Skaņu Mežs 2025 will happen on October 3-4 at Hanzas Perons (16A Hanzas Street), and tickets can be purchased at https://ej.uz/SM2025. Marking a change in the previously announced festival program, British improvising saxophonist John Butcher will play a solo set on the evening of October 3. In a discussion between the festival and John Butcher, other potential duo partners were discussed, but both sides eventually chose one of Butcher’s iconic performance types - a solo show. Butcher has published around 10 solo recordings, including “Nigemizu”, “Bell Trove Spools” and “The Very Fabric”. https://johnbutcher1.bandcamp.com/album/nigemizu“Needless to say,” writes Japanese journalist Kazue Yokoi, “John Butcher is one of the most talented contemporary saxophone players in the world.