Archive shot and musings.

 A shot of Eli Pontecorvo and me at the Berkeley Arts Festival Building. Extensive blogging was done here during three or four years' of events hosted by Mika Pontecorvo at the place. Fun times were had within that building and its nearby environs. Such a nice little corner of the realm. It's probably very different now, and that's what happens.

Currently I find myself in Tucson. It's been raining pretty steadily for over one full day now. The sights of the surrounding mountains swathed in clouds, a kind of slightly shimmery green (from the saguaro) reflection tinting them, is really lovely. Rain washed rocks glimmer in the muted light of day and from car headlights of evening. Drops hit puddles and reverberate for moments. There are such sights here. Don't even get me started on the sunsets and the way that they sometimes illuminate some of the grasses in our yard. 

This year is almost ended now. I still haven't played music in public. I have established one situation that has managed to last over one year now. It remains compelling to me; some of the sounds that this particular grouping gets are inspiring and very cool to me. Can't say if they'll ever be presented to some sort of public. Lately I've been shrugging, Tony Soprano style, and muttering "...what are you gonna do....". That verbal trope applies here. Situations that are organic must develop organically. A second musical situation that involves other people is brand new, and I can't tell what to make of it just yet. That sorting of thinking, is it really even relevant anymore? Cue Gandolfini's main character here...

Piano is still a priority here. Just today I found fingerings that could achieve some pretty good Reggae type voices from the instrument. I have a witness, too! 

Just finished Thurston Moore's current autobiography. Really fascinating, the way he finished it with Sonic Youth's demise as a touring, working group. So many connections that man has made! Impressive. 

Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and here's to hoping for many Blessings to all. Over and out for now. 

More music up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/hare-and-arrow-3-11-17

Hare And Arrow live at Sung Kim's warehouse in Richmond CA. My only gig with this group. Sung and Dan Gottwald had a bottle of whiskey and a bag of mushrooms before the set. Things got weird. Weird and good. In Richmond CA, over by the Chevron refinery. 

Cartoon Justice live in Providence RI up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/cartoon-justice-6-5-18-b-providence

This second set is worth listening to just for Adriane Pontecorvo's cello solo, truly a thing of beauty. 

More music up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/pino-passarell-lunas-3-19-18

In duo with Tony Passerell at Luna's Cafe, Sacramento 3/19/2018. It was a fine gig, for which I actually did a little tiny composition. Tony filled in for another musician that could not make it. Thank you Tony. You are a marvel.

Lingua Incongnita live at Berkeley Arts Festival Building up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/lingua-incongnita-session-6-4-16_202311

A wild and wooley live set featuring some great SF Bay Area and Sacramento improvisors. Mika Pontecorvo set this up as a feature of one of his Hardly Strictly Personal festivals. As stated previously, these were fun affairs and I loved being involved with them. You know, for the community and all. For real. For the community.

Cosmists live at Berkeley Arts Festival Building up live at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/cosmists-berkeley-arts-fest-6-5-16

The core of Cosmists, Andrew Joron and myself, enhanced by CJ Borosque and Sheila Bosco. This band kind of whimpered to close in 2017 or so. One of the members of the group cut all ties to me in early March of 2020, stating that I was a dishonest person. That hurt, but it gave me pause for reflection, and prepared me for many more losses within the next couple of years. One has to learn how to let go. Those music festivals that Mika Pontecorvo organized at Berkeley Arts Festival Building and other spots sure were fun though. 

Ear Spray jam up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/ear-spray-jam-7-27-13-2

Listened to this clip yesterday and loved it. Especially when Carlos shouts out in musical delight. Ear Spray was fun for me too. 

Cloud Shepherd with India Cooke at Swarm Gallery up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/cloud-india-1

These two tracks were supposed to go up at Bandcamp, but that never happened. Putting them up at Archive.org because why not. Good times that happened a long time ago now. 

Barney Cauldron live at Black Cat Bar up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/10-0716-bc-black-cat-pt-1

Scarp designed this post, not sure if he drew the image. Black Cat Bar was a watering hole habituated by a lesbian clientele in Sonoma County. Not sure how Barney Cauldron ended up playing there, but I do recall having a good time. Now, you can too, with this audio. 

Two more Silencer Assembly demos up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/enterlude-120830-mix-01-2

These two tracks did not make the cut to the Tuned Mass Damper Bandcamp page. Wha? Guess it was Max's editorial decision. They can live on in another part of the 'net. Rock on. 

Mountain Vs. Building trackus up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/7-30-13a

Archival weirdness from a short lived project. Recorded in Berkeley, 2013. Fun while it lasted but it had to be blown up I guess. 

New Pure Finder recording up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/jam-05

Parts of this long jam may have ended up on Pure Finder's Float cassette release or on some of the digital stuff at Bandcamp. I like this organic, long piece though. 

Solo drumming piece up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/2014.08.15-00.00-03

A solo recording of me playing along to a track by Brandon Evans. I guess that it was an attempt to get to know his style, seeing as that he was far away from me, physically at the time. 

The photo above is from when Brandon came to the school where I worked, in Concord CA, to guest teach on the subject of Jazz. One kid, after watching some footage of Eric Dolphy with the Charles Mingus Group, said "he was ok....", hahahaha. 

Hope Brandon is doing well.

Ra Khepri-The Procession

 

Video footage from Summer Solstice recording session by myself and Ra Khepri.

Actual activity "in the world"!

 

Summer solstice 2023, I drove over to the far east side of Tucson to do some recording with Tucson-native Ra Khepri! It was a fun day of tracking, swimming in a nice cool swimming pool, and conversation. Color was added to the recording room by home stitched quilts by Ra's mother, a sweet touch (I love me some quilts). All told, we probably got about two hours' worth of sound documented. I played drums, resonant metals, and a ring modulator. Ra Khepri utilized keyboards synths, guitar, alto saxophone, and some preparations. I have no idea if/how/when these recordings will surface "in the world", but it was certainly gratifying to be somewhere besides my own mind, making music with another human being. 

Below: Pearl drums and Zildjian cymbals

Above: Ra Khepri at his engineering desk

Below: quilt views

Cartoon Justice live at Downtown Music Gallery audio up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/cartoon-justice-downtown-music-gallery-manhattan-6

We played to some people at this cool shop in Chinatown Manhattan. Then we flew home. 

Drumming track up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/track-1-20230601-183418

Solo drums in a shed. 

Cloud Shepherd live at NorCal Noisefest up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/008-cloud-shepherd

Cloud Shepherd without Andrew Joron and his theremin, getting noisy at NorCal Noisefest 2012. A happy, optimistic time, even though a bad cold was going around. I should know, I caught it a few days after this show!

Infinite Plastic Internal track added to Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/tounges-of-fire-yo-lc

Here is another track that was initially posted at Soundcloud. This is probably my favorite Infinite Plastic Internal piece. Recorded in the garage of an apartment building in Oakland CA 2012-ish. 

More collaborative video music up!

 

Another cool video of the beautiful, incredible wilderness of the Sonoran Desert area near Tucson! Music by Ra Khepri and myself. It's really nice to be me involved in music production again. I hope to play out in public at some point in the future.

Failure Cock Soundcloud piece reposted at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/02-track-02-1_202305

This track and this photo were posted once before, some years back. The track was at Soundcloud, but has since been bumped off of my feed there. Figured I'd give it the Archive.org treatment.

Ovipositor live at Hotel Utah, SF up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/ovipositrutah_202305

Matt Carter's last gig with Ovipositor. The Hotel Utah, man, what a cool place. I guess it's not in business anymore, total shocker! 

Musical collaboration with Dan Laks up at Soundcloud!

https://soundcloud.com/dan-laks/thecloud-drl-mp-5223-207-pm?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The results from the recording session done in March of this year. It is intended to be used within a larger frame of a musical theater piece that Dan is working on. I don't know how far along that project is, though. I think that this music sounds neat, and am very happy to work in any way with Dan Laks, whom I consider to be a very talented musical mind. I just can't play him in chess, because he usually beats me in about three moves.

Short collaborative piece up at YouTube!

                                                                                                                                                                                   

This short video by Tucson-based content creator Ra Khepri features duo music created by him and myself. Hopefully more of this type of collaboration will be forthcoming. Stoked!

Lingua Ignota session up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/lingua-incongnita-session-6-4-16

Mika Pontecorvo set this crazed gig up in the basement of a church near Alta Plaza Park in San Francisco, June of 2016. I played drums, Mika played guitar/electronics, and a ton of other people dropped in to add to the maelstrom. I don't remember who all showed up, sorry. 

Ear Spray live at Godwaffle Noisepancakes SF up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/godwaffle-noise-pancakes-12-8-18

As I uploaded this track, there were pleasant memories of Grux and all of the friendly, warm people that work with him on the Noisepancakes shows. They were always fun and odd in the best of possible ways. Good times that I was happy to be involved with. 

Ovipositor live at Hemlock Tavern with Tom Herman 2006 up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/ovipositrutah

The main thing that I recall about this show is that it was a few days before my wedding. Maybe it was fun? I don't recall. Here is the musical evidence. 

M-KAT Ensemble studio outtake up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/01-mkat-7-13-19-05-10

An edited version of this piece is on M-KAT Ensemble's second CD. I just wanted to get that entire track up online I guess. 

New Activity!

 

It still seems hard to believe a few days removed, but I actually did some "out in the world" music work this week! 

My friend and former Birdsaw band mate Dan Laks asked me in late January if I'd contribute some music to a theater project that he's reviving. Naturally, I gladly accepted his invitation, booked some studio time at a place very close to my house, and made it over there to produce some sounds. Stuck mostly to percussion: gongs, waterphone, singing bowl, etc., along with my trusty Utopia Synth and electric m'bira. Brief written directions were utilized; these had been initially sketched in February, and I used them as springboards for action. I let my intuition take over as each instrument was recorded, and that felt amazing. There were elements of rustiness involved with my process, indeed, when I first dug out my gong stand, it took some serious time just to figure out how to put the thing together. I used to be able to do that shit blindfolded! 

A couple of hours spent tracking, and it seems as though I got the desired effect, especially in light of the fact that Dan has already done a rough mix of the sounds put to tape, a mixture that sounds pleasing to us. Right on! 

So, yeah, I guess music is slowly coming back into my personal world. Such a gratifying feeling to have. 

Above: the entire set up and a few of the written directions. 

Many thanks to Dan, and big ups to Jeff at DRMX studios in Marana for the ace engineering job.

New demo with Mika Pontecorvo up at Soundcloud!

 

https://soundcloud.com/varis-957319601/baliophonewdrums?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I sent Mika Pontecorvo a demo of a drum set configuration that I've been practicing with (for possible upcoming collaborations, more later hopefully). He responded with this clip. Thanks, Mika!

Ovipositor 2010 demos up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/wayne_regretsky

These demos for what became the Everyone Has Their Tipping Point digital release must have been recorded to digital at Colin's Beatnik Dungeon, Oakland CA. 

Barney Cauldron live at Red Rocks Cafe up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/04-silk-road-caravan

We were all stoked about this gig. Kind of an "Acid Jazz" trip, I guess. RIP Yvel, he was a sweet dude. 

Failure Cock covers Throbbing Gristle at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/six-six-sixties

From the sessions that produced our The Uber-Mensch ist Tot digital release. Dedicated to our friend Jason, whose life had recently ended. I hope that his spirit soared away on wings of love and light.

Ear Spray Live at Second Act SF up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/03-live-at-second-act

More weirdness from Ear Spray, recorded live to iPhone on Haight Street in San Francisco. The guy who booked Second Act Noise shows, was very cool, friendly, and freaky in the best possible ways. Last time I saw him was in early March 2020, at a warehouse show in Oakland. We talked about Pere Ubu and vinyl hoarding tendencies. 

Crow Crash Radio Live at Awaken Cafe, Oakland audio up at Archive.org!

 

https://archive.org/details/1st-set-part-3

Recorded on a cold, quiet evening in Oakland CA. We played for quite some time that evening, I might upload more of it at some point in the future.

The Northgate Quartet live in Oakland audio up at Archive.org

 

https://archive.org/details/4-16-14

The group on this recording was put together by woodwinds player/poet/visual artist Jim Ryan. Jim's idea was that a group with himself and probably me would form a core unit which would play at elder residential facilities. Our one time doing so happened at one such place on 24th and MLK in Oakland. I wish I could remember the names of the pianist and conga player, but that information is completely lost to me. This is the closest I ever came to playing some kind of Jazz in public. Who knows if that's good or bad I guess.

New Ovipositor live show up at Archive.org!

 

 https://archive.org/details/10-red-crust

Ovipositor, 10/23/2004. An optimistic time for me, as the band sounded and felt good, about one year into our seven year run. Friends of the late Jason Batzer can hear him talk at the beginning of the set before the music starts. The Stork Club was as dingy as the above photo makes it look.