gotta do more: a new recording from heroes, interlopers
heroes, interlopers: Dan Galat, violin, Scott Rubin, viola, Kelly Quesada, cello, Ben Willis, bass
The unconventional string quartet heroes, interlopers, are a product of the Chicago free improvisation community. After meeting through a spontaneous shared performance at the Tangible Music series in Bridgeport, the members of the group developed a repertoire of graphic and text-based scores, which they recorded with engineer Bill Harris at Marmalade, and are presenting as their debut recording, gotta do more.
The thirteen tracks of the album traverse a wide array of emotive spaces, from the abstract structures of Rubin’s Pleasure and Politics, to explosive catharsis in Willis’s String Quartet #1, to lush tonal and playful expressionism in Galat’s Prairie School suite.
The group is seeking a label to collaborate on the release of this project. The goal is a mid-2026 release date, with flexibility. Below is a sampling of five of the track's albums. If you are a label interested in collaborating, get in touch to hear the rest of the tracks.
The thirteen tracks of the album traverse a wide array of emotive spaces, from the abstract structures of Rubin’s Pleasure and Politics, to explosive catharsis in Willis’s String Quartet #1, to lush tonal and playful expressionism in Galat’s Prairie School suite.
The group is seeking a label to collaborate on the release of this project. The goal is a mid-2026 release date, with flexibility. Below is a sampling of five of the track's albums. If you are a label interested in collaborating, get in touch to hear the rest of the tracks.
The full album is newly mixed and mastered by Bill Harris of Amalgam Records. Original album art is being commissioned from Alissa Voth.
About the members of heroes, interlopers:
Dan Galat is active as a violinist, performer, curator, community musician and collaborator across a wide variety of genres and styles. Dan is primarily active working with composers in new music, co-founding the ensemble Missing Piece with cellist Kelly Quesada which has commissioned and premiered dozens of new musical works in collaboration with composers, poets, artists, potters, and filmmakers. Missing Piece performs around the country and in the 2025-2026 season will present their work at Tulane University, Northwestern University, on the Chicago river, and at the Cook County Forest Preserves.
Additionally, Dan has worked with new music ensembles Chicago Composers Orchestra (concertmaster), Fulcrum Point New Music, and Crossing Borders Music. In jazz and third stream music, Dan was awarded a 2024 Illinois Creative Catalyst Grant for Third Stream, a Missing Piece project that commissioned jazz saxophonists Fred Jackson Jr, Mai Sugimoto, and Hunter Diamond to write new works for strings and saxophone. In theater, Dan has worked with New York-based Justin Peck, Sufjan Stevens, and Nathan Koci to premiere Illinoise at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. In puppetry, Dan has collaborated with Manuel Cimema (Future Feeling). Dan has performed with the band Sigur Ros in Chicago as a part of their 2025 world tour.
In service of community music, Dan co-founded Bridgeport Music Collective, a musical space in the South Side of Chicago that provides music education, music therapy, and music performances for the people of Chicago. As a part of Bridgeport Music Collective, Dan was awarded a 2026 Chicago DCASE Neighborhood Access Grant for curation of improvised, classical, and music educational performance series.
Additionally, Dan has worked with new music ensembles Chicago Composers Orchestra (concertmaster), Fulcrum Point New Music, and Crossing Borders Music. In jazz and third stream music, Dan was awarded a 2024 Illinois Creative Catalyst Grant for Third Stream, a Missing Piece project that commissioned jazz saxophonists Fred Jackson Jr, Mai Sugimoto, and Hunter Diamond to write new works for strings and saxophone. In theater, Dan has worked with New York-based Justin Peck, Sufjan Stevens, and Nathan Koci to premiere Illinoise at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. In puppetry, Dan has collaborated with Manuel Cimema (Future Feeling). Dan has performed with the band Sigur Ros in Chicago as a part of their 2025 world tour.
In service of community music, Dan co-founded Bridgeport Music Collective, a musical space in the South Side of Chicago that provides music education, music therapy, and music performances for the people of Chicago. As a part of Bridgeport Music Collective, Dan was awarded a 2026 Chicago DCASE Neighborhood Access Grant for curation of improvised, classical, and music educational performance series.
Scott Rubin is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist and improvising violist whose work interrogates relationships between sound and movement through analog and digital means. His recent projects have involved collaborations with musicians and dancers, often incorporating interactive acoustic/electronic improvisation, expanded performance practices, motion-sensors, and live video. In these projects, he engages themes of intimacy, control, and the sublime.
His recent collaborations have been with Cristal Sabbagh, olula negre, Tuli Bera, Helen Lee, Adam Shead, Amanda Maraist, Haruhi Kobayashi, Chris Knowlton, Irene Hsiao, and Nick Turner, and Rin Peisert. His work has been presented at the Chicago Jazz String Summit, Steppenwolf Theater, Hyde Park Arts Center, Instigation Festival, Elastic Arts, Bimbom Studios, Pivot Arts, IRCAM (Paris, France), Gaudeamus Musicweek (Utrecht, Netherlands), Brick 15 (Vienna, Austria), Theatre Am Lend (Graz, Austria), and Gnesin Contemporary Music Week (Moscow, Russia). More information at scottrubinmusic.com
His recent collaborations have been with Cristal Sabbagh, olula negre, Tuli Bera, Helen Lee, Adam Shead, Amanda Maraist, Haruhi Kobayashi, Chris Knowlton, Irene Hsiao, and Nick Turner, and Rin Peisert. His work has been presented at the Chicago Jazz String Summit, Steppenwolf Theater, Hyde Park Arts Center, Instigation Festival, Elastic Arts, Bimbom Studios, Pivot Arts, IRCAM (Paris, France), Gaudeamus Musicweek (Utrecht, Netherlands), Brick 15 (Vienna, Austria), Theatre Am Lend (Graz, Austria), and Gnesin Contemporary Music Week (Moscow, Russia). More information at scottrubinmusic.com
Kelly Quesada is a cellist based on the south side of Chicago. Active as both an orchestral and chamber musician, Kelly can be seen playing a range of styles, from experimental and new music, to Baroque performance practice, to free improvisation. She is currently the other half of the duo Missing Piece with violinist Dan Galat who endeavor to commission new works and connect to their community, as well as the founding cellist of Tuuli Quartet who perform classic and new quartets throughout the Midwest. Previously, Kelly was principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a founding member of the Delgani String Quartet, and toured as a member of the Portland Cello Project. She has performed throughout the US, appearing at The Green Mill, (le) poisson rouge, Marigny Opera House, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, and Constellation Chicago among many, many more. She has recorded multiple tracks as a session musician and is prominently featured in Invisible Light by the Delgani String Quartet and to e.s. by The Portland Cello Project. New releases are forthcoming, including many newly commissioned works and improvised music. Alongside friends April Hickey and Dan Galat, Kelly co-runs a community space in her neighborhood called Bridgeport Music Collective, offering rehearsal space, music education, performances, and music therapy.
Ben Willis is a musician and artist from the midwest United States, currently based in Osaka, JP. His work centers on improvisation and interdisciplinary collaboration, leading to projects with dancers, visual artists, writers, and performances with dancer Sally Gross, artist Pope.L, and novelist Kathe Koja.
He has been active in the Detroit and Chicago free improvisation, new music, and jazz communities. In 2025, he curated a series of concerts along with pianist Sharon Udoh, and produced an immersive low-string ensemble performance in collaboration with bassist Ro Lundberg and the art space 6018 North. He has performed with numerous improvising artists, including Tatsuya Nakatani, Oluyemi Thomas, Sonya Belaya, Dave Hurley, Michael Malis, Molly Jones, and many more. He also performs live visuals, recently appearing at Chicago’s Constellation with Ishmael Ali’s ensemble and at Detroit’s Concert of Colors with Don Was.
Willis teaches improvisation workshops, advises artists, and has produced recordings with Teiku (577 Records) and Michael Malis for Virago (Made Now Music). He has composed solo works for musicians including Sonya Belaya and Chris Sies.
His solo project subatlantic songs—a theatrical performance for solo amplified double bass and voice—has appeared at Cleveland’s Re:Sound Festival and Detroit’s Strange Beautiful Music. He has recorded multiple albums with Lovely Socialite and saajtak, and frequently performs with the art-rock/post-punk band Throwaway in the US and Japan. Throwaway’s rock opera Odyssey is currently in post-production.
He has been active in the Detroit and Chicago free improvisation, new music, and jazz communities. In 2025, he curated a series of concerts along with pianist Sharon Udoh, and produced an immersive low-string ensemble performance in collaboration with bassist Ro Lundberg and the art space 6018 North. He has performed with numerous improvising artists, including Tatsuya Nakatani, Oluyemi Thomas, Sonya Belaya, Dave Hurley, Michael Malis, Molly Jones, and many more. He also performs live visuals, recently appearing at Chicago’s Constellation with Ishmael Ali’s ensemble and at Detroit’s Concert of Colors with Don Was.
Willis teaches improvisation workshops, advises artists, and has produced recordings with Teiku (577 Records) and Michael Malis for Virago (Made Now Music). He has composed solo works for musicians including Sonya Belaya and Chris Sies.
His solo project subatlantic songs—a theatrical performance for solo amplified double bass and voice—has appeared at Cleveland’s Re:Sound Festival and Detroit’s Strange Beautiful Music. He has recorded multiple albums with Lovely Socialite and saajtak, and frequently performs with the art-rock/post-punk band Throwaway in the US and Japan. Throwaway’s rock opera Odyssey is currently in post-production.
