Artist Bio
On Nubu:
Lotus Magazine – (spring 2000) The debut album by Yokohama native/New York resident So Takahashi sounds a bit like a compilation of different artists—and that’s a compliment. While some techno experimentalists spend entire recordings obsessing on a single stylistic theme—often yielding tedious results—Takahashi employs a nice range of moods and timbres, making Nubus a continually intriguing and surprising listen. While this variety will no doubt lure listeners back again and again, it’s Takahashi’s unique, minimalistic melodicism and deft production that will capture their attention in the first place. Combining elements of Coil, Autechre, Hafler Trio and countless others, Takahashi’s palette covers everything from nouveau ambience to noise deconstruction, 1970s experimental film music and techno bleepiness. If the artist’s masterful sample manipulation and sparkling use of found sounds are the building blocks of his work, it’s his outstanding sense of pacing and composition that holds it all together. We may very well be following So Takahashi’s work for decades to come, so jump aboard now.
Lotus rating: 8
— Al Ritchie
On 30/30:
inaudible.com A cool release of constantly evolving experimental electronica that shifts back and forth from raster-noton-style or ryoji ikeda-style minimalism to a denser electronica sound then eventually to a more percussive experimental techno sound in one long track. Another solid experimental release from So Takahashi. Fans of Nobuzku Takemura, Ryoji Ikeda, Terre Thaemlitz, Taylor Deupree, Frank Bretschneider, and Noto should give this one a listen.
— Lance
Bevan Smith was born in New Plymouth in 1974. He has been recording and releasing music as Aspen and Signer since 1998. His earliest releases were on his own label Involve, but his music he been sought after and released by many international labels. At present Signer is released on Carpark records US, home of Dan Deacon, Panda Bear, Beach House. He has toured many times throughout Europe, UK and the US. He has composed for TV, Adverts, Theatre and FIlm most notably the Bafta winning ‘Touching the Void’ in 2004.
As well as working on solo projects Bevan has also written and produced albums with several bands. He worked on two albums with Nik Brinkman as ‘Over the Atlantic’ and on three albums with Matthew Mitchell as Skallander. Skallander were signed to UK based label Type records in 2006. At present he plays in Skallander and The Ruby Suns who release on Sub Pop.
In the late ’90s, San Francisco’s electronic music scene began to gain attention and grow through releases on Belief-Systems, internet broadcasters such as Beta-Lounge, and the electronic-based magazine XL8TR. With a strong group of artists such as Kit Clayton and Mark Farina, the Bay Area developed a reputation for producing a wide range of talented electronic artists — part of this camp is Matthew Patterson Curry, artistically known as Safety Scissors. Described as a more upbeat and eclectic minimalist dub sound, Curry has recorded for the labels Force Tracks, Context, Plug Research, and Beta Bodega. Often adding his own unpolished vocals and sampled additions, Curry has grown into his own identity amongst the Belief-Systems collective.
Curry is originally from Minneapolis, MN, and relocated to the San Francisco area to have a short stint in art school. Deciding to focus more on music, Curry eventually joined the Belief Systems/Context Records collective. A part of a distinct assembly of artists and musicians, he began working with Kit Clayton, Sutekh, and Twerk. Though he is mostly known for his more offbeat ambient works, he also produced more dance-oriented material for the labels Cytrax and Force Tracks. Curry also performs under the name Moron with Seth Horvitz (Sutekh). In 2000 Curry moved to Berlin, which at the time was a sort of artistic oasis for many electronic producers and artists. The following year Curry released Parts Water on Plug Research.
— Diana Potts, allmusic.com
Photo by Aimee Friberg © 2012
Born august 8, 1977
1st album “humour” 2002/6 release.
2nd album “modern” 2003/3 release.
http://www.boreas.dti.ne.jp/~ogurusu
1979
Born in Kyoto.
1999
Start sound and image project “SILICOM” with AOKI takamasa (sound).
2001 Jan.
Release SILICOM DVD from PROGRESSIVE FOrM in Tokyo (1/25).
2001 Aug.
First solo exhibition [pia] curated by Minoru Hatanaka (ICC) (Pepper’s Gallery, Ginza Tokyo)
2001 Oct.
New video and sound installation [JOURNAL FOR PEOPLE] (art space ‘Zone’, Roppongi, Tokyo)
Release solo album [ pia / takagi masakatsu] (audio CD and video CD-ROM) from Carpark(NY)
Touring among 12 cities in US and Canada for live performance
2001 Nov.
Live performance at “7th Istanbul Biennial” closing event
2002 May
Release audio CD and DVD [opus pia] from Carpark, NY.
2002.Apr.
Commission work for NHK TV program [Encounter the Beauty] opening video and music, and on air for one year
2002 June
Release audio CD and LP [eating] from Karaoke kalk, Germany
2002 July
[JOURNAL FOR PEOPLE] CD/DVD will be released from daisyworld discs/ cutting edge
[Image Garden-Inspired by Derek Jarman’s films] compilation DVD by three video artists released from UPLINK
2002 Aug.
New video installation [ light park ] shown at Mito Contemporary Art Gallery (10 Aug. – 23 Sep.).
Video and sound works collaborating with ‘Agnes b.’ developed at Agnes B.’s shops in Japan (22 Aug. – 31 Oct.).
2002 Oct.
Participate in the opening event at the new art center “Esplanade” in Singapore.
2002 Nov.
Live performance tour among Europe including 8 nations, 18 cities.
2003 Jan.
Video installation [ world is so beautiful ] at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Contemporary Art (11 Jan. – 23 Mar.)
No, he isn’t from outer space as his surreal tunes would have you believe. How then to explain Marumari’s offbeat taste, his predilection for clothes from the gap, or his scooter fetish? This mutated breed of earthling is obviously the result of a childhood plagued by episodes of star trek and peewee’s playhouse, digging hobbit holes, an obsession with toy rockets, and disco dancing on cruise ships for $5 poker chips. It’s a wonder that his royal elastic feet are still grounded here on earth. The springy feet however are apropos since Marumari, a.k.a. Josh Presseisen has bounced back and forth in his young musical career from twee indie rock to laptop pop.
Dwelling in the faceless suburbs of planet earth, this galactic composer has captured an ever broadening audience, mesmerizing them with his musical mumbo jumbo. How does this genius create his unique sound? Forget the standard composing programs; Marumari has masterminded the generic PC shareware programs and created a style to formulate 21st century tunes on his outdated 20th century computer.
There was once a boy that wanted to be a rock star. When he was little, he would smash rocks together, hoping that they would ignite into a star. They never did, not even once.
But one day, something strange happened. When he crashed two perfectly-shaped rocks together as hard as he could, a teeny-tiny spark jumped out from between them. Wow!
With wonder in his eyes, this messy-haired boy went to school to study sparks. Spark-plugs weren’t really his things, but rather the teeny-tiny sparks that run through your body and mine.
He wanted to figure out how to turn into a rock star.
After months and semesters and years of labor, he figured that there just had to be an easier way. What could it be? And just then, in his despair he began to listen.
Now he lives and works in Berlin.
After years of hip-hop groups, jazz combos, free improvisation, and experimental composition, Greg moved toward the world of computer-based music. At DePaul University in Chicago, Greg studied classical & jazz guitar alongside composition and jazz studies. In 1997, he started his own label, Autumn Records, in order to put out his own music and the music of others. Several CD-R releases later, Autumn Records relocated to Boston in 1999 and released the ‘autumnature’ compilation in may of 2001, which featured the likes of: Marumari, Hrvatski, Lexaunculpt, Cex, Colongib, Asterisk (a.k.a. Greg Davis), and many more. At this time Greg was attending the New England conservatory of music in Boston, where he received his master’s degree in composition in June 2001. Mouthmoth Records’ Mothballs 7″ series also featured several tracks by Greg (as Asterisk) and his performing duo, Parallel, with Don Mennerich. Greg was an active performer in the Boston area, playing many shows by himself and with parallel. Greg relocated back to Chicago in august 2002. Greg’s ‘Clouds as Edges’ 7″ was released in October 2001 on Grounded Records. His debut CD, ‘Arbor’, was released in February 2002 on Carpark Records. Also, a Greg Davis & Don Mennerich split 7″ was released in may 2002 on Greg’s autumn records label. Greg has been touring since the release of ‘arbor’ doing an extensive 7 week tour of the US in March and April 2002 and a 4 week tour of Europe in May and June 2002, all with friend and musical collaborator, Hrvatski (a.k.a. Keith Fullerton Whitman).
Other releases for the coming year include various remix and compilation appearances, a Lux Nigra 12″, a Melektronikk 7″, a Tonschacht 7″, a live CD on Staalplaat as part of their ‘Mort Aux Vaches’ series, a Greg Davis and Keith Fullerton Whitman CD on Carpark, and a new full length album for carpark. Greg Davis and Hrvatski took part in this year’s impakt festival in Utrecht, Holland. Greg recently returned from a Japan tour (Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo) as well as a Midwest tour with Lullatone and shedding. Greg’s music will also be featured on an upcoming episode of MTV’s ‘the real world’.
Greg Davis has played live shows around the world with: Hrvatski, 242.Pilots, David Grubbs, Zoviet France, Chicago Underground Duo, Flying Luttenbachers, Adult, O9, Otto Von Schirach, Stars As Eyes, Lexaunculpt, Blectum From Blechdom, Viki, Mitchell Akiyama, Loscil, Casey Rice (designer), E*Rock, Inkblot, Marumari, Twine, Warmdesk, Bit Meddler, Flashpapr, A-Musik Soundsystem, Murcof, Lullatone, Shedding, Ogurusu Norihide, Fonica and more.
Joshua Kit Clayton is a San Francisco based computer programmer and electronic musician. Born in Evanston, Illinois in 1974, he went on to study computer science and electronic music at Wesleyan University and has since released various musical compositions on record labels such as Cytrax, Vertical Form, ~scape, Mille Plateaux, and Orthlorng Musork. In addition to his musical work, Joshua is a programmer for Cycling ’74, where he is responsible for further development of the Max/MSP MIDI/audio programming environment. Recent work has focused on “Jitter,” a multi-dimensional dataset processing and visualization architecture with applications in audio, video, and 3D graphics.
