up @counterflows.bsky.social, I have a lot of thoughts but I think they’re nicely summarised by the fact that this wasn’t the first time I’ve been quite moved by someone playing a roll of sellotape at this festival

Pastel drawing of an amalgamated memory of Nate Wooley playing on a red curtained stage with with Annea Lockwood standing applauding. Their names are written in blue and white and at the bottom in blue it says Counterflows 26. Audience members on red chairs are depicted as amorphous yellow glows

quick memory drawing this morning of Becoming Air, the closing performance of @counterflows.bsky.social last night from Annea Lockwood and Nate Wooley

Haven't been updating from Counterflows because it's all been so utterly fantastic. I love sound, I love listening, I love socialising with people who love music, I love friendship and gossip and fun. Sad to miss the closing event but already looking forward to doing it all again next year.

Then on to the Art School of Hezakaidecagon's absolutely wild opera about the pervasive spiritual legacy of Glasgow's architectural heritage, stadium/arena show staging for that real OUT shit.

A portrait of Annea Lockwood sitting at a table against a black background reading a yellow pamphlet with a black front with a daffodil image and the words clare archibald above

Chalk marks left by multiple bodies in different colours with a half seen black bucket of daffodils to the top right

A close up of a daffodil drawn in purple by someone on the Glasgow body map for vibrato

A closer up of the bucket of the exhibition time withered daffodils and their shadow on the body map.

I had the privilege and fun of spending yesterday with Annea Lockwood ahead of her career spanning events at Counterflows this weekend. Thanks to her for being part of the Glasgow body map for vibrato, and engaging so thoughtfully with my work at Six Foot Gallery (who have a chalk removing brush)

Me, my pal Euan and his kid looking to camera with kazoos in our mouths. I have superimposed by big silly face over the kids face to preserve his anonymity.

Hundreds of people on the ground level and on the balcony in Woodside Halls

Rhodri Davies and Áine O'Dwyer seated face to face at two large concert Harps.

A group called Remont Pomp gathered onstage behind a table of glasses, drums and other instruments at the end of their show taking in some rapturous applause.

So much fun kicking off Counterflows last night doing an orchestral work for Kazoo with Agnes Pe, harp duo from Rhodri Davies and Áine O'Dwyer and an utterly charming set from the wondrous Remont Pomp...

Framed black ink drawing of person with an accordion hanging on white wall. Some fairy lights dangling from frame and orange triangle of bunting at top.

Small black poodle being a good boy sitting in wings of auditorium while accordion players plays on stage.

Framed black ink drawing of accordion player hanging on white wall.

Two cream clad people and small black poodle in a beige lift with window wall.

Two excellent drawings of #GaraziNevas by artists from #ProjectAbility (both sold!) and Toby being a good boy listening to them play at @counterflows.bsky.social this weekend.

Had a blast! 🥰

First night of @counterflows.bsky.social yesterday. Amazing, no other festival like it. Interesting how the state of Glasgow historic buildings fed into this show by noise/performance artists Hexakaidecagon

Marlo De Lara in conversation ahead of Counterflows – The Skinny Ahead of their performance at this year's Counterflows festival, we catch up with sound artist Marlo De Lara.

"Sometimes nothing is healthier than getting angry in front of someone about the world"

Ahead of their performance at this year's Counterflows festival, we catch up with sound artist Marlo De Lara (@marlodewawa.bsky.social)

www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interv... @counterflows.bsky.social

This is a heids up that I'll be doing summat ridiculous this Friday at 1pm at @counterflows.bsky.social fest in Glasgow.
It’s also a reminder that we treat Giant Tank's Tumblr as our website and that it’s the best place to keep up-to-date wi all our doings:
gianttankeh.tumblr.com/post/8132383...

This Sunday our Small Publishers Fair returns to Civic House. Come join us 12-5pm and check out the wares of some of our favourite small publishers.

MILK will be serving up some delicious food, and DJs Han and Sadsugar will be on the decks. Free entry all day long <3

Pic by Brian Hartley.

We are super excited to play in one of the best festivals that we know with an amazing program
Al Karpenter + Los Thuthanaka
@counterflows.bsky.social
10 April 2026
Woodside Hall
36 Glenfarg Street,
Glasgow, G20 7QE
Sold out
counterflows.com
@nightschoolrecords.bsky.social

We’ll be opening the Piano Garden to the public 2-4pm on Sunday 12th of April as part of Counterflows Festival. Pop on by and have a plonk! And if you’re feeling fruity bring an instrument and have a jam with it.

Today we planted a beyond repair piano for Annea Lockwood in Gathering Ground’s Community Garden space! 🪏🎹🌱

The piano joins the small selection of pianos since 1969 making up Annea's ‘Piano Garden’ series, where she plants a piano, builds a garden around it and lets it stay there forever.

Join an orchestra of kazoos led by artist Agnès Pe to open this year’s Counterflows festival.
Woodside Hall
Thursday 9 April. Sign up -> musicspace.uk/update/music...

Tonight's Yan Jun and Sue Tompkins show is sold out.

Early show! 6.30pm doors and 7.15pm start. We'll be done by 8.30pm. It's a dry event: free tea provided.

It's the final event at the brilliant Listen Gallery. Let's give the space the send-off it deserves! <3

Calling people of all ages! We're looking to build a kazoo orchestra for Agnes Pe's piece at Counterflows Festival this year.

No musical experience required. If you fancy joining here are some details. Spread the word!
musicspace.uk/update/music...

Album reviews: modernism, minimalism and melancholy — Five Lines Reviews of three recent releases from New Zealand artists featuring composers Annea Lockwood and Anthony Ritchie and classical guitarist Matthew Marshall.

Another generous review of my Annea Lockwood album - this one from Five Lines in New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. I look forward to presenting Annea’s work at @counterflows.bsky.social and @musicintheround.bsky.social this spring! www.fivelines.nz/articles/ul6...

The full Counterflows Festival 2026 programme is now live! Come join us in Glasgow on the 9-12 April.

Limited individual tickets are now live for events on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings for the festival. If you missed out on festival passes you can come join us.

www.counterflows.com

A bit of news! After a bit of demand we've decided to do some one-off events that'll take place outside Counterflows Festival in April.

The 1st of these welcomes 2 legends we love: Beijing's Yan Jun and Glasgow's Sue Tompkins on the 4th of March at Listen Gallery.

counterflows.com/event/yan-ju...

“Counterflows 2026 volunteer recruitment is now live!

Shifts are short and in return for your time you will receive a full festival pass.

If you think you’d like to get involved, drop us an email at counterflowsvolunteers@gmail.com

📷 by Brian Hartley

It's sold out! Thanks everyone who bought a pass 😘

We'll have a small amount individual event passes available in February. See you in April!

It gives us great pleasure to reveal the full artist line-up for Counterflows Festival, 9-12th April 2026 in Glasgow ❤️

The final allocation of festival passes are now on sale
www.counterflows.com

Seasons greetings from Counterflows HQ! 🎄

We'll be launching the full artist line-up for Counterflows Festival 2026 in early January. Get early access to it and the final allocation of full festival passes by joining our mailing list: counterflows.com/newsletter/

hi @theglasgowwrap.bsky.social

Scotland’s longest running festival of experimental and marginal music is back. We return on the 9 - 12 of April 2026 in Glasgow ♥️

Full Festival passes are now on sale in standard, solidarity and pay what you want tiers:

counterflows.com/festival/cou...

Diaries out! We're pleased to say we'll be returning on the 9-12 of April 2026 for another edition of Counterflows Festival in Glasgow ❤️

Festival passes and further information will be revealed in early November.

📸 by Brian Hartley