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:::
3/8/11
Sun Worship 8 at BUOY March 19th
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.
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.
3/5/11
Self Torture Mental Sickness
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.
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.
2/7/11
Nortwest Campaign Complete:::
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.
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.
1/23/11
:::Offset Needle Radius LIVE on the radio:::
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).
1/22/11
Northwest Territories, Here Comes Offset Needle Radius:::
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:::
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:::
1/10/11
Bonus Track from Impending Release
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
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
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