SATURDAY JULY 12!!!

Hope you can all make it for this one - it's going to be great!!!

See you there.

PHOTOS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT

Thanks to everyone who made it out on Thursday for our June event. It was a great time. Hope to see you all on July 12 for BRENDAN MURRAY and BROWN WING OVERDRIVE.

Here are a few snaps from the show...
eric

CENTURY PLANTS

CENTURY PLANTS

CENTURY PLANTS

ROBEDOOR

ROBEDOOR

POCAHAUNTED

POCAHAUNTED

BILL & THURSTON

THURSTON

BILL

BILL & THURSTON

BILL

BILL and THURSTON

BILL & THURSTON

BILL & THURSTON

THURSTON

THANKS TO CHRIS BASSETT & JESSICA DARNELL FOR ALL THE PHOTOS!

JUNE 26 - Thurston Moore + Bill Nace/Robedoor/Pocahaunted/Century Plants!!!

Just a quick note here to let everyone know about the next ASAC event. I'll post something more detailed soon, but for now, just hold the date on your calendars!

It's going to be a KILLER night of amazing music - don't miss this one.

THURSTON MOORE + BILL NACE (Sonic Youth, Vampire Belt, X.0.4., etc).
ROBEDOOR (amazing duo from LA)
POCAHAUNTED (another amazing duo from LA)
CENTURY PLANTS (Albany)

THURSDAY June 26 @ 8PM
UPSTATE ARTISTS GUILD
247 Lark St. Albany

A very rare Albany appearance from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, a repeat visit from the ever amazing guitar wizard Bill Nace, the first ever east coast tour for Robedoor and Pocahaunted, and ASAC's own Century Plants. Sounds pretty sweet for a hot June night, huh?!?

We'll get you the flyer soon.

One important thing: space is pretty limited for this show, so it'll be tight and cozy but fun! Get there early if you can...

see you on 6/26!!!

SATURDAY MAY 17 - next show!!!

May's here, and we are thrilled to be announcing our next event in the monthly series. We're on a roll, and this month is no exception. It's gonna be a fantastic night, so don't miss out!

Show This Saturday!!!

SATURDAY 4/26 at UAG - be there!

hey everyone -

The sun is out and spring might finally be here. yeah!!

So a week from Saturday we've got our next ASAC event, and it should be a boatload of fun. As before, we'll be at the awesome Upstate Artists Guild on Lark St. Come on out for this one, bring a few pals too if you can.

here's the scoop on it:

ALBANY SONIC ARTS COLLECTIVE presents “4 Solo Sets for April”



TRAVIS JOHNS (field recordings, electronics)


ERIC HARDIMAN (guitars, electronics)


RAY HARE (guitars, electronics)


HOLLAND HOPSON (banjo, electronics)


video projections by JASON COSCO


The Upstate Artists Guild
247 Lark St.Albany, NY
Saturday April 26, 2008
doors at 7:30 pm: show at 8:00
$5 suggested donation at the door


The Albany Sonic Arts Collective (ASAC) is proud to present “4 Solo Sets for April” the fourth installment in our 2008 monthly series of live improvised experimental music events at the Upstate Artists Guild. Previous months have showcased world renowned musicians from Germany, Philadelphia, New York City, and Cincinnati, Ohio. For this very special evening, we will offer four solo sets from locally-based musicians. A diversity of styles and approaches will characterize the night, and the audio wonders will be enhanced visually with live improvised video projections from UAG member Jason Cosco.

A common theme among these four musicians is a dedication to the exploration of new sonic spaces and atmospheres. In some cases, improvisation is blended with more structured musical approaches, resulting in fascinating and compelling blends. Each musician will present a set showcasing a particular style and/or strategy. Please join us in supporting these local musicians and come be part of our ASAC community!

Travis Johns writes and performs music that he describes as an "abstraction of reality." Consisting primarily of processed field recordings, improvisations and amplified "small sounds," he attempts to weave a tapestry of experiences, gestures and thoughts into a singular, enveloping mass of sounds. Often labeled as noise at first, a more concentrated listen will yield countless paths for the ear to follow, leading to listening experiences that he hopes will provide infinite possibilities for interpretation. His music has been performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from galleries to anarchist warehouses to international music festivals. An avid performer and improviser on electric bass and electronics, he is a member of the Oakland, Ca. quartet le Pink Canoes (with Noah Phillips, Aram Shelton and Zachary Watkins), the improvisation trio Satellite (with Gudmundur Steinn Gunnarsson and Liz Meredith) and Vslykon, a collaborative duo with sound artist Ayako Kataoka. Travis is also a founding member of the Thinktank Collective, an international arts collective focused on the interrelation of sound and image. More information on both Johns and Thinktank can be found at: www.think-tankmedia.net.

Eric Hardiman plays guitar and various other instruments as one-half of Albany-based experimental minimalist guitar duo Century Plants, and also plays in Albany free form psych rock collective Burnt Hills. In addition, he records solo material under the moniker Rambutan. He also has experience playing both Javanese and Balinese styles of gamelan. He runs a handmade DIY label, Tape Drift Records (www.tapedrift.com), and is also a founder of the Albany Sonic Arts Collective. Hear excerpts of Eric’s solo work at www.myspace.com/rambutanmusic.

Ray Hare is a musician who currently plays in Albany-based experimental minimalist guitar duo Century Plants and free form psych rock collective Burnt Hills. He records solo music under the name Fossils From the Sun, and has just released his debut cd for Tape Drift Records. Hear excerpts of Ray’s solo work at www.myspace.com/fossilsfrthesun.

Holland Hopson is a composer, improviser, and electronic artist. As an instrumentalist he performs on soprano saxophone, clawhammer banjo and electronics. He hopes someday to play the musical saw. He has held residencies at STEIM, Amsterdam; Experimental Music Studios, Krakow and Katowice, Poland; Sonic Arts Research Studio, Vancouver, Canada; and Harvestworks Digital Media Arts, New York where he developed a sound installation based on Marcel Duchamp’s With Hidden Noise. In 1993- 1994 Holland recorded environmental sounds on four continents and in over a dozen countries as a fellow of the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. Holland’s latest recording is With Hidden Noises released on Grab Rare Arts (www.grabrarearts.com).

Jason Cosco is a video and sound artist who is a member of the Upstate Artists Guild and has previously played a solo noise set for the Albany Sonic Arts Collective. He does extensive VJ work around the Capital Region. He has worked with the band Death by a Thousand Cuts, and currently plays in the Albany-based Grab Ass Cowboys. Check out some of Jason’s work (http://jasoncosco.mosaicglobe.com/).

Century Plants in Saratoga with Sunburned!

Not an ASAC event, but we hope you'll make it up to Saratoga on April 12th to catch CENTURY PLANTS opening up for SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN. Thanks to the Saratoga Arts Council for putting this one on.

Saturday April 12th, 8PM
at The Arts Center
320 Broadway, Saratoga
$5, all ages

Century Plants, featuring Eric Hardiman and Ray Hare, is a guitar-based duo from Albany, NY playing improvisational noisy psychedelic minimalism. Working with an array of sound sources and strategies, they create sonic systems that simultaneously unsettle and hypnotize listeners. They've been described as "Part raging metallic clang by way of the holy Shred, part meditative feedbacking in total Zen style", "hazy psychedelia", "massive inferno style guitar destruction" and "axe-slinging skull soothers". One review notes that "The music .... contains both fuzz-drenched melodic improvisation and blistering atonal squall, blending themselves to create a musical behemoth that is both intimidating and accessible." Another describes their music as "extremely tense, dark and utterly spellbinding" made up of "a rich tapestry of textures".

Century Plants have released 6 full-length recordings in their first year alone, on underground labels from all over the globe, including Hardiman's Tape Drift Records. They've also appeared on compilations and split releases. A feature interview is found on Foxy Digitalis.

Read more about Century Plants

Read more about Sunburned Hand of the Man

C. Spencer Yeh

Thanks to everyone who made it out last night. An amazing night!! Stay tuned here for announcements about the next event(s) and more pix from last night too. Special thanks to Mark Lunt for the photography.

(photo by Mark Lunt)

C. SPENCER YEH on March 22!!!

On SATURDAY March 22, at the UAG Gallery (place rules, if you haven't heard yet), we are very proud to be hosting a special solo gig from the one and only C. SPENCER YEH!!

C. SPENCER YEH (solo violin, electronics)

BRYAN EUBANKS (electronics) & ANDREW LAFKAS (bass)

MEG CLIXBY (bass, electronics)

The Upstate Artists Guild 247 Lark St.
Albany, NY: Saturday March 22, 2008
Doors at 7:30 pm: show at 8:00
$5 suggested donation at the door

The third in our 2008 monthly series of live improvised experimental music events at the Upstate Artists Guild, the Albany Sonic Arts Collective is proud to present this very special evening. Each musician brings a unique approach to the soundworlds they create, and to have them all in one place will be a treat for the Albany experimental music community. These musicians have played all over the globe with multiple collaborators and represent some of the guiding lights and innovators in creative improvised music. C. Spencer Yeh in particular is in high demand for his improvisational skills on the violin, as evidenced by his work with such luminaries as Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, jazz great Evan Parker, and minimalist legend Tony Conrad.

More on the musicians:

C. Spencer Yeh was born in Taipei, Taiwan 1975, moved to the US in 1980; studied radio/television/film at Northwestern University, and is now based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Yeh is active both as a solo and ensemble artist, as well as with his primary 'organized sound' project, Burning Star Core. As an improviser, Yeh has focused on developing a personal vocabulary using violin, voice, and electronics. As a sound organizer/composer, Yeh works with all aspects available surrounding a work, aurally and physically, as elements key to the cumulative experience. He is concerned not only with the sensual aspects of sound, but the gestural qualities as well. Yeh has performed alongside and collaborated with a deep and ever-growing list of artists and groups including Tony Conrad, Evan Parker, Thurston Moore, The New Humans with Vito Acconci, Paul Flaherty and Chris Corsano, John Wiese, Aaron Dilloway, John Olson and the Graveyards, Amy Granat, Jutta Koether, LaDonna Smith, Carlos Giffoni, Okkyung Lee, Atsuhiro Ito, Lasse Marhaug, Audrey Chen, Nate Wooley, JP Feliciano, Rafael Toral, Rhys Chatham's Guitar Trio All-Stars, Damo Suzuki's Network, and many others, and has performed across the U.S.A. and Europe in a variety of settings and festivals. Most recently he participated in the 24 Hour Drone People project in Stockholm (and the abbreviated 5 hour version in Amsterdam), alongside artists such as CM Von Hauswolff, Mika Vainio, Joachim Nordwall, BJ Nilsen, Hildur Gudnadottir, Hild Sofie Tafjord, and Mark Wastell. He has also had visual art and video works presented internationally. http://www.myspace.com/cspenceryeh

Bryan Eubanks is a musician and sound artist originally from the Pacific Northwest of the US, and since 2005 he has been living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He works in live electronic settings with an instrument that integrates open-circuits and samplers, as well as working in acoustic settings with the Soprano Saxophone. His primary focus is on collaborative improvisation and solo musical projects, and he consistently works with Andrew Lafkas, Vic Rawlings, and an acoustic chamber ensemble. His work with sound installation is exploring sound as a function of architecture, cognition, and temporality. He has presented his music across the US, Europe, Japan, and Korea and at festivals such as LineSpaceLine in Los Angeles, Erstquake in NYC, No Idea in Austin, Texas, Relay in Seoul, and recently exhibited sound installations at the Portland Art Center and Diapason Gallery for Sound (in collaboration with Andrew Lafkas). He has released recordings on Little Enjoyer, Gameboy, Last Visible Dog, Jyrk, Experimental Musical Research, and Rasbliutto Recordings, a label and online library of sound he founded in 2002. http://www.rasbliutto.net/bryaneubanks


Meg Clixby grew up in Maine and then quitted to Western Mass for eight years. She took a hiatus during that time to live in Brighton, UK where she began to play bass guitar and participated in The Polly Shang Kuan Band. This collaboration continued once back stateside for a NE US mini-tour after which Meg began to play with her WMass brethren in projects such as Duck and Bottoms Up. After moving to Brooklyn, she continued to play with friends indoors but now lives in the woods and jams with herself. Bass, pedals, tape.

Recent Events!

Thanks to everyone who attended either of the ASAC events this weekend! We had a great time both nights, and all the music was wonderful. Here are some snaps, in case you weren't able to make it. Drop us a line and say hi anytime!

Photos are from the last three events:

* The Great Snowball Tour (w/ Andrea Neumann, Jack Wright, & Mike Bullock, along w/ Alex Chechile) at UAG.
* Century Plants Sound System (Ray Hare, Eric Hardiman, Paula Gaylord, & Jason Cosco) in Schenectady
* Holland Hopson and Jason Cosco at UAG in January