Food Foragers

Alan Purves & Mark Lotz: An Emotional Roller Coaster of Imagination

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Food Foragers

Alan Gunga Purves
toy carroussels, wee shakers, sruti boxes, dadabells, hemarimbas, claxons, toy horns, brim bram, balacone, bones, whirlie pipes, tin whistles, clock chimes, frame drum, wee frying pans, etc

Mark Lotz
piccolo, c-, alto-, bass-, pvc contra bass flutes, Indian Bansuri, prepared flute, voice, bird/game calls, fx

<a href="https://markalbanlotz.bandcamp.com/album/food-foragers">Food Foragers by Mark Lotz & Alan Purves</a>

A musical encounter between two free spirits at the height of their artistry. Alan Purves’ percussion and surprising sound objects meet Mark Lotz’s flute family and electronic textures. Together, they embark on a quest for reinvention—music that is sensual, moving, and utterly original.

Purves and Lotz are masters of emotional storytelling. They guide the audience through a whirlwind of feelings, offering glimpses of one emotion before surprising with another. Their performances spark both tears and laughter, captivating listeners with their playful unpredictability.

Their music brims with imagination, free from conventions, always balancing on the edge of discovery.

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Collaborations and Background

Purves and Lotz have a long history of collaboration, working together in Lotz Of Music, Global Village Orchestra, and the Kamil Erdem Quartet, as well as recording duets on two Lotz Of Music albums. Both artists have also released critically acclaimed solo CDs, showcasing their individual mastery.

Performances

The duo has graced stages at renowned events such as the Zomer Jazz Fiets Tour, Vers Festival, Offene Ohren München, Grounds, and Jazz Festival Amsterdam. They’ve also composed and performed live scores for early French experimental films by Jean Epstein and Man Ray at the Eye Museum in Amsterdam.

Concerts often feature solo sets by Lotz or performances with Purves’ alter ego, Gunga, and are sometimes complemented by workshops or masterclasses.

Special Guests

The Lotz/Purves Duo has collaborated with exceptional artists, including:

Gonçalo Lopes (clarinets)
Jörg Brinkmann (cello)
Alfredo Genovesi (guitar, analog effects)
Anton Goudsmit (guitar)
Leszek Hefi Wiśniowski (flute)
Pau Sola Masafrets (cello)
Kenzo Kusuda (dance)

Immerse yourself in a performance where boundaries dissolve, imagination reigns, and music speaks directly to the heart.

On Concerts:

Offene Ohren (Germany)
“They tell an insane story.”

Jazznu (On Jazzfest Amsterdam)
“Created perhaps the most surprising performance of the day.”

WAZ (Germany)
“A royal pleasure as anything else by Mark Alban Lotz and Alan Gunga Purves, who made the jazz carousel spin.”

Freie Klänge
“Completely new listening experience and imagination. Mysterious gentle melodies … What can be heard, however, is an almost spiritual experience: … “

On The CD Food Foragers:

KRO Passagio (The Netherlands)
“Hypnotic as Sirens. Haunting music!“

Longplay (Poland)
“Takes us to an alternative reality, created by music we have never known before.

His Voice (Czech Republic)
“Full of imagination and full-hearted emotions.”

The Whole Note (Canada)
“Intriguing!”

All About Jazz (USA)
“Let’s see—Campfire music? Check. Star gazing music? Check. Dance music? Check. Dream music? Check. Road music? Check. That’s Food Foragers.“

Band Members

Mark Lotz

flutes, Bansuri, fx

Mark Lotz is a flutist who's performances draws listeners in, taking them on a journey of discovery and often seek out surprising and original settings, challenging conventions and expectations. Praised as “one of the world’s top jazz flute players” (Los Angeles Jazz Scene Magazine, USA), Lotz has released 21 albums. His music has received significant industry attention, with extensive radio play and features worldwide. Lotz has collaborated with: Conga legend Miguel ‘Angá’ Diaz, Indian Underground star Najma Akthar, Soloists from Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba, Moldovan viola virtuoso Anatol Steffanet, Romanian accordion icon Petar Ralchev, Tibetan songbird Namgyal Lhamo, Senegalese Fula vocalist Omar Ka. In jazz he has worked with international luminaries such as Chris Potter, Don Byron, David Tronzo, Thomas Strønen, and Istanbul’s avant-garde group Islak Köpek. In the Netherlands, his collaborations include Theo Loevendie, Ernst Reijseger, Han Bennink.

Alan Purves

percussion, toys, brim bram, sound objects

Scottish drummer/percussionist Alan Purves was dreaming of playing drums but no money to afford them, Alan build his own instruments since his early childhood. Within the years now proudly carrying one of the titles: ‘Professor Of Squeakology. His setting contains next to various drums, tin whistles up in his nose, feet and mouth, rubber toys, as well as self made instruments like the Brim Bram. Alan played and recorded with such as: Ernst Reijseger, Palinckx Brothers, Sean Begin, Joe Williamson, Wolter Wierbos, Tobias Delius, John Zorn, Valentin Castrier, Sardinean choir and makes music for Werner Herzog. “Alan Purves is a musician who makes unique music in a phenomenal way.” (Moors Magazine, The Netherlands)