Offset Needle Radius

Last East Coast Engagement: New Year's at 119 Gallery

2011-12-18T14:00:00.004-05:00

This will be the final performance just a week before Eli and I drive West. I'll perform with Grau Garten, one last time until next winter. This will be an all out blast out with Id M Theft ABle, Crank Sturgeon, the return of Birdorgan, as well as others. Gallery is at 119 Chelmsford, Lowell, MA. THe show will get started around 6 I think. For more information go to the 119 Gallery website: http://www.119gallery.org/?page_id=7161
Video of Crank Sturgeon at 119 Gallery New Year's Eve 2008:

Sun Worship XI at BUOY Gallery; 12/17/2011

2011-12-18T13:33:00.005-05:00

Last night concluded the quarterly series I've curated for the past three years. For three years every three months I have accumulated some of the most inspiring performers I've had the honor to know and call friends in New England. For this final installment I brought together some really special people. The night started off with Id M Theftable. Just two days off the plane from a tour of England, tired, disoriented, jet-lagged, he was fantastic. Voices came from him that seemed impossible from such a body as his.

Second was the trio Los Condenados. A firey fury of electronic sounds melded with the vocalizings of Andrea Pensado and the horn playing of Jules Vasylenko. Walter Wright provided controlled electronic chaos via his various circuit boards of noise. Third round was Eric Dahlman and Eric Nugent of the Auddity trio, performing as Eric and Eric or Audd. Next up we had bunq present a film strip about little boy who wanted to be an artist. Then Crank Sturgeon. Next I performed with Dei and Marc Bisson, an homage to my first show in Manchester, at the old M.A.P. gallery. With only three people in the audience we decided to just perform together as one set. That started a lot of things for me in the New England free improvisation community. Greg Kowalski projected on the wall behind us and all that was missing was Steve Norton, our horn player/percussion guru who couldn't make it as he was performing in Somerville at the time. After our set came Skinny Vinny. They are always a crowd pleaser and are able to cross boundries and offer something people can relate to. And unlike many of these performers whom the uninitiated may not be able to discern whether or not they are educated in their line of performance, or whether they are novices or seasoned veterans, Skinny Vinny is easily identifiable as two performers who know their chops. Another demonstration by bunq defining the Winter Solstice and describing some of the traditions around it, as well as sacrificing a stuffed dog and distributing beef jerkey from amongst the synthetic fill. The evening concluded with 2/3 of Mystic Out Bop, Kit and Frank Turek. It was one of the best Sun Worship events I could recall, the Winter Solstice always being my favorite and seeming to involve some excellent performances. I look forward to visiting in the future and setting up the occasional Sun Worship show. And who knows, somebody might carry on the tradition once I'm gone. But I don't think it will be quite the same. Thanks to all who have come to perform or witness this special event. It's really meant more to me than I can put into words. The series has been a way I was able to participate both in the free improvisation community and the local community in Kittery, melding the two, trying to present art to this area that has been inspiring me. And now it is time for another chapter.

Time Slipping, Final Performances in New England

2011-12-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

Time speeds up when the dance card is filled. I made the announcement to fellow Grau Garten members after a performance at 119 Gallery, Lowell back in August. It didn't go over so well. We'd all been finding our voice collectively, feeling where we fit in with each other. Now I change the plans.
Now in December, time is running out and I've been performing as much as possible before we depart.
Last night was a long evening at the Flandrew Flopera on Congress Street Boston. 10 sets, projections, etc. I performed solo sound second to last. Friend and projectionist Greg Kowalski accompanied me. Other sets of note were Marc Bisson in a quartet with Joshua Jefferson, Morgan the violinist, and a trumpeter I hadn't seen before, topless Dei wrapped in christmas lights with Crank Sturgeon self inflicting sneezing fits with black pepper liberally consumed. Oroboros with Dave Seidel electronics and Bill Bacon drums and flutes, Greg Kowalski doing an incredible mapping projection on the window spines in the loft. Walter Wright, Lou, and Joe Bourgio squalking, squeeking, shuttering, buzzing, moving.
The weekend prior was at the Wombat Zone in Somerville, former home to the Combat Zone punk house. The show was on the tail of a Russian party that hadn't yet concluded which meant a night of coming and going and incredibly over packed impossible enviornment. Set up was stressful and I was convinced I would leave something behind at the end of the night. But all that stress made for a great set, all of us packed into the kitchen, my speaker and Greg's projector perched on top of the refrigerator. Our set was concise, the three of us sounding off of eachother. I taped Marc's guitar to my mic'd wheel 3/4 of the way through until he was helpless in my packing tape web! Not a bad final show for the next 12 months. I have promised to return and visit and set up shows while back East in the future.
That was a long night. I dropped Greg off at home in Newburyport after 3am. Then I had another half an hour drive to get home to Kittery Point. The cold I had the previous day was raging the following morning.
Prior to that evening was our November 20th show at the Whitehaus. Eli and I had just come off a grueling bike swap trip in Dundee, MA. We drove from Dundee to Jamaica Plain where we delivered some bikes and components off at Bikes Not Bombs. From there we found the Whitehaus with help from Steve Norton. Eli and I were hours early and killed the extra time wandering the meandering streets of JP. Eventually we returned to find Steve, Greg, Marc and Dave Bacon in the living room setting up. Another great set, again consolidated into a confined space. 2/3 of the way though the set Marc Bisson was on the floor infront of my table when I became unamplified. For the remainder of the set the packing tape was flying every which way with some percussion elements.
It's an emotional time approaching our departure date, spending last evenings with friends in a performance scene unique and so rich compared to other similar scenes around the country. Something really special is happening in Northern New England and I have been so lucky to be a part of it. As I've told everybody, we will be back and Grau Garten will continue. But few and far between will be these moments. Out there in the West is another chapter in my life that has yet to begin. I know it will be rich and it will change me in some ways I am not yet aware of. I know to simply trust in the future and my will to continue growing and evolving as an artist and human.

Could it be? SUN WORSHIP 10 Comes To BUOY Gallery

2011-09-05T15:11:00.006-04:00

Coming up soon is the 10th installation of the quarterly series known as Sun Worship. The series has been dedicated to bringing the work of performance artists involved in free improvisation to the Seacoast area for two and a half years now.
Sun Worship Series::: http://offsetneedlesound.blogspot.com/p/sun-worship-history.html
BUOY Gallery::: http://www.buoygallery.org/

For this particular Sun Worship event I have imposed a restriction on the performers to present work without the aid of electricity. This is not only a way to celebrate those artists who already have been able to present works unaided by electric current, but also challenge those of us that have thus far relied on it.

Two such artists are pioneers of the experimental music field from New York, Tom Hamilton and Al Margolis. Long time friends Tom and Al have performed all over the world together. This will be a very special one of a kind installation by these two who have been developing their set specially for this acoustic version of Sun Worship.
Tom Hamilton::: http://www.myspace.com/dataday
Al Margolis::: http://ifbwana.com/content/bio

Horn blower, percussion percussor and visual artist Steve Norton will be bringing his group Kilter to BUOY. Steve has been playing free improvised music and other means of audio expression for decades. He is an expert in knowing when, what, and just how much.
Kilter::: http://www.rednotebook.org/music/kilter.html

A Boston group that celebrates their non electric eccentric with every performance is Skinny Vinny. I'm going to take a guess that this will be a 4th participation for The Skin Vins at Sun Worship. Their sound has momentum!
Skinny Vinny::: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35433

I was hoping to be joined by trumpet player Forbes Graham but alas he is in Europe and will not be attending. Bicycle wheels will be summoned for sound with or without aid from another sounder. (Instead I performed with an amended version of a group I am part of, Grau Garten. Missing was Greg Kowalski, participating were Steve Norton, Marc Bisson, Dave Bacon, and Dei Xrist)

Another Boston trumpeter and returning artist Eric Dahlman has let me know he will be able to participate and will be accompanied by friend Erik Nugent.

And the latest addition is William Jasper and friend Myles. William and Myles are 14. William and his siblings have performed around Portsmouth for years and it will be an honor to include them at this 10th Sun Worship event.

BUOY Gallery has been very generous to share their space and host the Sun Worship Series for the past two years. Please come, bring some beverages, a donation, something to share, an open mind and ears. This event is sure to be a memorable and moving experience.

Upcomming Offset Needle Radius Stuff...

2011-08-07T12:19:00.004-04:00

Upcoming events of bicycle wheel and whatever elseness coming down the pike around New England. Next up will be

FRANTASIA FEST 8 up in Livermore Falls. Yes, it's time for another three day bonanza/residency/thingy up in sleepy town Livermore Falls, Maine, hosted by the generous people Fran and Kathleen Szostek. Fran is absolutely tireless in assembling these three day events, a process that takes a year of work and much sacrifice to put together. This year brings the added feature of a partnership with the music department at UMaine Farmington. The first night of Frantasia will take place at a performance space on the University campus while Friday and Saturday nights will continue the tradition of taking place in Livermore Falls' Treat Memorial Library building, right on the main drag.

Offset Needle Radius will be the second set Friday evening, just after the Skinny Vinny thingy.

NEXT appearance will be as part of the Grau Garten trio at 119 Gallery in Lowell, Mass. Grau Garten has performed in a few different mutations and in it's full capacity consists of Steve Norton on sax, horns, and various other wind thingies and percussive stuff, Marc Bisson on guitar slinky, and other things, Greg Kowalski performing improvised projected visuals and myself on the bicycle wheels and perhaps a few other elements.

The following night will bring the 10th edition of Sun Worship at BUOY Gallery, Kittery. This is a special ALL ACOUSTIC edition which will challenge those of us who regularly rely on amplification for our performances while coming naturally to those whose sound sources are acoustically amplified.

Please come out to experience some of these amazing performances. There is always something for everyone and a chance to witness some out of the ordinary creative expression.

Friday may 13::: YDLMIER Tape Releaes Show, BOSTON

2011-05-11T10:21:00.005-04:00

In February I recorded over 2 hours of material to be released on the exclusive YDLMIER cassette label. The result is the 47 minute cassette entitled "Spoke Tension". Friday May 13 will be the release show, hosted by YDLMIER at the Flandrew Floft in Boston. Greg Kowalski will be performing free improvised projections with me. Other cassettes being released and performances by:

Moon Climb The Wall
http://www.myspace.com/moonclimbthewall

Ghost In Salad
http://www.myspace.com/ghostsalad

Pataphor
http://www.myspace.com/pataphorband

After May 13 I will have a handful of cassettes for sale for $6 in person, $7 in the mail.

UPDATE::: Here is video from the performance recorded by Greg Kowalski:::

Sun Worship 8 at BUOY March 19th

2011-03-08T23:34:00.004-05:00

I am very excited for the 8th in the Sun Worship Series. Not only because the line up consists of performers whose work I truly hold in high regard, and that some of these performers have become my friends. But Sun Worship 8 concludes two years of the series. Two years is not so long to be doing something. But in the early days I really had no idea if I could pull something like this off. Now it's two years later. Thank You BUOY!
This Sun Worship takes place of the night of the Super Moon, a full moon while the moon passes above the closest it's been in 18 years. Scientists studying the moon's influence on our planet report an increased incident of earthquakes, unusually high tides, and volcanic activity during a Super Moon occurrence. This will obviously have an affect on the energy on Saturday night which will be intense. Come experience some intense energies at BUOY! If you're unsure about coming out to be at a public occasion, wear a mask or costume. Or stand out under the intensity of the super moon light watch through the window. But please if you can donate a buck or two for out of town performers its much appreciated...

Andrea Pensado has ventured off into solo and occasional collaborative performance since the disbanding of her previous duo QUFUQ DUO. Overheard recently at XFest where she performed with guitarist Dave Ross and Lou Cohen, a comment about the brief description of Andrea's work: laptop. Her performance goes vastly beyond what comes to mind when imagining a performer behind the laptop generating sound. Andrea uses her voice and passion with screams, screeches and subtler sounds to create sound pieces that range from static and gentle vocalizations to harsh high decibel intensity.

Crank Sturgeon for those uninitiated, earned himself a reputation for public nudity and being a nonsensical nut over the 20 years he has been performing. I know him as an extremely approachable fellow that transforms into a half fish half human sound scientist who has assembled some unpredictable experiments to share with his audience. His performances are constantly changing incorporating various props and special effects as well as audience participation.

Steve Norton is an expert player of many horns who has been tooting around Boston for a stack of decades. He partakes in many Boston area groups such as Duck That!, and Metal And Glass Ensemble. He has enlisted floutest Matt Samolis who is credited with founding Metal And Glass Ensemble among many other great honors.

Eric Dahlman is a Boston area horn player who incorporates various other acoustic sound elements to his improvised performance. Horns, some common some strange like the two headed horn, wind up toys, aluminum foil, all thrown into the mix. Performances I have seen of Eric's I would describe as gentle, playful at times. Sometimes angular and generative.

Dave Seidel spent 10 years playing electric guitar in New York's New Music scene, and playing some killer gigs at that. Now he lives in Peterborough and performs primarily on computer using CSound to generate compelling drones of sound that hook one's attention and then pulls the listener through a transformative listening experience. Is it magic? Is it hypnotism?

Joshua DeScherer was granted his PhD for music composition from Buffalo University in 2009. I first heard him perform an unusual piece written for voice and double bass at Frantasia Festival that same year. He's been teaching music in Portland and working on repurposing electronic toys and studying the sound qualities of dismembered vinyl Lp's. I am looking forward to finding out what he might bring to his first Sun Worship event.

Art from the 2011 Art-PM Challenge will be showing in BUOY Gallery at the same time.

This will be the second consecutive Sun Worship event which I will not be performing at. Offset Needle Radius will be back for the following two Sun Worships. June will be the Divisible By 3 Sun Worship 9 on 06/18, comprised of all trios with the live projections of Greg Kowalski. I will be performing with Steve Norton and birdorgan's Marc Bisson.
Sun Worship 10 will be all acoustic in which I will perform a duo with trumpeter Forbes Graham.

Stay tuned and thank the Sun.

Self Torture Mental Sickness

2011-03-05T14:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of XFest, a mash up of musicians from the area with some visitors from NYC and Montreal. Each set is comprised of two regional and one visiting performer. Nothing is predetermined, all music or sound pieces created on the spot. As with last year I performed in the first set of the festival with a trumpet player from Boston I really admire and a guitarist from NYC.

All day I was tearing myself up, wondering what the hell I was doing devoting my time for creative expression to performing these sound collages on bicycle wheels. Is it any good? Is there some relevance to what I'm doing? Or is it misguided garbage just pissing away the energy into the dumpster? I was really being hard on myself. Then we got down to the 119 Gallery where it all takes place and I saw Walter who curates the festival. And Skot Id M from Portland. Eli came with me too. I set up and then came Forbes and the guitarist.

Anyhow, we played and there were some truly magic moments there and all my self torture just melted away. I have a posse and they were all there. Later in the evening another fellow sound explorer performed on a couple of small cardboard boxes bound together with rubber bands and a coffee can hanging from his mic stand by a piece of wire. It's good to have community, even the nuts need it.

Nortwest Campaign Complete:::

2011-02-07T13:32:00.001-05:00

   Saturday February 5th concluded the performances for this trip to the Northwest, with a live broadcast on KPSU 1450am in Portland, Oregon. Listen to the streaming archive HERE. (See Ricardo Wang's digital photos of the performance HERE:::)The good news is that we were on time to the station at 11 am having left Seattle at 7. Sleep deprived and coffee sweat induced for sure. The previous night's escapades were a performance in Seattle's Gallery 1412 with Jane who sang her heart felt banjo and accordion tunes as Cowlick. After the Offset Needle Radius set I answered questions for about 15 minutes about my performance and free improvisation in general. Fun fun and fun.
   The good times began with a live set on KAOS Radio Olympia on Richard Sinclair's Dancing In Circles radio show Tuesday night Feb. 1st. I was still under the throws of a nasty cold. But despite that and written quarrels with the parking cops, the radio expose itself was a great time with Eli in the studio taking photos and trying not to snag the many cables that criss crossed through the air.
   All in all Offset Needle Radius had great receptions in all three venues and it just goes to show determination is a great tool. All these performances were booked within two week's time. Next year I'll plan ahead and really get something together.

:::Offset Needle Radius LIVE on the radio:::

2011-01-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

Through a fierce last minute campaign to drum up some performance opportunities in the Northwest I've been offered two live on air slots. Although I have guest engineered on live radio and played in a band live on the radio, this will be a first for Offset Needle Radius.

To hear streaming broadcasts, check out KAOS Radio Olympia for the Dancing In Circles radio show 9 to 11pm Pacific (Midnight to 2am Eastern) and to KPSU Radio Portland for the What's This Called? show on Saturday February 5th 12 noon to 1pm (3-4pm Eastern).

Northwest Territories, Here Comes Offset Needle Radius:::

2011-01-22T22:51:00.001-05:00

Last minute preparations and attempts to try and squeeze just a couple of performance opportunities out of the Northwest has so far resulted in one booking so far, for Friday February 4th at Gallery 1412. The show will be 8pm with local acoustic songster Cowlick. I will be spinning, soothing, and torturing the steel wheels generously donated by my friend and once co worker Matt Cardinal.

Unfortunately my timing for a visit to the Northwest is not quite ideal as I seem to be fitting my time there in between the "Is That Jazz?" festival and the Seattle Improvised Music festival. So it goes. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring it to Seattle in any capacity. Thanks to the generous people at Gallery 1412.

Gallery 1412 is located at 1412 18th Avenue in Seattle between Pike and Union. If you are reading this, I hope you'll come check it out:::

Bonus Track from Impending Release

2011-01-10T11:58:00.001-05:00

Fionas Week was recorded over a week residency in Concord, NH in January 2010. I set up in the kitchen of the house and recorded every night. Instrumentation consisted of the 700c one cross pattern bicycle wheel mounted on the Park TS 2 stand, as well as Fiona's collection of instruments for little people including miniature piano, plastic keyboard xylophone, whistles, mini cassette recorders, and a buddha box. This track was a bonus that didn't make it onto the final album but is none the less a good example of the recordings.
Whatever T.W.T.D by OffsetSound

Mastering is being done in Brooklyn by Andrew Gerhan, layout assistance from Michael Winters, inside photograph by Eli Thompson, 2010. Released on Wow Cool -vs- Offset Sounds Recordings

2 Lous + Greg Kowalski

2010-12-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

Video by Greg Kowalsky. He is manipulating projections in real time as 2Lous performs off to the side. The sculptures seen were constructed out of salvaged materials by Peter Donovan and myself.

Performance Audio from Oct. 23 2010

2010-12-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

As has been their tradition Lou Bunk and Lou Cohen who host Somerville Massachusetts' Open Sound Series, have posted a recording of my set on October 23rd. This is the first time I've been able to listen back to a live performance. Interesting. Here's the LINK to listen. This performance was in stereo. However, my home stereo currently is mono so I can't attest to the stereo effect on this recording. Enjoy...

Sun Worship VII on the Horizion

2010-11-22T20:07:00.004-05:00

Sun Worship no. 7 is coming up in less than four weeks! I have to admit, the Winter Solstice one is my favorite. And just days after this event, we will be treated to a full moon on the solstice.

The Sun Worship is going to be a bit more work than usual but I'm looking forward to the results. Based on the collaborative participation effect Laura Lulof's installation had on the previous Sun Worship event, it seemed like it just wouldn't be the same to go back to the same old Buoy Gallery for the next one. So I have enlisted area artists Peter Donovan, Al Mead, and Greg Kowalski to help transform the space once again into another collaborative installation. Performers that evening will include Peace, Loving from Jamaica Plain, after a very heavy year of touring. Also appearing will be Maine's veterans of improvisational sound, Mystic Out Bop Review, Walter Wright's Loup Garou, Lou Bunk and Lou Cohen from the Open Sound series in Somerville will bring 2Lous, and of course, an installation of the Offset Needle Radius. Greg Kowalski (previously of Qfwfq Duo) will be returning to add beautiful improvised projections throughout the evening. Come one come all to another convergence of the Sun Worship!

Copies of the poster on heavy semi-gloss paper will be available for purchase at the event or get in touch with me.

Balloons, Bicycles, and Bodies::: Offset Needle Radius opening for Judy Dunaway Dec. 4th

2010-10-25T15:15:00.017-04:00

When::: Saturday December 4th, 8pm

Where::: Andrew's Loft, 381 Congress Street Boston

Andrew Eisenberg has extended a great invitation to me which I thankfully accept. I'll be performing on a bill with internationally known Judy Dunaway at Andrew Eisenberge's loft on Saturday December 4th. The theme of this event is "Balloons, Bicycles, and Bodies". Fulfilling the Bodies portion will be Bodydrama - movement by Joe Burgio , Rachael Rosner, Betty Wang; sound by Lou Cohen, Matt Samolis, Walter Wright.

Judy Dunaway has explored New Music utilizing balloons as primary sound source since the late 1980's. She's perfomed with many vetrans of New York's New Music movement since the late 80's and has written over 40 pieces of music for balloon.

Find more artists like Judy Dunaway at MySpace Music

Judy is currently a visiting lecturer for the Massachusetts College of Art in the Art History department.
Andrew's loft is at 381 Congress Street in Boston. This space used to be the Mobius offices. Show up around 8.

View Larger Map

Come and Gone::: Octoer 23rd at THird LIfe STudio Union Square SOmerville

2010-10-25T13:58:00.004-04:00

   THe long awaited Offset Needle Radius Somerville premier has happened. My sincere thanks to Lou Cohen and Lou Bunk for hosting the series and inviting me to participate.
   Weeks prior to found me in the studio after work, casting into the night's dark embrace working on the expanded vocabulary of my untrue cast of spoked hoops, new movement, new sounds, new dialogue.
    The night concluded with the participants packing gear, brief conversations, and hauling equipment out to vans and cars parked outside on Somerville Avenue. It was probably around 11pm. The last performance was birdorgan, accompanied by Laurie Amat on vocalizations and Lucio Menegon a.k.a. Kingtone on prepared guitar. Diedre was off on an island off the Maine Coast creating her own mayhem for the evening.
   Prior to birdorgan and friends was Shawn Greenlee of Providence. He triggered sounds utilizing a lit sensor picking up color and shape drawn on a piece of paper at close range, fed into a laptop and then amplified on a fender 212 Combo and GK solid state amp into some stacked 6/10 speaker cabinet. The computer screen lit with waves of distorted color accompanying a shrill distorted scream of tones in unison.
   After my set and a brief repose the duo of Noell Dorsey and Brendan Murray performed a piece for two voices , crash symbol, tom drum and synths.
   I built a few new piezo contact mics and taped them down good to 50cm x75cm plastic sheets Dei Xrist had bestowed upon me weeks prior. Bicycle wheels were rolled on the floor like boomerang yoyos try as they might to return to the Master's warm hand, lose momentum until succumbing to a slow motion wobble dance until a crescendo of metallic death cry ends in still silence the wheel looses all vibration. The hand grabs and returns it to life to repeat this ritual again, again, with the others rolling and crashing. Plastic contact sheets on the wall and floor a wheel finds its way and rests there with aggressive hisses now amplified the metal scrapes along the plastic sheet. A metal rod produced assists in each spoke speaking its harmonic identity. They rang and hissed each with its own 11/32nds out of tune with its neighbor. Subtle input from two other wheels resting aside the A/V cart which was also amplified. Onto the Aalpa Wheel, the First and Best of them, atop the TS 2. It blobbered, trickled, cackled and swooned in a outpour of emotions for nearly 10 minutes.
   In all performed for about 30 minutes. It felt good, complete, not rushed nor bullied from the switch in the line up from third position to first. After my eminent start was announced I stood bent in half holding my charges silently at my side until the room settled down to a pre dawn hush of 60Hz. THen they began to roll and tumble as I described.
   It was the first test of a pair of JBL Eon 15 G2's I picked up in Woburn on the way down. I met George in a large ballroom linened for a wedding party of 95. Staff milled about the empty room making small adjustments to the setting. George was the wedding D.J. that night and he had some Rock Classique howling threw them. I didn't need the demonstration. I knew what I was getting. Setting them up at the THird Life Studio I noticed one of the volume pots was seriously fucked up scratchy. It was a little annoying at the time but I don't mind in the long run. I'll fix it when I've finally had enough.
   Eli and I opted to leave the van where it lay, a block away on Bow Street. Might as well as I've already gotten the parking ticket, a reward for not feeding the meter that hid in complete dark blackness beneath the tree beside the van. I had no idea those meters were nocturnal.
   After circling the globe over and over in tighter offset radii until we were circling around Union Square looking for a landing, getting off course, righting ourselves, and finally exiting the vessel. That's when I wish I had noticed the unreadable writing on the shadowed toll troll demanding rent on the curb I had taken. But I didn't . Instead Eli and I crossed the street and walked, in search of food. In a window was Marc Bisson, Mike Daily, and their friend and a third of Prehistoric Horse, Lucio Menegon.
   They were eating large fresh looking sandwiches full of stuff. Food friendship and information all in one stop. Birdorgan was just off a week trip down to NYC for a few performances and Lucio had just performed at 119 Gallery the previous evening.
   I failed at Boston navigation once again, guessing in leu of street signage as seems to be the tradition. I think it may be necessary to mature there or at least drink the water for an extended period to gain the homing pigeon extra sense of locality to efficiently navigate the paved cow paths Boston is built on. No matter the hassle of hunting for signs denoting our current and desired location I am always glad to be in the heart, just a curb away from being swept along with the trash in the street. It is eye opening alive and complex. Next time I'm bringing along a map. THat will be December 4th at Andrew Isenberg's loft at 381 Congress Street in Boston propa. See you then.

   If you're lost and looking for a specific location in Boston, just remember::: it's right next to the Dunkin Donuts.

10----------10----------10----------

2010-10-08T20:00:00.006-04:00

Our favorite stressed out fish Crank Sturgeon has put together a last minute celebration to mark the coming of the Three Wise Tens, this Sunday October 10th, 2010. Wait, if I'm correct, the date on that very day will be 10/10/10! How could it be! It must surely be a universal convergence. But what does that date really represent? It's been ten years, ten months and ten days since Y2K! 2000, a new era of stuff that, well, is a lot like stuff before but more faster and techier.
Performing their interpretation of the significant convergence of 10's will be

Offset Needle Radius
Galen Richmond
Mystic Out-Bop Review
Id m theft able
Andrea Pensado
Walter Wright & Setheyney (Satan)
Crank Sturgeon
Skinny Vinny

I am sharpening 10 bicycle wheels to be wielded as ancient weapons to defend the Trifecta of 10's from outside subvergence. Come see me spin, scatter, roll and tape these ten beasts of sacrificial offering.This will take place at Apohadion Theatre

107 Hanover St

Portland, ME

Crank Sturgen metamorphosizes

Crank's 10 Heartbeats

Andrea Pensado lets out the demons

Offset Needle Radius hones in on some bicycle wheel magic

All the players played

Pictures by Elizabeth Thompson

Things will(didn't) begin promptly at 8pm so don't fuck around.

Sun Worship VI Taking(taken::) Shape

2010-09-03T16:39:00.005-04:00

Hot on the tails of another Frantasia Festival is the 6th edition of Sun Worship Series. This time Mercury will still be recovering from a retrograde session of confusion and adding to that sensation is an installation at our host gallery Buoy. The installation is by Brooklyn artist Lauren Luloff. The space is broken up with colorful walls of laminated fabric with occasional windows and portals. Should be interesting- and I like interesting.

Photos by Elizabeth Thompson

On the bill was Id M Theft Able, Skinny Vinny, some such configuration of Birdorgan, and the post accident return of Offset Needle Radius, Improvised projections by Greg Kowalski. At the conclusion of Id M Theft Able's set, a chorus of mayhem ensued created by all of the evening's participants.
This was first Sun Worship not to occur on a SUNday. Instead, it will be happening on SATurday September Eighteenth. SO no more excuses. Come experience fringe sound art in an otherwise well hemmed arts community.

Frantasia 2010, Still Maine's Largest Festival of "OUt" Music

2010-08-26T10:15:00.003-04:00

   Just a day before Frantasia 2010 was to begin, I called curator Fran Szostek to tell him Offset Needle Radius would not be performing. With my hands still battered from a bicycle accident on June 23rd, I was not prepared physically or mentally to perform. My spirit was damaged in that crash, debilitating my hands, making everything I do difficult or impossible. After six weeks of physical therapy the hands have improved, at least the right hand has. The left is still not much better than it was soon after the accident. Self pity aside, I do feel lucky that I still have five fingers on each hand and they each can do at least a little something.
    I was rolling into Livermore Falls at about 6 on Friday August 19th under grey velvet skies. I love turning the corner and crossing the bridge into Livermore Falls, the lonely little town seemingly unaware of the annual festival that takes place here, drawing talented performers of fringe music from all across the Northeast.
   At Fran and Kathleen's house, I found Walter Wright, Joe Burshio, Kathleen, Noel Walsh, as well as meeting a few new people on the walk down to the Livermore Falls public library that would host this year's festival.
   Nights full of a wide range of music, primarily consisting of experimental free improv, New music, performed by exceptional musicians dedicated to this fringe form of creative expression. Crank Sturgeon Andrew from Skinny Vinny, Audrey Chen and her son Ivan, Walter Wright's Apocolypso Trio with Id M THeftable, all Friday night, here in this small auditorium beneath the library, just off the main drag in this small paper mill town.
   Inside there are sounds created in the moment, some that will only be heard in this fleeting moment. People sit quietly in folding chairs witnessing this performance carefully watching, noting how these objects sing when in the hands of the performers. Each year returning performers return with further reaching, intentional depth learned from the previous year. We come and learn how to be free from the confines of popular music. We come and share the results of our work, to show how far we have come in twelve moths.
   Outside dimly lit by a street lamp, below street level parking lot tucked behind the post office and library, walled in by a jungle of overgrown August weeds and trees. People are talking, catching up, reuniting after having not seen each other since last year's Frantasia. They are missing something happening inside, or watching through the open door to the stage.
   One can not or at least shouldn't try to absorb every sound wave emanated in a night, over-taxing one's ability to really hear what is happening. Breaks and rests are necessary to recharge. There is too much going on in each moment to take it all in. My ears take in the masters, performing sets I wouldn't want to miss for anything, live music that will be unlike anything I've experienced. Other sets are performed by the learners, the listeners, studiers, still finding their sound, still learning how to hear, not quite having yet learned to let go, to channel.
   Showing up a day late to the beginning of this year's Frantasia leaves me feeling not quite fulfilled at the conclusion of the weekend. Where as last year I was present for the entire event, this year I felt as if I could have benefited from just a little more.
   Spending those three days together at meals, workshops, nightly performances, a feeling of belonging to a sort of extended family sets in. Sharing a devotion to and appreciation of fringe sound has found us together each year here at this unlikely venue. Frantasia is a festival, a musician's retreat, a family reunion, brought together by a special person Fran Szostek with the help of his wife Kathleen. For more information and sign up, follow link HERE>>>

Sun Worship V, The One That Almost Got Away

2010-07-03T12:22:00.001-04:00

Feverishly trying to keep up with springtime work volumes at the bike shop took precedence over creative endevers. That meant that planning for the fifth Sun Worhsip event suffered. So I was even more grateful for the performers who were able to rally with only two weeks notice. Eric Dhalman was able to enlist a friend on guitar and bass to accompany him on horns, whistles, and various light treats. Although Joshua Jefferson was not in the area to join in, Steve Norton and Angela Sawyer were up for a performance and brought their elaborate collection of bird calls, horns, electronics. They performed an extensive and dynamic set moving through various textures and intensities. Birdorgan was complete again with percussionist Mike Daley who incorporated his crutches in the first performance since he crashed his scooter. Lighting up their set was Greg Kowalski from Qfwfq Duo, projecting real time abstract images across the group and wall behind. I brought along the bicycle wheel, electronics, etc., for a performance of Offst Needle Radius that was somewhat eclipsed by bunq's implosion of various objects, crumpled paper, balancing sticks, toys, etc.
In all, the evening was another great night of free improv performance. September will bring Sun Worship VI, will be the first Sun Worship event to take place on a Saturday, and will no doubt be great. So write it on your calender, September 18th: Sun Worship VI!

Sunday April 11th:::Ecco Fatto, Speet Silex from France, Coming To Buoy Gallery

2010-03-29T21:24:00.002-04:00

Ecco Fatto is a year old duo comprised of Emmanuel Lalande and Jean-Paul Buisson. Their sound is comprised of improvised material derived from a piano sound board and the inner workings of an electronic piano. Examples of the results sound sparce, dark, dream-like sound/wave patterns, as a soundtrack to the moving waves of color one sees after minutes of being conscious with one's eyes closed. Click on one of the blue bars to hear examples.

Ecco Fatto photo by Elizabeth Thompson

Frank of Mystic Out Bop Review, photo by Elizabeth Thompson

Skinny Vinny photo by Elizabeth Thompson

   Accompanying Ecco Fatto on this visit to the United States, will be Speet Silex, which was a late addition and unfortunately, I have no information to offer other than THIS.
   Also on the bill will be Mystic Out Bop Review, a trio of musicians from Maine who have just celebrated a 10-year anniversary. Plus Joshua Jefferson from Skinny Vinny and Duck That! will bring his group Hospice for the 300.
   Again, this will be on Sunday, April 11th. Doors are at 7:00PM and I hope to get the show started around 7:30. Donations are requested to offset the costs to performers and the gallery.

Offset Sounds with Marc Bisson Friday Apr. 2nd, 119 Gallery

2010-03-24T22:06:00.002-04:00

   Prepared guitarist Marc Bisson of birdorgan and I will collaborate for a set at 119 Gallery on Friday April 2nd. The evening will feature a performance by Stutter Inst. from Switzerland. Marc and I have collaborated on three occasions now, most recently at the Buoy Gallery in Kittery as part of Sun Worship IV. Each time we come together, our communication evolves as it twists and turns around our contrasting sound vocabularies. Come listen to the resulting sounds combined.
   119 Gallery is at 119 Chelmsford St. in Lowell, Massachusetts. The gallery will open its doors around 7 pm. Donations are requested to offset costs to performers and the gallery.
   In addition to performing with Marc Bisson, I will be premiering a new visual time-based art piece at 119 Gallery. The work has just been completed, titled, Spring Trim, and features sculpted hair atop my head. This will be the first public showing of this piece, which will be an ongoing work as the hair grows thus slowly changing over the weeks and months to come.

Sun Worship IV Flier

2010-03-12T12:58:00.002-05:00

Sun Worship IV IS Coming: Sunday March 21st

2010-03-08T16:29:00.004-05:00

   Thriving on the deadline, the flier is in the works. A great line up once again with diverse sets from New England Phonographers Union, Warewolf, Crank Sturgeon, Marc Bisson, bunq, and of course, Offset Needle Radius.

   The New England Phonographers Union
is a fluid congregation of sound artists and field recordists who work with untreated and unprocessed recordings of the rich and varied sounds around them. Through the exploration and documentation of urban and rural public spaces, sound objects and events, the Union captures auditory phenomena otherwise lost, and re-interpret the particularity of individual places as a newly idealized sonic environment. Within a focused listening environment the members present their recordings, both individually and as collaborative improvisations. Performing at Sun Worship IV will be Rick Breault, Mike Bullock, Linda Aubrey Bullock, Ernst karel, and Jed Speare.

   Crank Sturgeon
has been freaking out audiences around New England and the world for longer than I can tell you about. His combination performance art/noise creation is always unique and completely unignorable. Utilizing during various performances, nudity, inflatable sculptures, masks and costumes, contact mics, intense square wave generators and high volume. Crank Sturgeon was unable to participate in Sun Worship III having just come off yet another European tour and down with a case of the travel bugs. I'm really excited to bring him back to Kittery this time around.

Loup Garou (Warewolf)
is collaborative group consisting of Walter Wright of Apocalypso Trio on electronics, Setheyny Pen of Ralph Eats Dynamite on toy pianos and objects, Mike Daily of birdorgan on prepared guitar and whatnot, Kit Demos of Mystic Out Bop Review on electronics. The pairing of sound sources can at first seem unlikely or perhaps unsettling. The introduction of melody from the damaged primitive sounds of the toy piano jars some peoples idea of free improv sound. The result is playful and disarming at times, conflicting and challenging other moments. This event will see Mike Daily hurting his drums, accompanied by Walter Wright and Kit Demos on electronicas. Sadly, Setheny and her toy pianos won't be able to make it...

   Marc Bisson
is one quarter of birdorgan, utilizing prepared guitar, electronics, synths, wind up toys, and many other objects to create sort of a one man improv band of unique sound that moves easily through varying textures and intensities.

   bunq
has been appearing at area free improv sound events for some time, usually accompanying sound performers with his creative stacking and balancing performances. Always with different elements to create teetering towers with, challenging his own sense of balance and the limits of structural gravity resistance, until the inevitable climax of a crash scattering objects across the floor. Each time David's performances are an exercise in tension building, structure rendering, release, and rebuilding.

   This is happening at Buoy Gallery at 2 Government St in Kittery just over the bridge from Portsmouth. We'll get things started around 7pm. Donations requested. Please bring $$ or gas cans full of petrol to help offset the cost to performers and the gallery for bringing you this event. It is truly a labor of love and oobe.

Review of Offset Needle Radius -vs- nickname: Rebel Album

2010-02-24T18:55:00.000-05:00

Cheshire Cat Sez: Who needs form and void when you can float out into the nether regions of the ether? Imagine the track -IONS- from Tool's Aenima stretched across an entire album. See it in it's original context HERE>..

January brings sounds from across the Atlantic Ocean to the Maine Seacoast.

2010-01-04T21:04:00.021-05:00

Hey, listen up friends: Coming up are a few rare chances to catch Wouter Jaspers, Bram Stadhouders, and Bas Verbeek all on tour from Tilburg in Noord Brabant, The Netherlands. For a few exclusive dates around the Eastern Seaboard, including three events this week here in Maine. Each performing a unique solo improvised sound set, you might hear collages of motors and vocal sounds, infinite reverb drone, classical guitar, words, swoops, and sighs among other things. Upcomming dates are below.
Sunday night January 3rd in 2010, Marc and Dei opened their house to friends to hear sounds and music from these three distant travelers. They had food and refreshing beverages to share in a pot luck setting. The food was great tasting, healthy, and satisfying, just right for getting ready for some noise. People drove in from an hour away on snow covered roads to be in that basement that night.
   Offset Needle Radius combined sounds with Marc Bisson and Dei Xrist of birdorgan. We ripped and crunched and scraped and wiggled guitar strings, looped SK-1,s droaned dropped vocals and other tongue sounds. Then Bas Varbeek sat down on the red cloth, lit the candle, and emitted a deep drone from a black Les Paul, beginning softly and rising to fill our minds. Vocal layers of drone eventually overtook the Les Paul, dominating the thick reverb heavy sound.
   Next was Wouter Jaspers who had performed in 2008 at Ello Gallery in Portsmouth,with Staplerfahrer . Sitting at the card table strewn with stomp boxes, mixer, laptop, cables, and piles of other things, Jaspers slowly began to interweave tones and textures; a drifting piece incorporating speech, small electric motor radio frequencies, microcassette sounds.
   Closing the evening was Bram Stadhouders. He brought out a beautiful classical nylon stringed guitar. With an internal mic running into an IBook, Verbeek improvised three pieces. Beginning with subtle foley sounds and then incororating classical runs up and down the neck. His playing embraced more of the classical style that has won Verbeek awards at competetions as his set progressed.
   These three artists have traveled far to share their sound visions with us here. Please get out and see them at one of the upcomming events around the Eastern Seaboard.

17-12 Zebulon – New York, NY
19-12 Pyramid Atlantic - Washington DC
20-12 Robin's Bookstore - Philadelphia, PA
22-12 Ghost Print Gallery - Richmond, VA
23-12 Bobo Gallery - Asheville, NC
26-12 Ed's - Hickory, NC
27-12 TBA - Charlotte, NC
28-12 Badgerhouse - Raleigh, NC
29-12 Nightlight - Chapel Hill, NC
30-12 Garfield Artworks, Pittsburgh, PA
03-01 The House of Goings - Manchester, NH
05-01 Daileyville - Lowell, MA
06-01 South Side Grill - Lewiston, ME
07-01 Memorial Library, Main Street - Livermore Falls, ME
08-01 Strange Maine - Portland, ME
09-01 Buoy Gallery, 2 Government St. - Kittery, ME
10-01 Sunday coma series - New York, NY
11-11 Douglas Street Music Collective, New York, NY.

Coming: XFest 2010 at 119 Gallery, Lowell

2009-12-31T00:18:00.000-05:00

Walter Wright has assembled an incredible event once again! The time will soon be upon us once again to gather at the 119 Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts for the Two THousand Ten XFest.
Wright assembles small groups of movement and sound artists to collaborate in 1/2 hour sets, 10 per night, for four nights. Plus great food, workshops, and general communal socializing. It'll be fun as hell whatever and whenever you get there. But I'd say try and spend one night in town, catch at least two nights of this crazy event that won't come around again until Two Thousand and Eleven.
When::: February Twenty Sixth to February
Where::: 119 Gallery 119 Chelmsford Lowell, Massachusetts
What::: Improv sound and movement arts festival///collaborations, food, workshops, etc.
Who:::Tons of people
LinK:: To performers, times, etc...

Review: SUN WORSHIP III, by Peter Donovan

2009-12-31T00:05:00.007-05:00

Nailed to a tree
down a path in
the dark-this is
underground. Forget
what you know about
sound. Full circle thru
the filter of life.
Thrown out the window
& let go.
There's a man rolling
his drum set &
one zinging a bike
rim. Slurping Arias
to 1000 thread count
patch work sky scrapers.
Forget what you know.
close your eyes. You're
in an underground cave
only florescent deep sea
fish see-That's what you

hear-it's the inside of
a beetle's shoe in the
mossy garden of doom.
It's warm, slow &
friendly in here.
It's gentle geek
underground abandon.
Punk Rock for the
new world.
The real deal-people
who are truly here
to listen. This isn't
any poser mall
brought lingo & look-
this is finding that
thing that's real.
Hope you were there-
if you weren't-
oh well your loss

-PFD.

(Photos by Eli Thompson & JBaker)

Jan. 3rd:::Underground Sound Series #2 at House of Goings On, ManChestHair, NH

2009-12-24T21:21:00.001-05:00

The House of International Goings-On : Underground Sound Series #2

January 3, Sunday, 7PM, $5 donation mightily suggested.
301 Laurel St (intersection of Wilson), Manchester NH
603-377-9300

Potluck @ 5: spirits and victuals please feel to bring kindly.

For this evening's event we have for you straight from the Netherlands:

BRAM STADHOUDERS: freak/free ambient jazz! Guitar! Composer! Wrestling with the yoke of a youth damned by classical guitar (blue ribbon stuff), manipulating that acclaim to his deft advantage by surprising all and sundry with some jazzed out air formality.

WOUTER JASPERS: experimental! metalbaby! drone psyche! More fertile than a crescent! Noise + xperimental folk. Active tour and release cycles - 2009 release with a.o. Emil Nikolaisen (Woven Hand), + Euro-USA-Asia tour earlier this year. To his vision, music has to spread to everybody who wants to hear it, so he plays from hi-brow artfestivals to garages in Russia, sometimes soft and laidback and sometimes killing for the ears, but always with a great passion for his only love: good music.

BAS VERBEEK: Whether he sits down in a corner producing minimal introvert dark soundscapes or he’s raging around out loud intimidating his audience, Bas Verbeek (b. 1983) finds deep intensity in every extreme of experimental music and performance. Beauty, absurdism, dirt, minimalism, over the top, pitch black nihilist darkness; whatever he feels like he will use to go all the way to tingle your senses.

Opening will be assorted birdorgans plus Kittery, ME's Offset Needle Radius and Lowell, MA's Walter Wright (www.119gallery.org).

(This post originally sent by Marc Bisson)

Awesome Basement Event in Man CHest hair

2009-12-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

Marc Bisson and Dei Xrist host this great event with Wouter Jaspers, Bram Stadhouders & Bas Verbeek touring from the Netherlands. Offset Needle Radius will be performing possibly as part of a yet unknown collaboration, parts of birdorgan and Walter Wright. This show will be beautiful in its presentation of world class performers in the secret speak easy basement that is the House of Goings On. A very intimate evening that should NOT be missed... For directions, post contact information in your comment below...

Portsmouth Area's Experimental Improvisation Event of the Year

2009-12-07T12:40:00.008-05:00

Coming soon, it's Sun Worship III event on December 20th at Buoy Gallery in Kittery. Here's the flier. This is going to be a really fun event. You will be very sad if you choose not or are unable to attend.
Click on the flier for a printable image. THen go to your favorite local coffee shop and tape it to the window. This is how we spread the word.

Nov. 10 "Strings N' Things" Recap, Manchester, NH

2009-11-15T13:05:00.003-05:00

The 'theme' of this event sounds like a craft night to take place in a church basement, which in an abstract way, I suppose it was. I was having a difficult time getting out of town and ended up at Marc and Dei's house around 6:45pm, only an hour and 45 minutes later than I'd planned. Their basement was cleared out and strewn with strings of little lights. They had made black beans, brown rice, cornbread and provided beer, which was nice. I was starving and stressed out by the time I'd made it there.
The show started with birdorgan, Mike on bass, Mike on guitar, Marc on guitar, and Dei with her vocalizations. It sounded pretty wild, a great alternate invocation of birdorgan.
I think Offset Needle Radius performed next? Vertical guitar into two split signals into two amplifiers. Lots of the usual bowed strings with steel rod finishing up with microcassette mutterings. It didn't come off as I'd hoped. Something wasn't happening.
Next Walter Wright with a friend on toy piano and Marc Bisson on guitar was next. I didnt' get his friends name who played the toy piano. The sounds were nice, three vary different textural sounds blending, contrasting, and conforming together.
Last was Layne Garrett, who began his set on a steel guitar, improvised latin strumming style sort of a classical gypsy sound. The tunings changed as did the mood of the improvisations. Layne concluded his set with light sensitive sound generation synth and effects, more noise to contrast with the melodic nature of his guitar work.
Layne was touring via Greyhound Ameripass which is daring and brave. He had two CD's for sale, one of which he had sewed covers for on the bus between stops.
It was a great show to be at let along perform at.

Amplified Strings Event in Manchester, NH 11/10

2009-10-22T19:59:00.002-04:00

November 10th is a TUESDAY.
Offset Needle Radius will be performing at an....................
Amplified Strings and stuff show in.....................
Manchester, NH...................
at the House of Goings On......................
301 Laurel St....................
8 pm, Donate Money for Out of Town Performer.....................Performing will be:::::::::::
Layne Garrett (DC).......................
birdorgan (NH)......................
Offset Needle Radius (ME)

Marc and Dei are hosting an evening of amplified strings and other stuff at The House of Goings On, Manchester, NH

"The Stranger The Better" Journalism

2009-10-08T22:44:00.002-04:00

Article about the "Antipop" show at the Next Generation Theater, Brewer, ME on October 6th. Says Jay Grant of the Maine Campus University Maine Orono paper "When the crowd returned to the speakeasy-like theater in the back of the gift shop, a man named Josh Baker had set up something called an “offset needle radius,” — a bike wheel turned upside down. Baker spun the wheel, drumming on the spokes with silver rods as two improvisational dancers moved around the stage and among the crowd. As Baker continued, the performance got progressively more interesting, employing looping techniques, homemade horns fashioned from some kind of tubing and intentionally induced feedback to make for a fascinatingly bizarre few minutes of sound..."
Read it all here...

Autumn Equinox Happened, and We Were THere

2009-09-27T23:20:00.009-04:00

Fun night at Grain Surfboards September 20th. Eli made butternut squash soup, cookies, cornbread. Marc Bisson and Dei Xrist of birdorgan brought the beans and rice. Great performances happened from Mystic Out Bop Review, birdorgan, Adam from Peace, Loving created an innovative installation with surround sound and edited Star Trek video. Offset Needle Radius kicked off the night with new perspectives on the musical wheel harp bike wheel performance. Walter Wright collaborated with Kit Demos for some beautiful electronics duetness, and then sat in for the birdorgan session as well. It's too bad Grain Surfboards is so far from any town. It was a nice intimate space for such an event. Stay tuned for developing plans for winter solstice...

Offset Needle Radius to Perform At Highest Latitude Yet!

2009-09-27T20:42:00.003-04:00

Offset Needle Radius will be performing at the Next Generation Theater in Brewer, ME on Tues. Oct. 6th. That is to say, Offset Needle Radius will be performing above the 44th parallel for the first time ever, making this a sort of historical event.
Also performing at this latitude will be Nicole LePara, Noel Walsh, Martin Shartran, Id M THeft Able, Joe Gates,Les Trois Etoils. This is like a small slice of Frantasia Festival 2009 in freakin' Bangor Me. I would post the trippy flier here but the "file is corrupt".

Offset Needle Radius makes Front Page News

2009-09-19T12:05:00.003-04:00

The August 28th issue of the Livermore Falls Advertiser (Not the Livermore False Advertiser), featured an article on the 2009 Frantasia Festival. A photographer for the paper was there at the very onset of the three day event, sent to cover this strange happening. What had seemed like a not so prime performance time slot turned out to be not so bad. I'm sure the photographer just wanted to shoot a few acts, get a general sense of the thing, and disappear. Lucky for Offset Needle Radius, he stuck around just long enough to take this photograph during the bicycle wheel portion of the set. The Livermore Falls Advertiser gave a sizeable space to the article, which was situated just above the article about a senior logger and his log hauling and saw models.
And now the world shall know the name Offset Needle Radius.

Quarter Inch Jack on BBC 6 Radio

2009-09-13T19:16:00.003-04:00

Thanks largely to Marc Arsenault's diligent campaign to get the word out about our upcoming release, titles off of the record have been popping up here and there. On this latest set list of Steuart Macoine's "Freak Zone" program, our track Quarter Inch Jack fits in nicely amongst tracks from Bardo Pond, Aphex Twin, Pharoh Sanders, and Hawkwind. Not such bad company to keep! Check out the set list here, available for the next 7 days...

SunWorshipSeriesAutumnEquinoxAtGrainSurfboardsSept.20

2009-09-06T01:37:00.003-04:00

Autumn Equinox flyer. Original color pencil illustration by myself. Click on the flyer for a larger view.

Previous Performances

2009-09-05T01:44:00.003-04:00

Here's a list of what I can remember of significance from the various events Offset Needle Radius has performed at...
1)Mar.09: at River Run book store, Portsmouth,NH, part of a series of RPM Challenge 2008 finishers, with Nate Groth
2)Oct24/08: at Ello Gallery with Blaq Boose
3)Jan24/09 at Underground M.A.P. Project; a collaboration with Marc Bisson and Dei Xrist of birdorgan
4)Jan31/09: at Strange Maine with Id M Theft Able, Kit Demos, Pine State Mind Control.
5)Feb7/09: at 119 Gallery in Lowell, MA with Trechioctipotimus, Marc Bisson, the first Offset Sound bike wheel performance
6)Feb21/09: at Underground M.A.P. Project, Manchester. The closing all day event. SG's and Sunn amplification
7)Apr9/09: at Buoy, the Unique States series with Peter James, Forbes Graham
8)Apr10/09: at 119 Gallery collaboration with nickname: Rebel. First of a series of 4 collaboritive performances.
9)Apr11/09: at Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA. We performed to Eli and an Adam O'Toole after Gil's jazz quartet and a Berklee school jazz band.
10)Apr18/09: at The Compound, Troy, NY/with nickname: Rebel
11)Apr19/09: at The Spotty Dog, Hudson, NY with nickname: Rebel
12)May30/09: at The Monestary Arts Collective with birdorgan and ...
13)June 20/09: at B789, Rollinsford, NH with birdorgan, Asa Irons, Zeroking
14)June 27/09: at Monestary Arts Collective, Manchester, with birdorgan, Qfwfq Duo, Zeroking
15)Aug20/09: at Frantasia Festival, Livermore Falls, ME also that night: Tom Hamilton, Katherine Liberovskaya, Noel Walsh, Rebel Red, Katt Hernandez, Les Trois Etoiles, Al Margolis, Jed Speare, Forrest Larson......wow......
16)Aug22/09 Frantasia Festival, collaboration with Katt Hernandez and Noel Walsh
17)Sep04/09 Mike's House with Adam of Peace, Loving and Many Mansions

<<>> Sun Worship II, Autumn Equinox: Sunday Sept. 20th

2009-09-01T22:28:00.008-04:00

. The second event in the Sun Worship series will celebrate the Autumn Equinox at Grain Surfboards in York, ME on Sunday September 20th. So far confirmed are birdorgan, Peace, Loving, Walter Wright, Crank Sturgeon, Mystic Out Bop Review, and of course, Offset Needle Radius. This event will begin at 6:30pm and cost $7 to attend.
This will be a combination of sound art performances and Equinox themed performance pieces with crazy disorienting lights and projections. Guaranteed to be an entertaining evening and one of the more more unusual events for the Portsmouth/Dover area.

What: Sun Worship Series no. II: Autumn Equinox
When: Sunday September 20th, 7pm
Where: Grain Surfboards, 60 Brixham Rd. York, ME 03909
Who: Birdorgan, Offset Needle Radius, Walter Wright, Mystic Out Bop Review, Crank Sturgeon, Peace, Loving

For directions or if you want to carpool to the show from Kittery, email offsetneedlesound(at)yahoo(dot)com

Silent Sun Worship

2009-08-08T09:08:00.003-04:00

Cobwebs form around the speaker cones, the arrival of the Sun has lured all life into the embrace of its rays bringing silence to the land. Riding the fixie bike around country roads, wrenching on bikes for a living, picnics, out of town events, and errands have taken president for the moment. Resting up for Frantasia 2009....

THe Healing Therapies of Noise

2009-07-16T10:00:00.011-04:00

I am by myself at home. It is quiet as I prepare food. Without any thought, a song begins to play in my mind. Perhaps it is by The Eagles, or Eric Clapton. Syrupy canned market research produced crap. As soon as I realize that I am hearing this inside my own mind, I instantly become irritated. A radio I can turn off, unplug, donate to the Salvation Army, throw in the river, torture and ultimately execute. My mind, containing millions of these audio viruses from contagious media sources, I have to live with. The common term for this phenomenon is "EARWORMS". To smother the irritating sounds, I create in my mind a swell of high volumed wide tonal spectrum sweeping noise, like a gigantic industrial sound sweeping machine, whooshes the unwanted viral song into my mental gutter. Guaranteed to crawl back into my consciousness eventually, I am grateful for my imagination, that it can create such a crushing noise to return my mind to peaceful silence. Perhaps this has been a driving inspiration for recent Offset Needle Radius performances consisting of dense feedback and square wave layering noise. One can only wonder...
I have also noticed that when I am confronted by popular music in an instance where I am unable to shut down or remove myself from its broadcast, I tend to change the words, or hum or otherwise vocalize the melody. Admittedly, I also do this with music that pleases me. In both cases, I suggest this is how I enjoy playing with the music that is being broadcast in the space I am inhabiting. In the context of playing this way with music that irritates me, it feels as if I am categorizing the basic elements of the song, breaking it down to focus on the ludicrousity of the material. This feels therapeutic to me and I find that when I am able to play with popular music in this way, it tends not to infect my mind so much and consequently not to invoke negative thoughts.
Years ago I embarked on a mix tape project I titled "Homicide/Suicide". The premise of the tape was to be a collection of all the most infuriating syrupy vapid pop songs I could think of. The happiest, most seemingly perfectly adjusted unchallenging pop songs always seem to conjure images of bloody, violent scenes, terrible thoughts of senseless murder. I've often thought that Sheryl Crow or Edie Brickell would be the perfect auditory backdrop for violent murder scenes in movies. It is as if this music, so perfectly elated and sickeningly sweet, reflecting an impossible reality, must thus be a cover up for terrible guilt, shame, horrible violence and destruction, as an actor who grossly over-acts their part. This range of pop music has such a negative effect on my mental well being that I thought creating the "Homicide/Suicide" mix tape would both serve to over-expose myself and thus hopefully build up my immunity, while examining and sharing for the sake of helping others understand this phenomenon. I never was able to complete the tape.
I hope this admission of my reaction to some popular music won't seem as an affront to friends who may find this sort of music pleasing. I am merely trying to share with readers some of the background that has informed Offset Needle Radius and assuredly all other music endeavors I have ever been a part of. As many of my friends might be allergic to cats and I would not wish to expose them to environments where cats inhabit, I would so request not to be exposed to this sort of music. This is how I am wired. The sounds that I create are a result of this inner circuitry

Autumn Equinox Call For Particiipants

2009-07-13T19:07:00.005-04:00

I'm looking for creative avant garde sort of performance, video, sound, installation artists to create a beautiful 6 hour event to celebrate the Autumn Equinox on Sunday September 20th. Anybody interested in participating please contact me at
offsetneedlesound(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sun Worship Comenced Despite Rain, Darkness

2009-06-21T21:36:00.004-04:00

It wasn't easy to invoke sound prayers to a sun that has been scarce in these parts for weeks now. But we did our best to make a sonic offering and call for the sun's return to dry out our bogs. A handful of friends were present to witness incredible sounds amidst trance inducing light shows and projections courtesy of Rick Spencer and the B789 performance space. Rick projected video and had the lights going wild while we created sounds of worlds colliding, eclipses, broken band, blowing sands. Last minute addition to the line up Asa Irons brought some of his gigantic saw mill blades to create a drone scape that led to imagery of a solar eclipse. Birdorgan was Mike Fun, Dei and Marc this time around for a sound voyage that changed and morphed over a 35 minute journey. Offset Needle Radius was a steel rod bowing growing feedback layers phasing in and out and getting a bit loud so I am told. Zeroking looped and drummed paused, shifted, repeat until Marc and Mike Fun joined in to close the night. Thanks to everyone who participated and came to witness. Special thanks to Rick Spencer for creating and sharing the B789 space with us.

Update on Sun Worship Event This Saturday June 20th

2009-06-17T08:53:00.003-04:00

Asa Irons has confirmed he will be performing at this Saturday's Sun /Worship event at B789 Performance Space in Rollinsford, NH. Asa Irons has developed a sound all his own using giant amplified saw mill blades that resonate sound waves into every crevice. He is a welcome addition to the already diverse line up of Birdorgan, Zeroking, Offset Needle Radius. Birdorgan has been a prolifient performance group for years now consisting of a core group of Marc Bisson and his wife Dei Xrist, Mike Fun and Mike Dailey, masticating and synthisizing assistance of featured guests from time to time. Hailing from Manchester birdorgan has played all over New England. Depending on who is present and what the atmospheric pressure index is, birdorgan can vary from frienzied prepared guitar, heavily synthisized vocals, and a decombusting drum kit, to vocal loops and guitar bejangling. Never a repeat performance. Zeroking is the sound output of Shawn Dailey, Mike Dailey's brother and emerging photographer.
Come join us if you're not reading this in the future. If you are, well, you missed out. You were probably doing something far more mundane when you could have joined us at the B789.

(Oops!): Carried Away at Offset Needle Sound Lab

2009-05-28T19:42:00.003-04:00

...this from the studio neighbor next to Offset Sound Lab...
" Hey Josh,

Can you and I try to figure out some way to sound proof against each others noise at some point. I have noticed we have a lot more overlapping hours these days. Last night what ever was happening between 8 and 9PM was so loud in my studio I had to leave (luckily my 8-9 student did no come yesterday). When I left my room I had to go the the third floor to get far enough away to have it just sound like a loud radio feeding back."

...getting carried away by lovely layers of feedback in the late evening.

Frantasia Fest 2009: August Is Coming! Time To Plan...

2009-05-21T13:47:00.003-04:00

I discovered Frantasia Fest last year just 10 days prior to it's happening. A festival of "Out Music" featuring world class performers of improvised sound from New England, Pennsylvania, Georgia, NY. The event is held over 3 evenings, August 20th to the 22nd with improvisation workshops in the afternoons. These three days are preceded by "Water In The Woods", a two night fast in a beautiful forest setting. The Water In The Woods is a good opportunity to become more aquainted with some of the performers.
Festivals celebrating experimental sound performance works are fairly common these days in urban areas around the world. This particular festival is quite unique in that it takes place in the Public Library Auditorium in Livermore Falls, a delapitated mill town population 1,500 in Central Maine. What also makes this festival so unique is the caliber of talent and creative minds it attracts each year. It could not happen were it not for incredible spirit and personality of 'visionaries' Fran Szostek, his wife, and Edward.
About a 4 1/2 hour drive from Boston, this festival is a mini vacation in itself. Check out the Frantasia Festival Official MySpace page to link to past performers pages. Keep your ears to the rails regarding pre and post events around New England, hosting performers on their way to or on their way home from this year's Frantasia Festival.

Sat. June 20th, Summer Solstice Event at B789 venue, Rollinsford, NH

2009-05-18T22:12:00.008-04:00

Offset Needle Radius hosts a Summer Solstice celebration at this new venue, B789 in Rollinsford, NH, on Saturday June 20th, 2009. Cost is sliding scale $7-10, with the first $5 going to support the venue.
The evening will kick off with sets from Zeroking, Birdorgan, and Offset Needle Radius. The evening will conclude with a collaborative offering of Sound Waves to the Sun (..will be sleeping at the time). Officially Summer Solstice is the following day, June 21, which I remind the reader, begins at 12:00 am. The Solstice has a tipping time of 1:45am, where the longer days suddenly turn and begin to shorten. We may not make it until that magic time. But we're going to give it all up for as long as we are physically able.
B789 is the realization of artistic visionary Rick Spencer. The name of the venue is simply comprised of the room numbers in the mill building that the venue occupys. In a recent conversation, Rick talked of his support of what he termed "Feeling Arts", that is, creative output derived from an artist's soul, mined out of deep, dark places, rather than being designed with marketability first in mind. Rick himself manifests his creative spirit in quite unique ways that may have not yet been explored. He has been constructing an experimental pool table that will wind its way around the venue once completed. Due to its design a new game will be borne of the traditional pool as we know it.
Please join us for this special event and bring your posse.

Upcomming Performance in Man Chest Hair

2009-05-17T17:58:00.003-04:00

Offset Needle Radius will be playing in Manchester, NH on Saturday May 30th at the Monastery Hallway. Also performing will be Andy Fordyce, and Birdorgan. This space is an artists collective. Marc Bisson and Dei Xrist of Birdorgan continue to bring experimental improvised sounds to the Manchester area even after the demise of the Underground M.A.P. Project gallery.
Manchester is a strange and interesting town that I imagine only makes sense to someone who has spent a lot of time in Northeastern cities. Bring a donation for the artists, open mind, open ears. See you there...

Great Things You FInd

2009-05-03T19:02:00.004-04:00

Seeking performers and performances, events, hidden secrets, and unknown treasures in the Montreal area prior to a visit in March, I came across the Montreal Sound Map. Not only a great concept, but a convenient way to compare sound quality of digital media field recorders. And if that wasn't amazing enough, New York has their own Sound Map site as well..

Images, Words on Recent Performances

2009-05-01T17:14:00.006-04:00

Offset Needle Radius -vs- nickname: Rebel at Lily Pad April 12 2009. Photo by Eli Thompson courtesy of WowCool.

My friend and co conspirator Marc Arsenault of nickname: Rebel is a great archivist and documentationalist. He took photos documenting not only our collaborative performances and the venues that welcomed us, but the images we encountered on the two weekend trip encompassing Lowell and Cambridge Massachusetts, and Troy and Hudson, NY. See Marc's images here...

Offset Needle Radius: Letter Of Intent

2009-05-01T15:54:00.002-04:00

Offset Needle Radius began in February of 2008 as I transitioned into solo improvised experimental performance from a lifetime of punk rock and metal influences. Where I still find comfort in these areas of music, my creative intent has shifted.
My goal as a performer, is to present a language of sound influenced by current events and states of being, both personally and globally. I pursue the goal of conveying emotion, a sense of connection with the listener beyond words. My hope is to invoke a state of deep connection through inspiring more critical level of listening than we are used to employing when exposed to more conventional styles of music.
At times quiet, meditative, slow moving, my intention is to draw witnesses into a deeper sense of hearing, ultimately inviting listeners to transcend their physical presence and moment in time.
In more intense performances, I strive to convey more difficult emotions, exorcise demons that otherwise restrict personal growth and well being.
These intentions are not merely narcissistic public exhibitions, but hopefully a shared experience between performer and audience; for this is how I relate to the performances of others.
This is not music intended for the purpose of inspiring dance or nostalgia for music from our past. It is an invitation to join in a collective transcendence of time and space, a shared departure from the present moment.

Seeking New Interaction with the World

2009-05-01T13:21:00.004-04:00

Sighting a drop off of interest in MySpace and the continual addition of distasteful marketing trends used by the sight, Offset Needle Radius is pursuing alternative means of interaction with the world. After having viewed many groups utilizing the Blog as a means to promote and disburse information, we have arrived with our own blog to do the same.
Offset Needle Radius is the experimental sound outlet for one person, Joshua Russel Baker. Due to the proliferate use of the moniker I was given at birth, it was necessary to arrive at a sort of "band name" to promote and perform by.
As of May 2009, Offset Needle Radius has performed eleven times in the Northeast United States, recorded countless hours of improvised material, and appears on two releases to date. The first being the CD "Not Square With Zero", a departure from a lifetime of more traditional rock and pop song composition, and Offset Needle Radius /vs/ nickname: Rebel, combining forces with lifetime friend and co-survivor of a Schenectady, NY upbringing, Marc Arsenault.
Stay tuned for more information disbursing.