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.
XAM Duo - XAM Duo II
June 2022
Production, Composition, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Rhodes, Various Synths
Holodrum
February 2022
Synths, Clav, Electric Pianos, Saxophones, Writing
Beautiful Lunches - Slumgullion
June 2021
Producer, Composition, Saxophones and all other woodwind, Sampling, Rhodes, Synths
Virginia Wing - private LIFE
Febuary 2021
Production, Composer, Saxophones / Flutes / Clarinets / Recorders, Bass Guitar, Synths and Pianos
Virginia Wing - Ecstatic Arrow
June 2018
Tenor & Soprano Saxophones, Synthesisers, Fender Rhodes, Co-Writing
Virginia Wing / XAM Duo - Tomorrow's Gift
December 2017
Tenor & Soprano Saxophones, Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes, Melodica, Various Synthesisers, Writing
Deadwall - The Zero Cliff
March 2017
Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, Hammond Organ, Philichorda, Saxophones, Moog Little Phatty, Juno 6, Fender VI, Programming, String Arrangements, Writing
XAM Duo - XAM DUO
November 2016
Tenor & Alto Saxophones, Organs, Synthesisers, Sequencing, Fender Rhodes, writing and production
Live
Live work has included global tours, international festival appearances, radio sessions and guest spots with the likes of James Holden, Yard Act, Hayden Thorpe, Virginia Wing, Hookworms, Drahla, XAM Duo, Modern Nature, Holodrum and many more.
Some Upcoming Stuff...
2022
Hayden Thorpe UK Tour
March
27th - Louisiana - Bristol
28th - Scala - London
30th - Green Door Store - Brighton
31st - YES - Manchester
1st - Rough Trade - Nottingham
Yard Act
May
19th - District - Liverpool
20th - Irish Centre - Leeds
Solo Date
August
26th - Peer Hat, Manchester
Holodrum
September
8th - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds
9th - Future Yard - Birkenhead
10th - Servant Jazz Quarters - London
Drahla UK Tour
17th - 23rd September
Venues TBA
Yard Act UK Tour
November
22nd - Queen Margaret Union - Glasgow
23rd - Newcastle University Students Union - newcastle
24th - O2 Academy - Leeds
25th - O2 Ritz - Manchester
26th - Marble Factory - Bristol
27th - Tramshed - Cardiff
29th - 1865 - Sounthampton
30th - Chalk - Brighton
December
1st - O2 Forum Kentish Town - London
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.
Piano - classical, jazz, contemporary
Keyboards - playing styles, techniques, the studio is full of synthesisers, an upright piano and a Fender Rhodes
Saxophone