2006 Anno El Possible
DC’s mad monthly laboratory for promethean sound experiments
New Technology, New Spirit, New Energy, New Music.
Sunday, December 3–Free noise + Free folk
Loco Ono — Free noise duo of Geoff Mullen on gtr and Nicole (Black Hand) on electronics. Geoff Mullen–Fingerpicking guitar experiments from Providence, RI, on Last Visible Dog Records. Black Hand– Power electronics from Providence. Not the Serbian secret society.
Ultimate VAG — Verrastro & Grier, drums & guitar, from Kohoutek and To Live & Shave in LA. Free noise, free form freek out!
Facemat — DC’s free noise heroes return to El Possible, home of their debut performance.Each live incarnation is different, but expect chaos & wonderment.
Sunday, November 12–Electroacoustic free-improvisation
Chris Heenan/Michael Vorfeld Duo — Free-improv duo from Los Angeles, CA/Stuttgart, Germany featuring reeds, electronics, percussion, strings. Heenan in particular has played with a who’s who of the free-improv underground, including Chris Forsyth, harpist/composer Anne LeBaron, and many more.
SAFE — is the new improvisational project between Tyler Higgins and Dave Vosh. employing assorted electro-acoustic devices and modular synthesizer, they focus on the sound emitted by machines, sounds derived from radio, and slowly evolving noise.
Dave Vosh has been experimenting with electro-noise music since the early 70s and this project with tyler is among the first things he’s done since escaping the basement last year. Tyler Higgins has been creatively misusing technology alongside other musical pursuits since high school, focusing recently on very direct ways of producing and manipulating sound. His other projects include Indent & Trinary.
Sansyou — makes acoustic chamber music for chambers you may not have visited before. Formed in the spring of 2006, this Virginia quartet features guitars, cello, and hand percussion. Members have performed throughout the DC area in a diverse range of bands (like Sisters of Morrissey and Suspects DC). When the noise of genres, trends, and labels are silenced, Sansyou makes sounds for open ears.
Sunday, October 1–Sonic Circuits Nite: Electronic Soundscapes
RDK — Electronics duo combines noise and melodic elements to fuel sonic spacescapes that go where no man has gone before. New EP, Undisturbed, available as a digital download from Zeromoon.com
People Who Can Fly — Spacey electronics duo of Danny Demetro (solo as Lost Astronaut) and Chebon Littlefield (member of Kickdrum productions and Metatrack studios), with special guests: saxophonist Mark Wine (The Subterraneans) and vocalist Kitty Hawk. Old Skool Alert: Demetro rocked the 80s DC scene as keyboardist with art-punks No Trend; he’s the one dressed as a Gypsy and credited as “Spidako” on the Dozen Dead Roses LP. Yes, the one recorded with Lydia Lunch.
Dermaptera — The sounds of Dermaptera can be described as sonic visions of falling in slow motion, or inseparable digital and analog sonic convergence. Liquid voice and synthesizer blend with amazing electronic bass sounds. Epic length ambient songs live side by side with shorter tunes. Dermaptera consists of a husband and wife duo, Kathy McMenamin and Kevin Hassett, who have been making music together since the turn of the millennium. Kevin has been playing bass since the early eighties, and has perfected his individual style of playing multiple string chords on the bass. His bass style also currently includes analog Moog effects processors. Kathy plays the synthesizer, and adds signal processed vocals to some songs. Her background includes a decade of training and performing for voice and piano. As Dermaptera, they’ve self-released a set of four CDRs, each one dedicated to a different quarter of the Wiccan calendar: Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, & Samhain.
Sunday September 3–New Fusion
Vector Trio — DC-based jazz-fusion trio plays miles of Miles with power and conviction, bringing a tight, funky energy that wouldn’t be out of place in an underground rock club. Their originals are just as hot. Group includes Scott Forrey on trumpet & digital loops, Marshall Hughey on drums, & Gary Rouzer on bass. From their website: “A bright melody from the drummer. Power chords from the trumpeter. Back beat percussion from the bassist. Not your average jazz trio. Sweating hands turning knobs on pedals, burbling warble from envelope filters, backwards loops, a jagged but steady rhythm, beyond distortion, sliding harmonics, slippery textures of blue/green chords, rhythms change, bar lines shift without notice, sturdy floors give way to a free fall slide, gliding, swooping down, through unknown realms, dream-like images, landscapes, rainforests, colors, and flavors.” New CD available soon. This is the start of their tour, so come out and show some love!
Trio Ricochet with Lee Pembleton — This ‘post-fusion’ unit from Baltimore, including Nobu Stowe (Piano), Tyler Goodwin (Double-Bass) and Alan Munshower (Drums), is dedicated to exploring ‘post-fusion,’ the hybrid between the open-ended composition-based improvisation of post-bop (K.Jarrett/B.Evans) and the rhythm and energy of fusion (C.Corea/P.Metheny). Joined by San Francico-based sound sculptor Lee Pembleton.
Sunday August 6–Random Access Rendezvous
A workshop project for improvisors playing either acoustic or electric sound sources. We’ll be conducting impromptu partnerships for on-the-spot conjury of dissonance, euphony, & zizania. Bring your axe and your skillz. Best to bring your own amplification if you’ll need it. If you’re familiar with the “Volunteer Crap Shoot” hosted by Baltimore’s Red Room, you know what we’re after here. Bystanders welcome. This is a free event!
Participants:
Jeff Surak–tapes and electronic FX
Davis White–circuit bent device
Amber Dunleavy–theremin
Sam Lohman–dumbek & FX
Tyler Higgins–acoustic guitar, laptop
Ted Zook–electric guitar, gongs, rainstick, FX
Roger Neele–hand drums
Jeff Bagato–records, hacksaw, FX
Gary–bass clarinet, small toys
Rick Sheehe–guitar, FX
Serson Brannen–(Atlanta, GA) vocals & FX, optical theremins
Dave Vosh–analog electronics
John Simler–electronics & FX
Andy–electric bass
Sunday July 9–The Five into One:
Solos + Collective Free Improvisation
It’s a concept: Five soloists perform their own music and then re-take the floor en masse for one big group free improvisation that drives music and musicians into totally new sonic territory! “Imagine the possibilities!”
Bushmeat — Thomas Stanley has been improving DC’s music scene through his efforts as a producer with the Transparent Productions collective, and as a musician with the cosmic jazz-funk band Noumenal Lingam, and the avant-jazz project Mind Over Matter, Music Over Mind (MOMMOM). This is his solo project for keyboards, voice, and piercing socio-political insight.
FFFFs — This solo project of Sean Peoples (SocketsCDR, Hand Fed Babies, Big Cats, Gestures) explores ambient layers of sound along subtle taped/sampled loops. Live shows range from beat-oriented affairs to minimalist experiments that balance improvisation and song structure. February 2006 saw the release of FFFFs first full-length album entitled Cracked.
Layne Garrett — The guitar and junk playing half of Cutest Puppy in the World. Expect Layne to bring his axe plus an arsenal of reeds, found percussion, and electronics.
Mr. Natural — Hailing from Tennessee, John Sharp (aka Mr. Natural) has created his own noise making instruments, which he’s played as part of the Radon Ensemble backing Steve McKay. His instruments are made from�wooden planks and unworked wooden branches, with structures of steel wire and springs placed about the surface.�Mr. Natural only uses American wood. He records for Radon Records and runs his own GLK label.
Nobu Stowe — Baltimore, MD, based pianist from Trio Ricochet
Sunday, June 4
Denman Maroney/Reuben Radding/Jack Wright — Special power trio brings free improv to new levels of creativity and insight. Each has appeared on DC stages in the past, showcasing their mastery of extended techniques and fiery invention. Maroney plays “hyperpiano,” working inside the piano to elevate keyboard techniques. Wright needs little introduction to fans of free improvisaton for his pioneering work as a saxophonist, and as a “road scholar” who never met a tour schedule or musical partner he didn’t like. Radding emerged from the DC scene playing bass alongside Dave Grohl (yeah, that guy) in Dain Brammage, but has since transformed into one of his generation’s most masterful free improvising bassists.
Pierce, Putter & Rumble — Combine the creative energies of three GWU music profs: Peter Fraize on piercing sax; Jim Levy on puttering piano, and Steve Hilmy on rumbling electronics. Yes, this was postponed from the May schedule.
Big Cats — (aka Big Cats: The Real Dope $hit) Another example of DC’s fine electronica/noise/punk underground, this duo features Sean People of FFFFs and SocketsCDR! and Patrick James Connolly. From the band: “The Big Cats sound falls somewhere in the middle of an enchanted forest and the iron maiden. Or maybe like a Wildebeast with a soft, compassionate side. Who knows? They don’t… From spacey folk ballads to zonked-out rug cutting terror-noise, this duo is pure indulgence. With a revolving cast of local DC musicians, Big Cats claim no permanent line-up besides Connolly and Peoples, which keeps songs constantly in a state of flux. This, the band thinks, is a good thing.” They were joined by Chris Greier for this show; all 3 played guitars.
Thursday, June 1
–Electric Possible::Special Edition–RE:Sound
Free show held at Ellipse Art Center, 4350 North Fairfax Dr., VA
Black w/Bear, sc.all, Tone Ghosting, & Violet
Electro-acoustic free improv solos using recycled or found instruments. In conjunction with the exhibit, “From the Junkyard to the Frontyard.”
Sunday, May 7
One Too Early — Tim Olive & Corrie Befort Duo–Electric bass & dance from North American expatriots now living in Japan! A fixture on the Osaka avant rock scene, Tim Olive is a veteran of numerous projects including recordings with Nimrod, Twerdocleb, Soap-Jo Henshi, Jeffrey Allport, & Nishikawa Bunsho, and live performances with Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Ezaki Masafumi, Guilty Connector, Otomo Yoshihide, Martin Tetreault, Unami Taku. New CD forthcoming with Nishikawa Bunsho (Supernatural Hot Rug And Not Used); Sounds at http://gule.pupui.jp/
Originally from Minnesota & Seattle Corrie Befort lives in Tokyo where she works as a Dancer, choreographer & filmmaker. She spent seven years in Seattle with the Molly Sheldon Scott/Jarrad Powell Performance Company; four years with the Sheri Cohen Ensemble. She’s performanced in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Geneva, New York City, Osaka, Paris, Tokyo, Vienna. Her films have been screened at festivals in the US, and in Tokyo.
Rebecca Mills — Founding member of Caution Curves & Gestures brings her laptop for freeform electronic & vocal madness.
Tyler Higgins Project — Free improvisor Tyler Higgins (Indent, Trinary, etc) presents “In Waves,” a new composition involving a “tape piece” with live accompaniment. Sounds for electronic composition obtained from the sheng, or Chinese mouth organ. Live accompaniment by Eli Asher on trumpet, Rob Thornton on euphonium and Tyler Higgins on electric guitar and whistling.
Third Anniversary Show!
Sunday, April 9
Steve Hilmy/Audrey Chen Duo — Hilmy’s electronics and Chen on cello and voice for intense improvisations. Hilmy teaches computer music at George Washington University, and Chen is well-known in her hometown of Baltimore as an inventive, prolific, and challenging contributor to any project she joins. Their debut performance as a duo!
Violet Panic — Free-noise duo combines Jeff Surak (Violet) and Jeff Bagato (DJ Panic/Tone Ghosting) on homemade electronics. Tonight, Surak plans to bring his modified turntables while Bagato will play vinyl LPs with a hacksaw. The DJ set from Hell!
Mud Pie — New-ish DC-based trio playing instrumental free-improv in a “pulse-centered eclectic” mode. Group includes Sergio Dalek on drums, Tim Sickles on guitar, and Carlos Pazmino on bass.
Sunday, March 5
Carolina Mayorga’s Pig Lengua Class — Learn the language of the future from Columbia/District of Columbia-based artist Carolina Mayorga. Official description: “If you feel you can’t express yourself freely, you need to learn Pig Lengua. Pig Lengua will be the only language in which you will be able to communicate your ideas, opinions, thoughts or emotions with no fear.The Pig Lengua class is part of a comprehensive language learning method to teach you the language of the future. Take a free Pig Lengua class and prepare for the future!” From the on-going series Pig Lengua: The Language of the Future.
They Can Never Take Our Crow — Started as an open collective where members come and go, contribute and coalesce, attack and decay. TCNTOC’s current lineup consists of three members: Justin Blemly, processed voice, Geoff Wilt, drums, and Scott Enriquez, drums. TCNTOC builds gritty soundscapes ranging from atonal and arrhythmic to dark funk. Amid the harsh textures the group strives to evoke something beautiful and cathartic. The sounds produced are free and open compositionally, usually composed from collectively agreed upon states of desired feel. Accompanied by live light show using a homemade video feedback generator.
Short Film: “Photon-Phonon” by Andreas (Poland) — Abstract images and sound similar to Stan Brakhage or Maya Deren.
Sebastian Krawczuk/Eli Asher Duo — Eli Asher (trumpet) “My goal as an improvising trumpet player is to reconcile the lyricism of late 19th-c. and early 20th-c. Western music with the abstraction of chance-based and experimental electronic musics, the harmonic concerns of progressive jazz and concert musics with the heavy and structural inflection of the blues and Indian music, and the “deep groove” of free jazz with more mechanical or formal musics.” Sebastian Krawczuk (bass) (DC) — plays electric upright bass w/electronics, influenced by punk, metal and free-improvised sounds. Performed with bands in his native Poland such as Baby Blue Eyes, Felicite Pueros, and STUCKONCEILING. Current projects include Outdegree – an “intra-development” experiment; Mystery Shopper – a duo with percussionist Jason Mullinax [Mosquito Death Squadron, Mandible]; and Sneaky Pig – a duo with guitarist Richard Sheehe.
Sunday, Feb 5–Five into One: solos + collaboration
Echolalia — an experimental solo project by Amber Dunleavy consisting of theremin, delay pedals, and whatever else she may come across. Amber plays theremin for local terminal improv band Alzo Boszormeinyi and the Acid Achievers and has also collaborated with the improv collective Croniamantal and Jane Franklin Dance. For a sampling of her sound experiments, visit http://www.myspace.com/echolalianova.
Tyler Higgins — DC-based composer and improviser plays alto sax, guitar, & other stuff in free improv groups Contemporary Art Duo (experimental electronics), Trinary (electro-acoustic improv), Indent (electro-acoustic improv), and Birds in the Sky (minimal free jazz with Bawlmer scenesters). A self-taught composer and improvisor who draws his inspiration from psychoacoustics & musical semiotics and aesthetics, Higgins had an electronic piece chosen for the 2004 Sonic Circuits festival. Plenty of stuff in the works, including solo recordings, an experimental folk with violinist Nancy McDonnell, & a new jazz group.
kataStatik — (aka Chris Mandra) (DC) makes live, improvised, ambient drum and bass using a wearable interface he created called “the manDrum”, his voice, a P5 VR Glove and interactive computer programs written in MAX/MSP. He sounds like a computer generated Ted Baxter channelling a twenty-first century Al Green at a Zencore festival. Mandra started creating electro-acoustic music in the late 80s and began writing music integrating orchestral instruments and interactive computer technology in the ’90s, while playing in various bands, writing music for theater pieces, indie films, installation art projects. In the fall of 2004 he was awarded a fellowship to STEIM in the Netherlands to work on his performance interface, the “manDrum.”
Mimeth — DC-based electronic artist working on the fringes of IDM/electronica/dub, or as he puts it, “Vast expanses of monochrome rumble punctuated by brief bursts of ecclesiastical melodica,” or “gilded merde for the pale bearded.”
Special Orbit — plays laptop electronics with great sensitivity & invention, working with Spaceships Panic Orbit, The Plums (doubling as second guitarist), Dang Gang Collective, etc.
Sunday, Jan 8
Death Chants — DC-area freeak folk quartet explain themselves as follows: “DEATH CHANTS WAS BORN FROM THE RIME OF GINNUNGAGAP AND NOW WALKS ABROAD THRASHING TROLL WIVES AND CHANNELING THE NUMINOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THE COSMOS THROUGH CORPSE-HEAP WOLF-SONG!! METAL AND WOOD CALLERS IN VOICE-MESH COMMUNION BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF ALL FORETHOUGHT!!!! ” Those who attended the 2005 Free Folk Phantasmagory at 611 Florida will fondly recall their expansive “guerrilla” set in the bombed-out backyard. CDR releases on Time Lag records.
instruments:
rafi – loops, acoustic guitar, percussive objects
paul – modular systems, tapes, viola, regurgitations
mikul – toy guitar, synth, vocals
alison – flute, electric guitar, vocals
Warning Danger of Death — DC-area freeak trio includes
joe houpert — vocals, keys, ‘the suitcase’. you have to meet this guy for a definition, but he is a mad genius who programs max stuff and goes berserk live; jean chrastina — vocals, synth. classically trained, and then brainwashed by these two to play insanity; & steve perrucci — drums, keys, effects. this guy uses a completely handmade drum kit. it is sick.
Cash Slave Clique (with members of Temple of Bon Matin) — DC’s own godfather of extreme free noise in the Japanese tradition, Sam Lohman’s 36 project debuted on the Osaka, Japan, scene in the early 90s, playing “electric drum”–a snare miked with one of Solmania’s handmade contact microphones and run through a couple dozen FX. Previously, Lohman rocked the drums with Osaka-based Nimrod (records on the Bron & Scratch labels) with some fellow North American ex-patriots. Currently, he plays in Cash Slave Clique, and has toured recently as drummer with Steve McKay, Nik Turner, and Acid Mothers Temple (no shit). A local boy, Lohman also played with DC’s Baltek back in the 80s. Expect big noise anti-music. Tonite, 36 will be joined by special guests: drummer Ed Wilcox & saxaphonist Vincent Paternostro (Philly) of Temple of Bon Matin and Arthur Doyle group. Squank and roll! (advertised as 36 solo).
jeff bagato 