DUNCE

is the alias of South London based musician and artist Tom Armstrong. Primarily equipped with his trumpet and 4-track tape machine, the project explores avant-garde jazz, free improvisation and ambient territory. What began as a solo venture often utilises a wide network of friends and musicians from the London underground music scene. A co-creator of the experimental improvisation collective ‘Exchange’, member of no-wave jazz punk outfit ‘Findom’, and ‘Late Works’ contributor, DUNCE has shared lineups with Jerkcurb, Robbie & Mona and members of Caroline.

HOW TO SOUND A BRACKET [SINGLE] 10th September 2025

South London’s DUNCE returns with How to Sound a Bracket, a new standalone work made in collaboration with Late Works, featuring contributions from Henry Nicholson and Elliott Batten.
Spanning just over seven minutes, the piece captures DUNCE’s shift toward a more outward, physical sound. Built from extended improvisation it channels the restless energy of the live band into a single, collaged form.

At its centre is a remarkably expressive electric guitar, carrying much of the piece’s emotional heft, carving out space between trumpet, electronics, and tape textures with a lyrical intensity that feels both restrained and raw.

How to Sound a Bracket marks a departure from the introspective tone of previous releases like IT AM, offering a more immediate and collaborative gesture. It stands alone, but also opens a door to the next chapter of DUNCE - an upcoming full-length project currently in progress.

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