Christopher Duffin
Musician, Producer, Composer
Duffin is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer based in the North of England. Pitchfork says that "Duffin isn’t just some decorative noisemaker, but a crucial corrupting influence - he wields his sax like a flamethrower, blasting open portals into unrestrained psych-jazz chaos...like a lion tamer luring his beast into a cage” whilst The Wire describe him as "a slippery antagonist - often fidgety and slyly taking on the characteristics of multiple instruments". A keen collaborator, experimental and in-demand, he is currently recording and touring internationally with avant garde experimental musicians, Virginia Wing, electronic spiritual jazz acts, James Holden and XAM Duo, taking on keyboard and woodwind duties for Hayden Thorpe, Yard Act and Drahla. He splits his time between touring, producing, teaching, and composing music for film and television.
Selected Discography
Appearances and releases on labels such as Domino, Island Records, Sonic Cathedral, FIRE, Captured Tracks, Fortuna Pop, Too Pure, Sony, Hatch, Come Play with Me, Polytechnic Youth...
Below is a small sample of recorded output, composition, arrangement and session work.
Holodrum
February 2022
Synths, Clav, Electric Pianos, Saxophones, Writing
Live
Upcoming Live Dates
2023
XAM DUO
24 Jun- Nottingham
YARD ACT
30 Jun- Eurockéennes, Belfort, FR
01 Jul – Openair, St Gallen, CH
08 Jul – Pohoda Festival, Trenčín SK
21 Jul - Latitude Festival, Suffolk, UK
HOLODRUM
23 Jul - Bluedot Festival
YARD ACT
28-30 Jul –Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, JP
11 Aug – Boomtown Festival, Winchester, UK
12 Aug – Boardmasters, Cornwall, UK
DRAHLA and JAMES HOLDEN
18-20 Aug - Green Man
YARD ACT
25 Aug - Reading Festival, UK
26 Aug - Leeds Festival, UK
JAMES HOLDEN
8/9 Sep - Netherlands
YARD ACT US TOUR
13 Sep - Minneapolis
14 Sep - Madison
15 Sep - Riot Fest, Chicago
16 Sep - Riot Fest - Aftershow
JAMES HOLDEN
30 Sep - Manchester
Oct 12-16 - Mexico City
YARD ACT
2 Nov - Iceland Airwaves Reykjavik, IS
US TOUR II
4 Nov - Brooklyn
5 Nov - Philadelphia
6 Nov - Baltimore
7 Nov - Durham
9 Nov - Nashvillle
10 Nov - Atlanta
11 Nov - New Orleans
14 Nov - Austin
15 Nov - Dallas
17 Nov - Corona Capital, Mexico City, Mexico
DUFFIN + TERESA WINTER
20 Nov - HCMF - Huddersfield
YARD ACT
2 Dec - Bangkok
3 Dec - Hong Kong
5 Dec - Osaka
7 Dec - Tokyo
Composition and Scores
Bespoke pieces for exhibitions, video, events, advertisements, etc... always open to talking about possible commissions and collaborations.
Filmography - Scores
SOFT THINGS - Directed by Sarah Boulter
Soft Things is a newly commissioned set of twin ultra-short films by Sarah Boulter, with a song and sound piece by electronic musician Alice Merida Richards. The work centres on gorging for escapism, cure-all distractions for pandemic obsession and limitations. Nourishment found in shallow yet genuine connections with imaginary friends, dreamy creamy sickly food rituals and pure fantasy.
Alice 404 - Directed by Kate Graham, Alice 404 (pictured) is look at grief through a modern technology lens.
Scrum - Following the success of Alice 404, Kate Graham and Northern Flowerhouse (Chris and Tom Basri) collaborated once again, this time on the BFI backed, Scrum.
Hairdresser Michelle (Kelli Hollis) arrives at a muddy rugby ground, furious to find that her 14 year-old daughter, Jodie (Emma Wrightson), has cut her face playing rugby league. Despite her daughter’s protests, Michelle bans Jodie from ever playing again.
Set in present day Leeds, Yorkshire, Scrum is an affecting look at a mother-daughter relationship that reminds us sometimes the people we love aren’t quite who we expect them to be, and that’s OK.
