RVA Noise Fest V videos hit the web - RVA Mag

The fifth annual RVA Noise Fest took place a few weeks back, and for those who missed it, you're in luck (at least a little bit). A number of decent quality videos from the event have emerged and nows your chance to catch up on some of the best noise, harsh noise, power electronics, ambient, drone, synth, techno, free jazz, no wave and performance art available in the area.

The actual event took place over two days at both Strange Matter and Gallery 5, and it was a veritable marathon of short, back to back performances by local noise, electronic, experimental and otherwise unclassifiable musicians.

Check out some of the videos below via Nic De Santis....
http://rvamag.com/articles/full/26000/rva-noise-fest-v-videos-hit-the-web-late

Posted by: brad – May 10, 2016

CHEAP FEST VI - Featured Show - RVA MAG

FROM: RVA Shows You Must See This Week 10/21-10/27 http://rvamag.com/articles/full/25238/rva-shows-you-must-see-this-week-1021-1027
Posted by: Necci – Oct 21, 2015


FEATURE SHOW

Cheap Fest VI @ Strange Matter
Day One: Friday, October 23, 2 PM-Midnight - $5-15 (sliding scale)

Daggering, Stone Garden Jam Temple, Mutwawa, Broadcastatic, Scant, Creeping, Stress Orphan, Burak, Neurology, Bryan Lewis Saunders, Zack Kouns, Bernard Herman, Nate Schieble/Ian McColm, Astrology Diet, Cornelius Van Strafin III, Jim Capps, Metamorphic Blood vs. Kaontrol Kontraos, Radio Shock, Nu Depth, Yoga Demon, Subklinik, Coteries, Eunich, JND, Floral Print, Deleted User, One Lifeless Eye, Lugweight, Outer Heaven, Blue Nine, Le Bron, Fake Object, 10-56, Negative Space, Lacanthrope, Skirts, Alpha Decay, Seven Hundred Club

Day Two: Saturday, October 22, 2 PM-Midnight - $5-15 (sliding scale)
Laundryroom Squelchers, Tinnitustimulus, Unguent, Narwhalz (of sound), Radiator Greys, Shredded Nerve, Newton, Yohimbe, Drums Like Machine Guns, Faster Detail, Pvre Matrix, Predation, Rosemary Arp, Trogpite, Boy Harsher, SB & C, Drippy Inputs, Extended Release, C10, Mall Prowler, Jokif Behr, Bachelorette, Embarker, Clang Quartet, Pony Moon, Quna, Suicide Magnets, Dave Public, Zoe Wordlaw, Muscle Academy, Lead Pipe, Cloning, Bath Assaults, Xambuca, Bushmeat, New Loft, Flesh Control, Schwarzkali Effect
There are times I worry I won't have enough to say about one of the shows in my column. Suffice it to say, this is not one of those times. If anything, Cheap Fest VI offers more action than I could possibly cover in a few measly paragraphs. This annual gathering of experimental music acts from all over the country is organized on some strict principles--each band gets 15 minutes in which to perform, and the music happens on a continuous basis for 10 hours each day for two days. During that time, something like 80 different groups take the stage, all assaulting the ears of listeners with a glorious wall of their own particular take on "noise"--which could involve a variety of musical instruments, or a pile of sound effects, or almost anything else you can think of. But it won't involve laptop computers being used to play back some prerecorded sounds, because laptops are strictly prohibited by Cheap Fest's charter. All noises you hear will be generated live and in the moment.

So what sort of noises can you expect? Well, the entire affair will be brought to a close by a set from Florida heroes the Laundryroom Squelchers, led by maniacal noise legend Rat Bastard. Meanwhile, day one's events will be wrapped up by a set from Daggering, a noise supergroup whose members once called Richmond home but are now scattered up and down the east coast. They return to action for a rare Richmond appearance in celebration of Bad Moon Rising, their brand new tape released by CNP Records earlier this month.

There are soooo many more performers on this bill, though. Groups that have attained a measure of local fame through legendary past performances (Drums Like Machine Guns, Clang Quartet), artists who once called RVA home and are back to blow minds once again (Narwhalz (of sound), Lugweight, Nu Depth, Scant), local up-and-comers just starting to make their mark on the Richmond scene (Alpha Decay, Schwarzkali Effect, Seven Hundred Club), RVA veterans doing what they do best (Mutwawa, Flesh Control, Coteries), and a ton of other local and out-of-town performers with plenty of awesomeness to bring you all. If you like your music to remain safe, calm, and totally normal, this isn't the event for you. I, for one, am down with the freakouts, and testing the limits of what sound can do; I hope you are too, and I hope you'll make an appearance at Strange Matter this weekend for Cheap Fest VI. You'll be glad you did.

RVA Noise Fest IV to turn Strange Matter into a cacophonous soundscape this Saturday...

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/24602/rva-noise-fest-iv-to-turn-strange-matter-into-a-cacophonous-soundscape-this

Posted by: brad – Apr 29, 2015




“The noise community here in Richmond is one of the most active yet most under represented local scenes,” said Gary Stevens, organizer of the fourth annual RVA Noise Fest, in an email interview. “We feel it's important to give venue to all these wonderfully strange artists to come.”

Like Stevens said, Richmond has a surprisingly large noise scene, something Noise Fest IV hopes to highlight with its 36+ local acts and free entry.

Noise Fest is a showcase of underground music curated by the RVA NOISE collective with a focus on noise music, experimental sound, and outside electronics.

This Saturday, May 2nd, the festival will take over Strange Matter starting at 3 pm for nearly 12 hours of free performances.

“Now in it's fourth year, we continue to host a wide array of artists working in the realms of harsh noise, power electronics, sound collage, post-techno, ambient soundscapes, drone, freek jazz, improv and otherwise challenging and unconventional music and performance styles,” said Stevens. “This year we highlight the rich and diverse underground music culture of Richmond, VA that has been bubbling up through the cracks over the last few years.”

The intention of this year’s festival, according to Stevens, is “to spread awareness of how lively the local noise scene is and to have a good time sharing that work.”

Noise is the closest thing to purely underground music currently being performed here, perennially existing just below the mainstream, and having an influence which trickles easily into other genres.
“In a contemporary context I believe noise is an underground of the underground. A free form media for expression that defies easy classification. Noise as a genre is a very broad term and it's importance is highly subjective,” said Stevens. “Academics may consider it a high art while basement venue dwellers believe noise is a more extreme D.I.Y punk aesthetic. No matter how it's perceived I'd say that noise is important in the way that it's continually challenged and innovated music ideas over the years.”

Attendees of Noise Fest IV can expect, as always, an all day marathon of back to back abbreviated performances “ranging from chaotic harsh noise to blissful soundscapes.”

If you’ve never been to a noise show before then you’re missing out. They’re loud, abrasive, transient, incredible, and largely indescribable. For a taste of what you can expect check out this video of Mutwawa-- who will also be performing this year--tearing it up onstage two years ago.
Noise music's versatility and ability to grow and adapt always been its biggest strength, according to Stevens, something no other genre has been able to accomplish quite as successfully.

“Noise is constantly changing. It's an amorphous energy by nature and that makes it hard to quantify,” said Stevens. “More and more projects are popping up all over the place and I'm seeing many ideas sprouted in the noise scene are becoming a part of other forms of music.”
The doors for RVA Noise Fest IV open at 3 pm this Saturday at Strange Matter with performances starting at 4 pm and running until 1 am. There is no cover and therefore no excuse to miss what is sure to be one of the best RVA based festivals of the season.

Checkout the line-up below:

Doors 3PM Sounds 4PM
$0.00!!!

04:00 - B.S.K.
04:15 - Alpha Decay
04:30 - France Gall Entity
04:45 - Le Bron
05:00 - Blue Nine
05:15 - Lacanthrope
05:30 - S.A.R.S.
05:45 - War Anus
06:00 - 10-56
06:15 - Thieves Of Shiloh
06:30 - Negative Space
06:45 - The New Loft
07:00 - Toner War
07:15 - Cecelia
07:30 - Ting Ting Jahe
07:45 - ENE
08:00 - Yoga Demon
08:15 - Creeping
08:30 - Fake Object
08:45 - Dyrt
09:00 - Flood Beast
09:15 - Crack Bytch
09:30 - Brown Piss
09:45 - Broadcastatic
10:00 - Golden Retriever
10:15 - Richard Ripper
10:30 - Daggering
10:45 - Cristal
11:00 - Subklinik
11:15 - Yohimbe
11:30 - Flesh Control
11:45 - Scant + I.G.M.
12:00 - SB & C
12:15 - Predation
12:30 - Coteries
12:45 - Mutwawa

*Line up/Schedule subject to change

Words by Tyler Hammel

RVA NOISE FEST IV - Featured Show - RVA MAG

From: RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 4/29-5/5 http://rvamag.com/articles/full/24595/rva-shows-you-must-see-this-week-429-55

Posted by: Necci – Apr 29, 2015

FEATURE SHOW

Saturday, May 2, 3 PM

RVA Noise Fest IV, feat. Mutwawa, Coteries, Predation, SB & C, Scant + IGM, Flesh Control, Yohimbe, Subklinik, Cristal, Daggering, Richard Ripper, Golden Retriever, Broadcastatic, Brown Piss, Crack Bytch, Floodbeast, Dyrt, Fake Object, Creeping, Yoga Demon, ENE, Ting Ting Jahe, Cecelia, Toner War, The New Loft, Negative Space, Thieves Of Shiloh, 10-56, War Anus, SARS, Lacanthrope, Blue Nine, Le Bron, France Gall Entity, Alpha Decay, BSK @ Strange Matter - Free!
It's time for your fourth annual dose of total noise overload, as this Saturday RVA Noise Fest IV takes over Strange Matter for nearly 12 hours. While previous versions of this festival have been bigger and featured more touring acts, this year's one-day edition is worthwhile in its conciseness, offering a crash course in exactly what's going on in the noise scene that has quickly grown into one of the most active and happening "music" scenes here in RVA. An unbelievable 36 acts, all of which come from this local community, will assault your senses with 15-minute bursts of feedback, ambience, and all sorts of other sonic experimentation over the course of one day--and afterwards, you'll be able to say you're just as up on the state of RVA Noise as anyone who spends most of their weekends in the mysterious basement venue known as Auxiliary.

I'm sure a lot of OG noise heads are scoffing at that last line, and fair enough--but can you really argue with this lineup? Obviously Mutwawa are the headliners; this duo consisting of longtime noise veterans Jason Hodges and Gary Stevens have forged their piles of effects pedals, keyboards, and sequencers into an experimental mutant disco orchestra of unstoppable talent. Sometimes noise is just a wall of harsh distortion, but Mutwawa uses their sonic manipulations to make you dance! Their headlining set will be the perfect way to close out an afternoon and evening of absolute chaos.

But there are 35 more acts on the bill--and I've only got one paragraph to tell you about them! Here's a quick rundown of some highlights: Coteries is an up-and-coming solo performer of terrifying soundscapes, sometimes armed with spotlights. Flesh Control is whatever Leo Heinzel feels like assaulting your ears with, but it's always riveting. Cristal is another veteran act, bringing together members of LaBradford, Breadwinner, and Askance to explore the world of ambient space. Daggering combines the talents of J. Russell (Caves Caverns/Floodbeast) and Matt Boettke (Scant), both of whom will also be performing solo at other points in the evening. In fact, this is another common theme--solo performances by musicians who also appear as part of groups elsewhere on the bill. The RVA noise scene is a wellspring of creativity these days, and you have the opportunity to engage in detailed exploration of it this Saturday. Best of all, it's free--so even poverty should not keep you away! Bring your earplugs and get ready for some serious aural damage.

Sediment Arts & RVA Noise Present Experimental Music & Sonic Art from Container & Jason Lescalleet - RVA MAG

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/23682/sediment-arts-rva-noise-present-experimental-music-sonic-art-from-container

Posted by: Necci – Aug 22, 2014




Over the next couple of weeks, Sediment Arts Gallery will be partnering with RVA Noise to bring two different performances featuring some of the leading creators of experimental noise currently working in the scene today. This will begin on Friday, August 29 with a performance from Providence, RI's Container, followed by an evening with Jason Lescalleet on Sunday, September 7.



Container has origins the basement noise ghetto, playing raw bare bones pulsing techno through a drum machine “groovebox” with spacefuckery feedback coming from a Tascam cassette 4-track recorder--the basement noise ghetto’s omnipresent consumer electronic home studio. Since his first 12”, Container tracks have resembled early Chicago acid house and Detroit techno dance cuts; think Ca$hmere’s “The Percolator”, melted down to Black Dice level.

Container’s “Acclimator” and “Perforate” are totally in the acid house zone, almost fitting into that Psychic TV fantasy--the “Jack the Tab” mirage, where warehouse industrial zone drowns in psychedelic techno repetition. Basic is brutal. Relentless disco drum machine beats, constant simple bass groove, and live feedback. Container is actually super danceable, much moreso than most of what circulates in the noise crowd these days. This is why Container has been able to transcend the warehouse/basement noise ghetto and make the festival circuit, playing actual European danceclubs, sealed with the approval of a set at Boiler Room, the UK based barometer of DJs worth partying with.



Last time he was in town, Container played the cramped Auxiliary basement space. This time, he’s getting the special event treatment in the clean, white-walled, high-ceilinged Sediment Gallery space at 208 E. Grace St in the Arts District. How many other downtown galleries will host Boiler Room-approved raw noise techno gigs?

Also coming down from Container’s hometown will be the freaky performance art/dark analog techno of Timeghost. Reason for anticipation of Timeghost’s performance aesthetic can be found in his quote to the Boston Hassle site: “I have new devices to run electrical current through my body and synthesizers. I had my face pierced to create port holes for a mouth-controlled voltage attenuator I built.” Container plays with the most appropriate local support, Mutwawa, who jam an even more melted down, bad-acid-trip, Chrome-ish take on noise dudes playing techno. Their recent Balliceaux gig included stretches of horror-movie-soundtrack synth lines and the metal-on-metal abuse of some sort of Stargate-y copper cymbal sphere. The show will have a proper sound system for sure; the vibe will be good. The whole thing starts on Friday, August 29 at 7 PM. There is a suggested donation of $10-15. For more info, click here.



Then, on September 7, Jason Lescalleet returns to Richmond for another performance of meticulous loops and electronic manipulation. This longtime New England experimental musician (his remix/collage skills were even on the closing track of Bane's 1999 LP It All Comes Down To This, for those who always need some reference to 90s hardcore) plays long, seemingly endless sets of ambient drone and field recordings. The sets also feature moments of harsh noise, and usually incorporate a joke where the maestro subtly (or not so subtly) sinks a pop song or hip hop hook into the layers.



Alongside vintage Walkmans and a laptop, the awesome centerpieces of Lescalleet’s sprawling table of gear are two reel-to-reel tape machines stretched across the table, with what looks like almost twenty feet of recording tape stretched into one loop between the machines. You’ll see Lescalleet expertly stretch and manipulate the tape’s length and speed, and hear it--not always instantly--play into the set’s loops and drones. Sometimes the magnetic tape abuse is like a loose thunderclap. At other times its an abrupt switch to DJ Screw tempo. Lescalleet is seriously into tape loops--his email address is tapeloops@hotmail and his Facebook name is Tape Loops.

Lescalleet even goes so far as to destroy parts of the tape, causing the sounds to deteriorate moreso with each cycle of the reel-to-reel machines. This gives the performance the same taste of unique impermanence that you might also get from a loose Christian Marclay record or a less tragic version of Disintegration Loops by William Basinski. Lescalleet’s last two performances in Richmond were seated shows, definitely not for those who lack patience, given the sprawl and often glacial pace of Lescalleet’s material. A seated audience can definitely meditate in the drifts of low-end drone and masterful layers of looping and heady primitive analog phasing.



Lescalleet will precede his performance with a screening of his film Trophy Tape, a collection of videos for songs from his 2012 album, Songs About Nothing. The film is curated by Lescalleet and includes contributions from a stable of Midwest noise big names like former Wolf Eyes madman Aaron Dilloway, Hair Police’s Robert Beatty, and No Fun Fest star C. Spencer Yeh, along with modern video artists Ellen Frances (NYC) and Heidi Alasuvanto (Finland).

The sole local support for Lescalleet’s acts will be Photoblaster, aka Broadcastatic, the multimedia/noise performance handle for Tommy Birchett, wherein audio and video inputs feedback into another, and walls of harsh tones interact with stacks of televisions and surveillance video monitors. The result is a meeting of no-input noise manipulation/confusion with the high concept cathode ray patterns Nam June Paik’s video installations. This event will start at 7 PM on Sunday, September 7. Suggested donation is $7-15. For more info, click here.

By J. Russell

Latest Batch Of Richmond Tape Club Releases Demonstrates RVA Experimental Music Scene's Quality & Variety - RVA MAG

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/23238/latest-batch-of-richmond-tape-club-releases-demonstrate-the-quality-and-variety

Posted by: Necci – Apr 18, 2014




In conjunction with RVA Noise Fest III, which takes place over the course of this weekend, the Richmond Tape Club will be bringing five new releases into the world. Richmond Tape Club is an ongoing project curated by Jonathan Lee, owner of local label SMTG Limited. Since its 2008 inception, SMTG has curated a roster of some of the best experimental and electronic musicians the area has to offer, using whatever means possible to get that music out into the world. Having worked with vinyl, CDs, and digital formats, it would only stand to reason that the label would also utilize the increasingly popular cassette for their recent series of shorter works by local artists.

Over the course of the Richmond Tape Club releases thus far, we have heard anthemic vocals over dreamy synths (Negative Gemini), soundtrack dub (Slow News Day in the Vampire World), destructive clouds of nightmarish drones (Elian), and much more. If these releases teach us anything, it is that Richmond has a diverse electronic scene. The most recent installments in the Richmond Tape Club focus on variations of a certain aesthetic, one that favors amorphous clouds of sound that, even when clustered around rhythmic or tonal centers, eschew familiar structural elements in favor of something more challenging.



The content comprising Anduin's entry - labeled Richmond Tape Club 4b to emphasize its relationship to his previous contribution to the series - consists of material recorded at the same time as Richmond Tape Club 4. The project of Jonathan Lee, SMTG's owner, this new release operates in a space not dissimilar to his previous releases. Sinister keyboards undergird backwards-masked samples which are in turn flecked with glitchy percussion sounds. Like Lee's past work, these electronic elements are counterbalanced with organic recordings, both of live instrumentation (harmonica player Noah Saval and saxophonist Jimmy Ghaphery, both previous Anduin collaborators, are featured prominently) and of atmospheric field recordings. These organic sounds aid the music's cinematic quality by offering a real-world grounding to some of the more abstract electronic elements. Unlike previous Anduin releases, Lee pushes the rhythmic elements into more assertive territory, with both “Wooden Kimono” and “The Guild” featuring drum loops that, while halting and minimal, are more assertive than the Oval-style clicks and pops that normally serve as his music's pulse.


Photo by Kat McDaniel

Richmond Tape Club Volume 5, Stephen Vitiello's contribution to the series, consists of two pieces which, though not especially stark contrasts, manage to distinguish themselves from each other. “Single Coil/Buchla Rhythm” consists of a series of short drones, brief snippets of sound that last only a minute or two before they fade to nothingness as abruptly as they were introduced. Some of these sub-sections feature familiar components (the subtle guitar in the piece's final passage), some are stranger and less familiar (the high-pitched chirps that begin the piece), but the overall disjointedness of the arrangement can prove disorienting. This isn't to suggest that any part of “Single Coil/Buchla Rhythm” is at all poorly executed, only that each of the elements tends to be more engrossing when allowed room to stretch out, a compositional tack taken by Vitiello's accompanying piece, “Captiva Photogene.” In it, a bed of chiming guitar harmonics lays the foundation for a sequence of layered textural passages that build upon each other until all that remains is a swirling, blissful haze of sound. This steady push forward renders the latter half of Vitiello's release more successful, with the jarring starts and stops of its predecessor replaced by a more measured unfurling of all the piece's respective component elements.


To paint Brandon Hurtado's Richmond Tape Club 6 as a monochromatic endeavor might not be wholly inaccurate, but it also fails to do justice to the quality of the work contained therein. Each piece consists of textural guitar playing, recorded with the sort of fidelity low enough that it practically becomes another instrument. With a ruminative quality to the performance reminiscent of Loren Connors' better work, and a grainy production quality not a million miles removed from Grouper's farthest-out moments, Hurtado's work retains a consistency throughout, its melancholic tendencies establishing a mood far more effectively than many experimental musicians are capable of.



Richmond Tape Club 7 sees those prolific weirdos in Mutwawa continue their journey on the veldt. They prey upon tribal grooves with precision instruments built in the 80’s bearing the name CASIO. Once captured, said grooves are taken to a remote lab where they are augmented with distorted synths and leftover Atari Teenage Riot tunes (in sound, not lyrical content).



Matt Boettke of SCANT, Daggering, and local promoting fame releases the first tracks under his own name for Richmond Tape Club 8. These tracks, named "Oedema" (Parts 1 and 2), feature slow organic drones building upon each other and multiplying. The fabric of the universe heaves into a vortex, pulling all objects towards it. Light collapses into the ancient force of gravity. Matter compresses until it resolves into a singular substance stretched into infinite combinations. Finally, it dies down. Gases cool and we are left with our existence--at least for a little while.
Despite the differences in approach, the newest volumes of the Richmond Tape Club represent distinct parts of an extremely multi-faceted whole. Though not overarching in their representation of the artists' capabilities, each presents a condensed version of their respective creator's vision, a modus operandi writ small that serves as an excellent tasting menu for the wider smorgasbord of compelling experimental music in the region.

To receive proof in a live setting of the quality of this region's offerings, check out this year's installment of RVA Noise Fest, which starts today and goes on throughout the weekend. The fest is still short $125 of their funding goal on their Indiegogo campaign, and if you contribute $25 to it before midnight, you can get digital versions of all 9 Richmond Tape Club releases. Click here if you're interested in contributing, and click here for more details on the fest. The latest Richmond Tape Club releases will be available for purchase at the fest, or you can order them online by going to SMTG's webstore.

By Graham Scala & Turtle

Noise Performer John Wiese To Bring Cacophony of Sounds to Sediment Arts 4/11 - RVA MAG

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/23202/noise-performer-john-wiese-to-bring-cacophony-of-sounds-to-sediment-arts-411

Posted by: brad – Apr 09, 2014




If you like your music dissonant and cacophonous, sound artist John Wiese will be performing live at Richmond’s Sediment Arts gallery this Friday April 11th, in conjunction with RVA Noise.

While noise may not be the most accessible genre, Wiese seems to have made a name for himself within the scene, boasting an impressive resume with his grind/noisecore band Sissy Spacek and his work with bands like No Age, Wolf Eyes, and Sunn O))). Although Wiese has an extensive list of collaborations, his performance at Sediment will consist of his solo work.

If you’re looking for melody in John Wiese’s work, you will be disappointed. Throw away harmony and rhythm; this music is all about sound manipulation, experimentation, and processed sounds. This is noise music by definition, and Wiese’s work is a mainstay in the genre. Luckily, we were able to speak with Wiese about his music and his upcoming show at Sediment.

Wiese says he doesn’t really think of himself as a musician in the traditional sense. Instead of writing notated music, Wiese works with manipulating, cutting and arranging sounds. The end product is more like a collage but nothing short of meticulous. Wiese’s music is dense, with a variety of sounds ranging from minimal and mysterious to abrupt and abrasive.

Wiese’s sees shows as being a momentary experience, and uses them as an opportunity for further experimentation. He doesn’t plan on playing anything previously recorded. He lets his music evolve and change over time. Through this approach, every one of his shows are different. “Even if I did try to play the same thing every night, I couldn’t,” Wiese said.

As far as his live setup, Wiese said, “Equipment has dwindled to barely anything.” However, he says he prefers a minimal setup because it give more focus to the ideas of the sound, and not the logistics. Wiese elaborated, saying, “I think it's important to be super-free, and can experiment and do anything that you want. I have very little interest in making material that’s recreated accurately [live].”

Although Wiese’s approach may seem unmethodical, there is a level of cohesion. Instead of arranged performances, Wiese relates his live show to a form of improvisation. “I’m using a palette of source material and sounds; but what comes out is based on in-the-moment decisions,” he said. As far as his sound palette, Wiese's sound is still in the realm of his last album, Seven of Wands. It’s an album full of dark eerie atmospheres, with moments of chaos but also bleak minimalism.



This is interesting, especially considering Wiese’s early influences. Wiese said, “As a 14-year-old in 1992, Deicide’s first album was the most insane thing I’d ever heard.” He dropped names of other metal bands as well, such as Obituary and Suffocation. Looking at his various music projects, it's no surprise Wiese is super into death metal.

Wiese also remembers his early memories of making sound collages and noise tapes. He recalls recording on his friend’s four track what turned out sounding like noise-core. It was something he had never heard before. “I was living in the Midwest; I had no concept of a noise scene. I had no idea that other people did this.” He started out just making noise music for himself and his friends.
Wiese explained that his solo work is inspired by his solo shows, and that his style is constantly and gradually changing over time. His solo records serve as a way to track his progress and the development of his sound. Wiese says, “I think of recorded music as an object, and live music as much more ephemeral.”

In light of all of this, there's no doubt his performance at Sediment Arts will be a unique experience. The show takes place this Friday, April 11, beginning at 8 PM. Local support will be provided by Broadcastatic and IGM. A suggested donation of $5-10 is requested. Sediment Arts is located at 208 E. Grace St. For more info, click here.

Words by Joseph Vargo

Members Of Mutwawa Form Solo Projects, Get Weird And Harsh On Split Tape - RVA MAG

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/23121/members-of-mutwawa-form-solo-projects-get-weird-and-harsh-on-split-tape

Posted by: Necci – Mar 21, 2014




Don't panic, experimental music lovers--Mutwawa are still a going concern. However, the super-busy duo of Jason Hodges and Gary Stevens are never going to be satisfied with only one (or two, or three) musical projects happening at a time. Therefore, they both have solo projects as well, and those solo projects released a split cassette earlier this month. The names of these projects both register somewhere on the grossness spectrum--Gary's is called Rotted Ear, and Jason's is called Brown Piss. I'll leave it up to you which of those images seems more repugnant, but the appropriately-chosen title of their split, Rotted Piss, might be the gnarliest of all.

A word of warning--if you dig Mutwawa mainly because of their ability to create bizarre interplanetary dance beats, you won't find too much to enjoy here. Rotted Ear and Brown Piss are both full-on harsh noise--each project contributes one eight-minute blast of sonic anarchy to this cassette. Rotted Ear starts out by lulling you into complacency with several minutes of quiet ambient hums, before suddenly cranking the volume with some serious construction-noise damage--so don't be tricked into turning your car's tape deck all the way up when you're playing this one.



Brown Piss, on the other hand, doesn't engage in any deception, starting things off with some oscillating feedback that eventually evolves into static, distorted vocal sounds, and even what sounds like a very overdriven drum-machine beat that starts around the five-minute mark. Yes, even on this 16-minute noisefuck explosion of an EP, there's a little bit of dancing going on--if you can make it that far.

Stream the entire EP below, if you dare--and if you're into it, you can pick it up as a name-your-price download from Bandcamp. Then again, we all know real OGs rock tapes, so if that's you, you can order a copy of the Rotted Piss cassette from CNP Records for $6 by clicking HERE.



By Andrew Necci

Record Review: Mutwawa - Subterrestrial Creeps - RVA MAG

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/23099/record-review-mutwawa-subterrestrial-creeps
Posted by: brad – Mar 17, 2014



Local electro-noise duo Mutwawa has released a new 3 track EP and it replicates a sound we’re all too fond of and familiar with.



With a heavy stress on the electro, the first track “Earth is Fucked” opens with synth drums and distorted bleeps and bloops. A vocal track comes in and out, I’m not sure if it’s something you could sing along to, but it’s catchy enough to have been stuck in my head over the weekend. Or maybe I just keep chanting “earth is Fucckkkkked.” Either way, I’m sold.

The second track, “Erosion,” follows the near-marching beat and delayed synth-horn style which first attracted me to Mutwawa. For those who have caught them live, the know the key to Mutwawa is their live show and I have a feeling this track would get the crowd swaying something fierce.
Typically dissonant, I look forward to being sweaty and confused at the next Mutwawa show when this track comes on. Clocking in at just over 5 minutes, the track ends with a great build-up which provides for some solid ear-drum splitting feedback.

“Caleuche” closes the short record, but is a great finale. Another great build up stretches across this 7+ min track. The pounding drum beat keeps a head nodding and the drones and feed-back bleeps are sure to warm the soul of any noise fan.

Mutwawa has done a lot with the broad genre of “noise” music. It’s their beats and live show which keeps fans like myself coming back for more. Even if you’re not a fan of raucous feed back jams, consider checking out Mutwawa whenever possible - they are a shining jewel in RVA’s scene.
Check them out when they open for Acid Mothers Temple at Strange Matter Apr 25

Review by BK

RVA Noise Fest III Announces Full Lineup Of Eardrum-Destroying Acts

From: http://rvamag.com/articles/full/22980/rva-noise-fest-iii-announces-full-lineup-of-eardrum-destroying-acts

Posted by: Necci – Feb 14, 2014


Today, for the first time anywhere, we're pleased to bring you the complete lineup of RVA Noise Fest III, taking place April 18-20. This festival of experimental sound takes things to a whole new level in its third year--5 shows at 4 different venues, spread over 3 days and featuring over 50 acts, for an avalanche of noise the likes of which this city has never seen. The noise scene in Richmond has really been given a shot in the arm over the last couple of years by the tireless work of Gary Stevens (Mutwawa/Head Molt), Matt Boettke (Scant/Daggering), and Jonathan Lee (Anduin/Souvenir's Young America). Anytime something cool has happened with the experimental music scene in this town recently, you can be sure one of these guys is behind it, and with all three of them working together on the latest edition of RVA Noise Fest, it's guaranteed to be outstanding.

It all kicks off on Friday, April 18 at 7 PM at Black Iris Music (321 W. Broad St). The first event of the weekend will be one of the most noteworthy, as it will bring together New York's Stephen Vitiello and RVA's own Bobby Donne for a collaborative set. While both musicians started in the punk scene, Donne's main claims to fame are his membership in 90s instrumental noise-rock trio Breadwinner and, later, in ambient/post-rock group LaBradford. He is currently a member of Cristal, an experimental/drone crew made up of former Richmond hardcore musicians. Vitiello has worked with such noteworthy musicians as Pauline Oliveros, Machinefabriek, and Robin Rimbaud (of Scanner). In 1999, he was an artist-in-residence at the World Trade Center, and later used the recordings he made during that time for albums and sound installations. He is currently an associate professor in the Kinetic Imaging department at VCU.

Then at 9 PM on Friday, April 18, things will move over to Sound Of Music Studios (209 N. Foushee St), where things will have "more of an electronic vibe," according to fest co-organizer Matt Boettke. Highlights will include Mister Matthews aka Matthew Regula, whose homemade synthesizers were recently the subject of a Vice Magazine online feature. Pure Matrix is a New York artist with records coming soon from influential labels L.I.E.S. and Light Dark Sounds. Jacob Knibb of Select DC will be performing as Rosemary Arp; he recently released a tape as part of Ascetic House's January Program, in which the Arizona collective released a new tape every day of the month. Colorado ambient/electronic artist Radere returns to RVA this evening, and Philadelphia live techno artist Westov Temple of the Great Circles imprint will also perform. Friday's program will be DJ'ed by Half Life, who runs NYC club night Industry of Machines.

Saturday, April 19, at Strange Matter (929 W. Grace St) is what Boettke calls "our classic all-day fest," in which artists will be performing from 3 PM until after midnight. The plan is for upwards of 20 touring acts from all over the country to make appearances at Strange Matter. This will include performances from Ohio's Blackfire, a collaborative effort by Skin Graft and Andrew Kirschner. Blackfire will soon be releasing a split with Japanese harsh noise artist K2, and both Kirschner and Skin Graft have solid reputations in their own right, so anticipation for this set is high. John Mannion of legendary Far Rockaway collective Red Light District (also the original homebase for Pharmakon and Yellow Tears) will be on hand as well, touring behind his critically acclaimed 2013 release, Slice Through Or/In Glassmetal, which is out on Aaron Dilloway's Hanson Records. Shredded Nerve, who returns to Richmond in support of a double cassette on LA's Chondritic Sound, will also be on this bill. Other highlights will include Delaware's Telescope, featuring the legendary Mike Haley of Electric Human Project/905 Tapes fame; Providence's Mincemeat Or Tenspeed, who've enraptured Richmond house show crowds in the past; Baltimore's Max Eilbacher, who recently released an LP on Spectrum Spools; and of course, Boston's Hunnie Bunnies, featuring Mark Johnson of Bang! Bros. Plus many more! Whew.

Sunday, April 20, begins with an in-store performance at Steady Sounds (322 W. Broad St), commemorating the release of the latest set of tapes from Richmond Tape Club--which is also run by Fest co-organizer Jonathan Lee. Westov Temple of Great Circle will be DJ-ing this show, and brand new copies of the Richmond Tape Club's latest releases, all from artists performing at the fest--including Stephen Vitiello, Brandon Hurtado, Mutwawa, Matt Boettke (under his own name), and Anduin--will be available for purchase. This special in-store show will kick off at 1 PM.

Then at 3, it's back to Strange Matter for another marathon of experimental noise! Prolific LA noise artist Crowhurst, a project headed by Jay Gambit and ranging in sound from ambient and harsh noise to black metal and psychedelic jams, will be a big highlight for this evening. NYC's Compactor and Privilege will also perform, and J. Slusher and Derek Rush, the artists behind these two projects, will also be the DJs for this show. Chester Hawkins of DC's Blue Sausage Infant will be performing as well, with a set Matt Boettke describes as "complex and highly skilled modular synth and electronics compositions." Speaking of synths, Myconids is the Baltimore-based duo of Karl Ekdahl and Zoe Burke, who build their own synthesizers and run the KNAS synth brand out of their Baltimore headquarters. We can certainly expect some interesting sounds from this set. Pennsylvania noise legends Drums Like Machine Guns will also be playing this show, along with New Yorker Tinnitusstiumlus; both of these groups have certainly proven their worth with past RVA sets, and will be welcomed with open arms upon their return to Strange Matter.
And that's not all! With over 50 artists scheduled to appear during these three days in April, RVA Noise Fest III is an embarrassment of riches for fans of sonic extremes. Check out the full lineup below, RSVP to the Facebook event, and keep an eye on that page, because the word from the organizers is that even more acts will be added to the bill over the next two months! Sheesh!
The full lineup for RVA Noise Fest III is as follows:
Blackfire (OH)
Pure Matrix (NY)
Crowhurst (CA)
Westov Temple (PA)
Mister Matthews (NY)
John Mannion (NY)
Shredded Nerve (OH)
Mincemeat or Tenspeed (RI)
Jason Crumer (MD)
Spiritual Recess (RI)
Hunnie Bunnies (PA)
Drums Like Machine Guns (PA)
Rosemary Arp (DC)
Compactor (NY)
Privilege (NY)
Radere (CO)
The Second Sun (NY/LA)
Developer (OH)
Moltar (WV)
Tinitusstimulus (NY)
Telescope (DE)
Clavicula Salomnis (OH)
Noise Bros (PA)
Myconids (MD)
Max Eilbacher (MD)
Radiator Greys (DC)
Gene Pick (MD)
Pleasure Island (PA)
Anna-Stina (NY)
Malcriado (RI)
Chester Hawkins (DC)
Tagcloud (DC)
Slow Machete (DC)
Nu Depth (VA)
Stress Orphan (VA)
Andere (CO/RVA)
Stephen Vitiello + Bobby Donne (RVA)
Floodbeast (RVA)
H.B. (RVA)
Dreams & Death (RVA)
Stone Garden Jam Temple (RVA)
Mutwawa (RVA)
New Loft (RVA)
Dyrt (RVA)
Elian (RVA)
Brandon Hurtado (RVA)
Monolith Zero (RVA)
I.G.M. (RVA)
Slow News Day In The Vampire World (RVA)
Claire (RVA)
Fake Object (RVA)
Inkling Juror (RVA)
Anduin (RVA)
Lugweight (RVA)
Thieves Of Shiloh (RVA)
Flesh Control (RVA)
Scant (RVA)
...with more TBA!

https://www.facebook.com/events/599728576770604/
By Andrew Necci