Artists
Here you find project biographies and personalia of the artists releasing on Zenapolæ
Aidan Baker
Aidan Baker is a musician and writer based in Toronto, Canada. Classically trained in flute, he is self-taught on guitar, drums, violin, and various other instruments. He has performed at many venues in and around Toronto, New York, Montreal, Chicago, and San Francisco. He has released several cds on independent labels around the world.
As a solo artist, Aidan Baker explores the deconstructive sonic possibilities of the electric guitar as a primary sound source, creating music that ranges from experimental to electro-acoustic to ambient electronica. He also plays in the experimental/ethno-ambient group ARC , the post-space-rock group Mnemosyne, and the noise/drone metal project Nadja.
Aidan is the author of two books of poetry, two poetry chapbooks, and has published poetry, fiction, and criticism in various international and scholarly journals.
AmgSphont
(no information available. sorry.)
Babitt
(no information available. sorry.)
bpmf
The man behind bmpf is Jason Szostek:
I have been making electronic music for 25 years. Mostly I've worked with other people, Taylor Deupree, Dietrich Schoenemann, Abe Duque, John Selway, Susanne Brokesch and others. Occasionally as bpmf and jason szostek, I've released a few 12 inches and been on some compilations. The music has ranged from "dance floor" techno, electro, new wave to ambient/chill out. I've never really been comfortable sticking to a genre. Around the turn of the century I went on hiatus from releasing records. I didnt stop making music though. Released from the pressure of conforming to the expectations put on me by the labels and collaborators I worked with, I was free to produce what felt most natural to me. Finally in '07 I released "Parousia Fallacy" an ambient cd ten years in the making. Not only because it is my first solo full length, but also because this is the first music I've made as an honest amature this release leaves me feeling remarkably fulfilled as an artist.
more about me : bpmf.us/bio.html
more about Parousia Fallacy: bpmf.us/about_parousia_fallacy.html
Discography
Solo Works
"Electrolyte", Analouge Heaven Comp, Instinct, 1993
Button EP, Rancho Relaxo, 1995
"Ascendance", Serotonin Records, 1995
Neurotransmitters Vol 1, EMF, 1995
"hygiene mental", Rancho Relaxo Allstars Vol1, Disko B, 1996 *
Delancey Tracks, Schmer, 1996
Neurotransmitters Vol 2, EMF, 1996
"Funky Sunday with Baby", Ambient Systems 2, Instinct, 1996
"Infusion", Serotonin Records 1997
Multiples EP, Serotonin Records 1998 *
"The Answer is Always Yes", Rancho Relaxo Allstars Vol3, ADR, 2007 *
*as Jason Szostek
Bug
Bug is Zenas Ballace's project for highly experimental music.
Cheval Cheval
Cheval Cheval organises found sounds and formal keyboard sequences, blending and blurring until the original sources are likely to unrecognisable, though still reflecting those sources. Tampering with volume, length, pitch and even direction, the long and short works are often based on just a few chords, and few "instruments".
d/form
d/form is Zenas Ballace's dark ambient collaboration with Greg Quinzi.
December Nightskies
December Nightskies is an American ambient band from Kendall Keeler.
You can download his CDs at www.decembernightskies.yolasite.com
dev79
The man behind dev79 is Gair Marking. He has been making music for 16 years and electronic based music for 10 of those years. dev79's musical influences and interests include a wide array of scenes, such as Illbient, Indie Hip Hop, Breakcore, IDM, Dancehall, and many more. This diverse range of reference points is showcased on Distinct Stance, with each of the 6 songs on the EP providing a unique personality while still maintaining a cohesive vibe. Gair has always been involved in collaborative efforts and has had many guests contribute to dev79 material both live and in the studio. Distinct Stance is no exception! Local Philadelphia MC Random (of the group The Slug Crumbs) lends his rhyming skills to the album's second track, Plasticity, to create a defiantly independent and thought provoking look at left field hip hop.
Since 1999, dev79 has been banging around the underground music scene making a name for himself with a number of cdr releases and a 7 inch single on Sonicterror Records; all the while maintaining a grueling schedule of live performances, dj gigs, and radio appearances. Live performances are very important to the ethics of dev79 and he has spent a great deal of time and energy keeping his live profile in high gear. Whether he is doing live electronic sets, dj'ing, or some combination of both, he can be found in a club or on the radio somewhere banging it out multiple times per month. With a home base in Philadelphia, PA, he is a resident at the monthly 'Current' party, held at the near legendary Silk City lounge. Having played many venues, from NYC to Kentucky to DC and plenty in between, he is proud to have performed alongside many renowned artists, including: Add N to X (Mute Records), Venetian Snares (Planet Mu), DJ Olive (of WE, Sonic Youth Records), Dälek (Ipecac Records), and Knifehandchop (Tigerbeat6, Irritant records) -too name a few.
On top of all this he runs a monthly radio show on radiovolta.org / wpeb 88.1fm in West Philadelphia!
ecux
Ecux, the IDM/experimental project of Jason LaCombe, has been writing, recording and occasionally releasing music for what is quickly nearing a decade. Ranging from off-kilter simple exercises in rhythm to solely melodic structures and of course everywhere funky and strange in-between, he has touched on many different areas of the now common home-based electronic recording artist. Intent on expansion through unfamiliarity, Jason will be releasing only one more album of new material as ecux.
You can find his other musical endeavors with the electronic-rock band Auxien, and a soon-to-be-released colaboration with Todd Christopher called Ingredient. Keep your ears to the ground for new electronic projects from Jason in the near future.
Discography
ecux. Vepau ep. Zenapolae, 2000
ecux. Oceans. Zenapolae, 2001
ecux. Eastern Cross. Zenapolae, 2002
ecux. Icen. Zenapolae, 2003
Fidget
Fidget (Erin Anderson) is perhaps best known for her work as one-half of the Philadelphia based experimental electronic outfit, Flowchart (1997-present). A long standing and influential member of the experimental electronic music scene, Erin has performed around the globe. Most recently she and Sean O' Neal (collectively known as Flowchart) toured Europe in the summer of 2001, playing in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, London, and Glasgow.During a more recent trip to perform at the Burning Man festival (2001) she brought along her trusty tape-recorder and recorded hours of interaction with the crowds. Using only these field recordings, non-linear editing techniques, and digital effects, she has created a richly-textured abstract audio collage which she calls PAMS and other conspiracies.
Erin Anderson is a trained visual artist as well as a musician. She holds a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design (Philadelphia) and is currently a member of the renowned artist collective Space 1026 (Philadelphia). As a musician and visual artist she considers herself primarily a collage artist. She tends to focus on dissonance and dynamics, things that are a bit crooked and sarcastically funny. The overlooked and the mundane of everyday elements are juxtaposed with still more mundane elements until they collectively make up a wacky and thought-provoking space, scene, or story. Her objective is to give the recipient (audience/spectator) enough notable "clues" so that they can "choose their own adventure," make up their own story, and hopefully embrace something in her work that they can call their own.
The first commercial release of a Fidget track appeared on the Fuzzy Boombox compilation (FuzzyBox/Darla) to rave reviews such as... "Fuzzy Boombox offers examples of some of the best and worst things about electronic music, without offering any apologies. Both Handheld Soundsystem's Vausu and Fidget's Spring Like represent the best of the bunch, combining a variety of low-key loops and samples that could almost slip into a Cornelius album." - Tom Lockridge (Splendid 07.04.2002).
As a colaborator in FlowChart, Erin Anderson's work is featured on Cumulous Mood Twang (Carrot Top Records-1997), Gee-Bee EP (Enraptured-2000), Wishworm Tracks (Enraptured-2001), a substantial collection of other EP's, numerous 7 inch vinyl releases, and dozens of compilation albums.
Harnes Kretzer
Harnes Kretzer lives in Germany. In 2006, he began autodidactically to work with analogue effects on an experimental level. Soon, real piano and synthesizers followed to enlarge the sound variety.
In his first solo album release, "Interstellar Orchestra", the sound spectrum reaches from classical piano sonatas to spherical noise-scapes and meditative ambient tunes. Harnes Kretzer alienates the natural sound of his instruments and creates a new combination of acoustic galaxies. The orchestral sound of his picture-music carries the auditor to far-off tonal mind places.
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/harnes-kretzer/167643379969663?sk=app_2405...
Soundcloud:
http://www.soundcloud.com/harneskretzer
Reverbnation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/harneskretzer
Ingredient
(no information available. sorry.)
Instruction Shuttle
Todd Christopher (Instruction Shuttle, Todd Astromass) is a central Pennsylvania-based abstract sound and video artist. His musical style has varied from noise to shoegazer-like walls of sound to minimal ambient soundscapes. Early experiments in four track recording and tape delay systems led Todd to the acclaimed recording industry production department at middle tennessee state university where he holds a BS in production and technology. His educational experience was somewhat troubled: "my midi professor caught me running an electric bass through the gut circuits of the arp 2600 synthesizer in the midi lab and got frantically pissed...". Needless to say, Todd learned more sitting in the dorms, surrounded by blacklights, tweaking an old Roland s-550 and a Yamaha cs-5 analog synthesizer than he did in his production classes. Todd has since built a macintosh based video and audio studio in his house. His Instruction Shuttle project is now on hold to focus on electric bass study and further video experiments.
Discography
Various Artists. Pegged. Zenapolae, 2001
Instruction Shuttle. Black Citrus. Astromass, 2001
Instruction Shuttle. Bound Sound. Zenapolae, 2001
Various Artists. Made at Night. Berenklau Verlag, 2001
Various Artists. Remix. tbtmo records, 2002
Various Artists. Fuzzy Boom Box v.1. Fuzzybox Records, 2002
Instruction Shuttle. Open Sad Circuit. Zenapolae, 2002
Instruction Shuttle. Early. Retinascan Records, 2002
Instruction Shuttle. Hip to be Square. Sonic Syrup Records, 2002
Instruction Shuttle. DSP ESP. Astromass, 2003
Various Artists. Encrypted Transmissions. Acidsoxx Musicks, 2003
Instruction Shuttle. Wide Awake With Eyes Closed. Retinascan Records, 2004
Instruction Shuttle. Blue and Shell. Astromass, 2004
Instruction Shuttle. Thirty is the New Twenty. Coming soon 2006
Jopy
Jopy is a collaborative that was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jopy music is produced by cutting and pasting processed field recordings, vocal samples, hand percussion, children’s toy instruments, flutes, synthesizers, guitars, and electric bass. Some of the music uses algorithmic software processes, but there is human aesthetic control being exercised at all times.
Jopy music typically starts as either a looped audio sample or a chord progression that was worked out on piano or guitar. Electronic audio processing is then used to scramble up these recognizable music elements, and more audio is layered on top of this to make the formal construction even harder to detect.
So the end product is traditional musical motifs and ideas, as heard through a watery haze. The goal is to create an atmosphere or aural texture which isn't heard in terms of discrete melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic processes. One of the main challenges is creating contrasts and movement while keeping the more traditional "representational" musical figures at the level of the preconscious.
In an ideal world, Jopy music arrives subliminally for the listener, in the moment when they are preoccupied doing something else and suddenly hear something in a piece that sounds new and interesting that they hadn't expected to hear or in the form of an emergent process that they hadn't seen unfolding.
Kenneth John Parsons
(no information available. sorry.)
Kidsok Nuit
Kidsok Nuit aka Giuseppe Mileti is an Italian musician who has been working with contemporary electronic music and digital sound treatments for several years. His first attraction to electronic music came in the form of hip hop where we worked and collaborated with a number of different labels and artists. It was during this period that he began to study the fundamental principles of the digital technologies and how they could be applied to his music; Planning and production of a finished musical product, the musical process, the equipment software for digital recording and composition, hard drive recording technologies, the holophony, music-therapy, the history of the technical sampling, the evolution of the on-line discographic market, etc.
Besides his native Italy, he has spent time in both Zurich and New York where he established acquaintances with a variety of diverse artists. From these experiences he was inspired by distinct instrumental, electroacoustic, and digital composition works for the musical theatre and audio-visual installations. With varied instruments, some selfmade, he works to deconstruct sounds into his music. Giuseppe is currently releasing his work under the pseudonyms Kidsok Nuit and Phobode.
Discography
Quantize vs. The Human Feel. Quantize Records, 2003
Cucina Vagabonda. Ogre Dung, 2003
Dosage2. m3rck, 2003
Kidsok Nuit vs Phobode. Aurora. Zenapolae, 2003
Phobode. Sògur. Saag Records, 2004
Various Artists. Everyday we talk about.... Quantize Records, 2005
The Nevermet Ensemble. Quarto Escuro. Rudimentol, 2005
Kidsok Nuit. Say Goodbye. Nexsound, 2005
Kidsok Nuit. At the Market Place. Afe Records, 2005
Kidsok Nuit. A-A:Alpha. Zenapolae, 2006
Kidsok Nuit. Circostanze. Neus318, 2006
lolpix
(no information available. sorry.)
Machine Thoughts
Kamil Kowalczyk aka Machine Thoughts and Maszyna_02 hails from Poland. As a youngster, he was exposed to, and begun to admire, the music of Jean Michele Jarre and Tangerine Dream. As he grew older he became interested in a variety of different electronic music styles, such as techno, trance, and ambient. To sum it up in his own words "I love any kind of electronica." He has been producing music since 2002.
Kamil is torn between his desire to utilize analog equipment and real modular synthesizers and the use of contemporary software synthesis, which he considers to be the future of electronic music. His influences are eclectic and "hard to explain." As he explains it, his own life experiences and that of the people around hima are what inspire him to create his works. He likes to consider his music as an experiment with synthesis and his desire to create something that is new and never heard before, the influces of other ambient, noise, and minimal musicans can definately be felt.
Discography
mysli maszyn. Machine Thoughts. Zenapolae, 2006
1000 Mysli. Machine Thoughts. Zenapolae, 2007
Maszyna_02. Maszyna_02. Zenapolae, 2007
Kamil also has a profile set up for Machine Thoughts at myspace.
Maszyna_02
Maszyna_02 is another project by Kamil Kowalczyk.
Matt Borghi
Matt Borghi is a mixed-media composer and conceptual sound artist and performer. He lives and works in Michigan, and performs and exhibits all over the United States. The primary concept behind Matt's work is the interplay between the music and sound he composes, and the natural sonic environment. Matt's work has been featured on National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the British Broadcasting Corporation, as well as dozens of non-syndicated programs all over the world. You can learn more about Matt visiting his web site: http://www.mattborghi.com. At the site you will find music, essays, and other miscellany related to his work.
OVe
OVe is Zenas Ballace's work with Todd Christopher (Instruction Shuttle).
PANZERKNACKER
This is the meeting of Thomas Maos, Tübingen, and the Hamburg based Duo phase~in with Sylvia Necker and Gunnar Lettow. They met in Tübingen at a small bunker called TRESORRAUM and you now can hear the result of it: PANZERKNACKER, which means "safe-cracker" or "beagle boys".
Gunnar Lettow – bass & live-electronics & fx
Sylvia Necker – raumstation & fx
Thomas Maos - dobro, electronics
Gunnar Lettow extends the sound of the electric bass by different preparations such as spears, clips, brushes and the use of effects units. He explores the sounds of the electric bass and creates new universes of sound. He plays in the trio KLS with Robert Klammer and Lars Scherzberg and plays regularly in ad hoc formations (Ernesto Rodrigues, Herman Müntzing, Carl-Ludwig Hübsch, Nicolas Wiese, Ofer Bymel, Chris Heena, Michael Vorfeld, Korhan Erel, etc.). He organizes the monthly concert series for improvised music "Freqeunzgänge" in Hamburg (http://frequenzgaenge.wordpress.com/).
http://gunnarlettow.wordpress.com/
Sylvia Necker works for quite some time on the links between various sound modules and effects units. This led to her instrument: the "space station". This "space station" with a hundred control buttons and several meters of cable isn't only audible at phase~in and Panzerknacker, but also in solo performances. She can be heard in different formations, mainly as drummer and saxophonist. For more than eight years, she is the organizer of the concert series "Freitagsmusik" for improvised music (http://www.freitagsmusik.de).
http://www.neckersche-tonexperimente.de
Thomas Maos works on an old resonator guitar. He combines the rudimentary sound with electronic elements like guitar effect pedals and preparations with ventilators and different materials. He describes himself as an experimental guitarist between folk, blues, rock, noise, electronic and contemporary music. Thomas Maos is the founder of the CAMP Festival and works together with dancers, actors and visual artists.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Maos
www.camp-festival.de
http://www.youtube.com/ThomasMaos
http://www.zenapolae.com/?q=zen049
contact:
thomas.maos@gmx.net
Gunnar.Lettow@ppi.de
post@neckersche-tonexperimente.de
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards was the guitar player for the Goth band Black Dahlia from 1991-1997 and recorded two albums with them: NOMAD (Funky Mushroom) and Black Dahlia (Bright Green Records). He was also a founding member of the lo-fi electronics musical outfit Spine.
Paul Edwards has headlined and performed at such influential Philadelphia venues as Hologram (the longest running monthly experimental electronica event in the city, organized by FuzzyBox and tbtmo records), Silk City, The 700 Club, LaTazza, and the Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art as part of the Space 1026 exhibit.
His Spinelab studio has recorded and mastered releases by Stinking Lizavetta (III / Tolotta), Euclid Street, Tintintabulas, Fidget (PAMS: And Other Conspiracies / Zenapolae), Trailer Park Riot, The Way Blue Bucket, and Smut.
Petal
Jon Wheeler (Petal) currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina, where his main musical interest lies in the production of two podcasts: The Binaural Banjo and Drone Lab.
A multi-instrumentalist, Jon’s appreciation of the happy coincidence that many instruments contain metal parts finds frequent expression in the innards of his computer, where he likes to mangle samples of pretty instruments into orgies of inorganic menace.
Raumwerk
Raumwerk is a German musical collaboration that is focused on atmosphere and emotion.
It employs accoustic instruments - guitars, sitar, rudra veena, percussion gadgets and voice - as well as electronics and synthesizers to weave a dense atmosphere, mainly of warm, relaxed character, often with a mysterious touch.
Raumwerk started in 2003 with Harry O. Eberle, Arnd Klotz and Mario Zorn (who also coined its name), and meanwhile features the following personnel:
Harry O. Eberle
Harry (*1951, Stuttgart, Germany) is a self-educated guitarist and musician with decades of active experience. In the late 1980s, he spent several years in the UK, touring with various bands. After that, he worked as a music teacher for almost 10 years and went into music production, eventually also completing a first own CD release, Well Named 4, in the 1990s. Besides his talent for all kinds of stringed instruments, he also has keen interest in the visual arts, being a self-taught sculptor (you can find some of his works at www.harry-eberle.de).
Arnd Klotz
Arnd (*1967, Hornberg (a small Black Forest village), Germany) has always been fascinated with the atmospheric power of sound. Being a computing expert, he finally was able to transform his sonic dreams into reality by applying software synthesis to work with loads of different synthesis methods - from analog to sample-based - to produce atmosphere and texture.
Johannes Haas
Jo (*1953, Stuttgart) has studied classical guitar and played for decades in numerous bands. Since 1981, he is a teacher for classical and electric guitar.
Susan Reed
Singer/songwriter Susan Reed, born and raised in the deep South of USA, came to Europe in the 70s to complete her theater training in acting, dancing and musical. After 20 years on stage, she started concentrating on band and solo work, gaining experience in varied styles such as TripHop, lyrical pop, folk rock and metal. For the past 2 years she has been studying choir work in gospel, classical and modern classic, as well as popular music. "With Raumwerk I have total freedom to work with voice as an instrument, with sounds and feeling from all sorts of music, with or without text, spontaneously and without restrictions of definition".
Raumwerk releases at Zenapolæ:
Saffron Slumber
Saffron Slumber is the solo project of Kevin Stephens, resident of Salem, Oregon.
Sounds the Songs of Seabirds
"The wood thrush's is no opera music; it is not so much the composition as the strain, the tone — cool bars of melody from the atmosphere of everlasting morning or evening. It is the quality of the song, not the sequence. In the peawai's note there is some sultriness, but in the thrush's, though heard at noon, there is the liquid coolness of things that are just drawn from the bottom of springs. The thrush alone declares the immortal wealth and vigor that is in the forest. Here is a bird in whose strain the story is told, though Nature waited for the science of aesthetics to discover it to man. Whenever a man hears it, he is young, and Nature is in her spring. Wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of heaven are not shut against him."
~ Henry David Thoreau
Sounds the Songs of Seabirds is Bob Singley
Spectra
Spectra is Glenn Fletcher (Babymash) and Sean Monaghan (Venus Vulture), each of whom have separate earlier releases.
Glenn is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist with a history in numerous bands and numerous CD releases. Sean, as Venus Vulture, is a soundscape artist with netlabel and CD releases.
Pels M 33 is their first collaboration. Sean has taken segments from Glenn's performance and altered and mixed the whole into something recognisable from the original, but still something different.
The Love Yous
The Love Yous are Guinevere Molly Campbell and Zenas Ballace.
Thomas Maos
thomas maos / electronic guitar
on my record "chill in drill out" I combine abstract and tonal elements. my work on that record is influenced by the sound aesthetics of noise, rock, minimal music and contemporary classical music. although I am educated a "normal guitarist", it is not important for me to sound like a proper guitar player. instead, the electric guitar is only a medium to express my musical ideas.
the electric guitar, as everybody knows, has endless sound variations. so, for my recordings it was very important to restrict myself to a few materials in every piece, and concentrate on them while elaborating the composition.
all pieces were recorded live. with the exception of two titles (nr. 10, 13 ) I used no overdubs.
strange, but a lot of contemporary dancers like my record an use it for dance pieces.
I hope you enjoy these tracks.
send me a mail, and let me know what you think of it.
contact: thomas.maos@gmx.net
www.elektrogitarre.de
www.youtube.com/ThomasMaos
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Maos
www.camp-festival.de
Venus Vulture
Venus Vulture is the New Zealand soundscape artist Sean Monaghan.
The soundscapes are usually deep meditative works with occasional snatches of melody or field recordings - Venus Vulture tracks invite contemplation at just a slight remove from everyday reality.
Soundscapes by Venus Vulture have appeared on the Resting Bell (out of print), and Test Tube netlabels, and on the Turkbytone Rekkids imprint, as well as on several podcast compilations (Still Audio, NNTS) and scattered other places.
Sean is also a writer, with numerous publishing credits, and his science fiction novel 'The Rotated' is serialised at Infinite Windows.
More information at his website, www.venusvulture.com.
Weird Fields
(no information available. sorry.)
Winterbound
Winterbound was born out of the shadows on December 11th 2006.
A solo project hailing from Ireland that has a primary focus on several genres of music which include Dark Ambient, Dark Ambient Industrial, Dronescape, and experimental electonics which themselves can be rather weird and often complex pieces.
Using a multitude of sound sources ranging from found sounds, synthesised, elaborate recordings, and nature from rivers and rain to natural soundscapes, all of which are manipulated and twisted into sculpted pieces which aid my exploration which you will hear in my "Sound Journeys".
Find more at SoundCloud
Zenas Bellace
Zenas Bellace has been messing around with electronic music for the better part of the last 15 years. Not one to mind jumping off the bandwagon just because it's fun to feel the breeze, he has explored a variety of different musical styles. Sometimes his music can be quite relaxed, and at others, aggressive and piercing. His style boarders on the frontier of glitchy ambience.
Zenas has gone by many pseudonyms over the years. His current works are created under the name
Discography
Videography
zenas(prime)
