Tag Archives: News

News: Help Make the 2013 Improvisation Summit of Portland A Reality

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Just last week, I urged my readers to help offer some financial support for the Olympia Experimental Music Festival. But as with almost every other style of music, the OEMF is not alone in need of some backers to help make their event a success. Here at home, we are incredibly lucky to have the Creative Music Guild curating amazing concerts both big and small, and at the end of this month, they will be leading the charge with their biggest event of the year: the 2013 Improvisation Summit of Portland.

The lineup for this thing is flat out ridiculous: William Hooker (from NYC) leading an ensemble of locals and playing solo, Why I Must Be Careful Big Band, 1939 Ensemble, Daniel Menche, HITS (Lisa & Heather from Explode into Colors), The John Gross Trio, Grammies, Gulls, Elfin Elephant (members of AU), Doug Theriault, Like a Villain, Golden Retriever, Battle Hymns and Gardens, Thollem McDonas. And that’s just the music portion. There’s going to be films, dancers, and more.

But like most things of this nature, they ain’t cheap to put on, so they are reaching out to fans and supporters to help fund part of this shindig. As they say on their Indiegogo campaign page, “The total budget for the festival is about $7000. We’re asking the community to come up with $2000 which will pay for the venue (on an incredible deal), the insurance coverage, fire department permit and printing costs. In return you’ll get an amazing two-day event as well as a bunch of great perks including tickets to other great events, beautiful letter-pressed posters, naming rights to our new gear and more.”

Here’s your chance to help make this incredible event happen. Go to the Indiegogo page and, if you are able, donate to the cause. My dream is that we push them well above the $2,000 goal, but I know that money is what money is for most people (read: purse strings are tied tight). So, do what you can if you can. And at the very least, buy a ticket to this crazy cool event.

News: Support the Olympia Experimental Music Fest

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The Olympia Experimental Music Festival is about to hold its 19th installment this coming June, which in and of itself, should be reason for your support and patronage. But, hellfire, get a load of the lineup they have cooked up for the weekend long todo.

Friday, June 28th
6-6:40pm: Noisepoetnobody/Sistutl
7-7:40: The Giant Worm
8-8:40: JD Helwig
9-9:40: Tone Dogs
10-10:40: The WA Trio

Saturday, June 29th

4-4:40pm: Eagles are F’N’ Crazy
5-5:40: Soup Purse
6-6:40: Dead Air Fresheners
7-7:40: Aural Resucitation Unit
8-8:40: 10,000 Tigers
9-9:40: Tempered Steel
10:00-11:00: Thinking Plague

Sunday, June 30th

5-5:40pm: Big Tom The Lithuanian
6-6:40: Turtle
7-7:40: Wood Paneling
8-8:40: Derek M. Johnson
9-9:40: WAMU
10-10:40: Knot Pine Box

Here’s where you come in: the organizers of OEMF have set up a Kickstarter campaign to help pay the out-of-town artists coming to play, offset the costs of printing flyers and programs, and paying to rent the space they are using for the festival. None of the people putting this together are taking a cent of the money. Push them well over the goal and they’ll save the money to put on an even better event next year. You like experimental music? Do the right thing and crack open your wallets.

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News: Support Substrata Festival

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The point of this blog, as its name tells you, is to focus on the Portland experimental community, but we do not live in a bubble. And considering how poorly things are going economically for everyone in the creative world, it would behoove us to look out for those around us as well. Hence this little call to arms:

The folks behind the amazing Substrata Festival in Seattle are looking for a little financial boost to help put together another event this year. Launched in 2011, the fest has brought a wealth of experimental and ambient sounds to the Emerald City, including last year’s appearance by Tim Hecker, Scanner, Loscil, and Daniel Menche. Organizers also set up lectures, discussions, and a field trip for budding musicians to listen and do field recordings.

The dates have already been set aside for version 1.3 – July 18 – 21 – and the fest needs that little bit of help to bring in a couple of international artists that will give the weekend a likely boost in ticket sales, and a little bit of prestige as well.

Like all campaigns of this kind (this one is being supported by Indiegogo), there’s benefits to donating like free mixes, signed vinyl, and other treats, but the biggest bonus is supporting an event that takes no corporate sponsorship and whose organizer draws no financial benefit from it. Click here or on any of the links above to toss a little money their way. Or don’t. I ain’t forcing anyone’s hand here.

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News: Ju Suk Reet Meate Resurrects Pigface Records

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Labels come and labels go, and goodness knows we have a glut of them in this musical universe of ours. But the fact that Ju Suk Reet Meate, of the West Coast collective collectively known as Smegma, is bringing Pigface Records back to life is welcome news indeed.

Mr. Reet Meate has been a part of the area’s experimental scene since the ’70s and has a great ear for music that’s mind-expanding, cockles warming, and hunger satisfying. The label was part of this world from its first release in 1978 – the Pigface Chant cassette by Smegma – and through other great vinyl and cassette missives like the ’82 compilation Flies Like Holidays and EPs from Rancid Vat and the Hellcows. But since the late ’90s, the label has been on the shelf, collecting dust and racking up collector’s prices on Discogs and eBay.

With Mr. Reet Meate and Oblivia making all kinds of waves with their band The Tenses, it seems the perfect time to bring this imprint back to life. And he is wasting no time with five cassette releases already on offer.

There’s two Tenses releases – one a collaborative effort with Giggles and the other a split with fellow art splatter joyriders MSHR, a collection of Reet Meate’s solo works, and two cassettes of material by the late great Lee Rockey.

As far as I can see, the only way to nab these bad boys here in town is to hit up the good people at Clinton Street Record and Stereo, but hopefully they will expand their reach or even offer them up via mail order in the very near future.

News: Space Weather Listening Booth Touches Down In Portland

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When last we heard from composer Nat Evans, he was in Portland taking people on a collective listening experience at Mt. Tabor Park. Ever exploratory and forward moving, Evans will be returning to our fair city this coming Thursday for a performance of Space Weather Listening Booth, a “northern lights inspired sound installation,” according to the man himself.

Details on where the event is taking place are scarce, as Evans asks you to e-mail him directly for directions (nathanielfevans@gmail.com). But you can read below all about the piece, which by all rights sounds absolutely mind-altering. Then check out the piece “In A Shifting Landscape” further down, a composition Evans wrote for viola, cello, and electronics.

Space Weather Listening Booth is an immersive acoustic and electronic performance piece based on the aurora borealis, by Seattle composers Nat Evans and John Teske. Listeners hear the collision of the different space weather events that cause the aurora borealis, realized through an electronic track in surround sound and live performers encircling the audience. Premiered as a sound installation with miniature private performances at Seattle’s ONN/OF Festival, Space Weather Listening Booth has since been adapted for live performance.

Teske and Evans used geomagnetic data, information about solar wind and other phenomenon, and interpreted this data through a series of sounds that interact and slowly change over time. Additionally, to represent the auroral band that rotates around the poles of the earth, the composers plotted a course for the sound to migrate and turn slowly around the listeners. Combined with live performers, Space Weather Listening Booth is a unique sound experience that allows one to hear and feel the movement of these great forces, and experience time and physical space through a new lens.

News: Reed Arts Week Begins This Wednesday

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If you live in here in Portland, you know of Reed College, know someone who attends/attended the school, or at least have heard of the institution. Hopefully your knowledge of Reed extends to you making your way out to deep southeast to see a concert or performance there. The school has hosted some of the most mindblowing classical concerts and lured a wide swathe of rock, pop,  hip-hop, and experimental acts into its midst.

One of the most exciting events in their cultural calendar is Reed Arts Week, a student-curated celebration of visual art, music, dance, theater, and more. The 2013 installment of RAW is geared up to begin on March 6th, and the schedule is chockfull of concerts and installations that should thrill regular readers of this blog.

The biggest names on the docket belong to Grouper and John Wiese, artists that make music that is, respectively, lulling and jarring. The former is set to do a multi-media performance in the school chapel on Saturday the 9th, and the latter will be performing live in the chapel on the 6th as well as featuring an installation of his “battery instruments” throughout the event.

The other performance to pay close attention to is that of Oneirogen, a New York-based musician who is making his West Coast debut at RAW. He will be premiering some of the guitar and effects processed madness that will be featured on his upcoming album Kiasma. As well, one of our favorite local installation and sound artists Brenna Murphy will be on hand with a new multimedia project available for viewing through the week.

Oneirogen

Oneirogen

News: Anti-Everything Compilations Available Online For Free

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This bit of news is likely old information for true noiseniks out there, but for those of you who may have missed it: some amazing compilations of noise artists from around the world put together but never released by  Anti-Everything were recently unearthed and presented on Bandcamp in a beautiful “pay what you will” download situation. The collections have 99 tracks each — all of them short, pungent, and meaty — and features some names that should be familiar to local noise lovers: Daniel Menche, Sissy Spacek, John Wiese, Okha, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

News: Classical Revolution PDX Appoints New Executive Director

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It’s turned into quite the classical-themed week here at EXPDX. But I ain’t complaining.

Anyway…here’s a bit of news from out of the corners of the classical community: Classical Revolution PDX has just announced that Christopher Corbell will be taking over as executive director for the group, starting April 1st, with their previous exec. dir. Mattie Kaiser moving over to a full-time creative director role. An excellent decision that will likely give Kaiser more time and energy to devote to curating amazing shows for the group. The text of the CRPDX press release is pasted below.

Dan Rasay, chair of the board of Classical Revolution PDX announced today that the board has appointed Christopher Corbell to the position of executive director, effective April 1st. Mattie Kaiser founder and previous executive director is assuming position of artistic director.
 
In his announcement Rasay said: “We’re excited to have Christopher to build upon Mattie Kaiser’s hard work to get Classical Revolution PDX designated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Mattie will be assuming the role of artistic director and shifting her focus to help spread the Classical Revolution mission nation-wide.”
Corbell said, “Since I began working with Classical Revolution PDX over two years ago as a participating musician and active volunteer I’ve seen amazing things happen. Bringing chamber music to listeners outside the traditional classical fold, encouraging local performers and composers to engage and participate, and finding new, unexpected venues for this music are all aspects of a mission I believe in deeply. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue Mattie Kaiser’s work, and I look forward to developing this organization’s unique and essential place in the Portland arts community.”
Kaiser adds, “It’s been six years since I founded Classical Revolution PDX and am I full of pride at what it has become. What started as a craigslist ad and handful of friends is now a fully functional nonprofit organization that boasts the involvement of over 300 musicians and produces more than 30 performances a year. I am profoundly optimistic about our future and am happy to pass the role of Executive Director on to Christopher. As Artistic Director, I will actively funnel as many great ideas as I can to the organization to ensure that we’re always on the cutting edge of innovative chamber music programming.”
With the generous support of the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) Classical Revolution PDX is presenting The Composer Project 2013 in March. This week long workshop gives aspiring local composers the opportunity to learn from professional composers, artists and producers. The workshop culminates with a String Quartet Competition at the Community Music Center on Sunday March 10th @ 7pm.

News: Sanctuary Sundays Start on February 10th at Tube

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Maybe it’s just due to starting this blog last year that I’m hearing about these things more, but there certainly seem to be more and more experimental nights and shows happening of late. And I’m all fucking for it.

The latest that I know about was just brought to my attention by Ms. Coco Madrid who is organizing a monthly event at the downtown bar Tube called Sanctuary Sunday. The focus will be on experimental and ambient performers, and she already has a great lineup to kick off these series: Doug Theriault, Foque Mopus, and Fiasco.

You like the sound of this as much as I? Then check out the poster for the first event below and then stop by Tube on Feb. 10th.

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News: March Music Moderne Releases 2013 Schedule

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Us Portlanders are quite lucky to live in a city that boasts a thriving classical music scene. Not just the Portland Symphony and their regular large scale events, but small chamber ensembles, free weekly noon time concerts at the Old Church, daring groups like Classical Revolution PDX, and the gent behind March Music Moderne.

The third edition of this freewheeling event is ready to get underway on March 7th, and the schedule leaves me speechless with anticipation. There’s a multi-evening run through all of Shostakovich’s string quartets, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the premier of The Rites of Spring, new works by NW composers, and the debut of some of the finalists from Classical Revolution’s composer contest. As well, for broke folk like myself, many of the events are free or have an inexpensive ticket option.

I’m hoping to get a sit down with Bob Priest, the man behind these events for an interview to be published here or as part of my Willamette Week column, so stay tuned for that. But until then, check out the schedule below and start marking up your calendars as you see fit.

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