Easy Listening

For Episode 12, we look at the work of electronic musician Pauline Oliveros. Throughout much of her career, she was intent on exploring attention and awareness as it relates to sound. Many of her pieces were exercises in listening - whether through drones or group exercises in sonic creation. I am joined by Barbara Nerness - a Phd candidate researching music and neuroscience at Stanford University. Support the show on Patreon.com/easypod.

John Duncan is an artist and noise musician perhaps best known for "Blind Date" (1980) in which he left his "last potent seed in a dead body." The audio recording of this event was then played for an audience in downtown Los Angeles. The fallout from the performance caused him to leave the country for Tokyo - where he would experiment with shortwave, pirate television/radio broadcasts and direct pornography. Now based in Bologna, Duncan continually explores the boundaries of human activity in his performances, installations and recorded output. We are honored to have him as a guest on the inaugural episode of Easy Listening.

Madalyn Merkey is a musician based in Oakland. Madalyn began releasing tapes on her label Irma Vep in Chicago. She soon relocated to California to attend Mills College and study electronic music. Her approach to electronic music utilizes computer processes as well as synth hardware of her own design. Intro and outro music clips recorded live in Oakland December 18, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.

Joe Colley began recording in a period when noise as we know it came into its own through the US tape trading scene. His project Crawl Unit is recognized internationally - with notable releases on labels RRR, G.R.O.S.S., Ground Fault Recordings, and his own Povertech Industries. Intro and outro clips from "Everyone Gets What They Deserve" (C.I.P. 1999).

Deep-fried philosophy with Alex Bienstock. Alex's musical output resists simple genre classifications - moving from noise, to indie rock, to trap. A flexi of his project DIY Surgery is now available on Pleasure Principle. Intro clips courtesy the label. Outro clip from ESCBAS Best of 3 (courtesy Alex Bienstock). Recorded May 2022.

DRUNKS WITH GUNS is a project that has achieved legendary status, due in part to the lack of documentation beyond the band’s limited discography. Still they had universal recognition despite their absence, influencing the following decades of noise rock degeneracy and beyond. I'm joined by Adam Lehrer (Safety Propaganda, System of Systems podcast) and Alex Weber (formerly of LA noise rock band K-Mart). This is an excerpt. Listen to the full episode on Patreon.

John Duncan is an artist and noise musician perhaps best known for Blind Date (1980) in which he left his "last potent seed in a dead body." The audio recording of this event was then played for an audience in downtown Los Angeles. The fallout from the performance caused him to leave the country for Tokyo - where he would experiment with shortwave, pirate television/radio broadcasts and direct pornography. This is the second part of our 3+ hour conversation recorded in Fall of 2021. Listen to the full episode on Patreon.com/easypod.

For Episode 9, I spoke with Andy Schiaffino - the LA-based artist behind body / negative. The work produced is at once experimental and melodically minded, recalling Grouper as much as Kevin Shields. Andy spoke to me ahead of a studio residency with Madeline Johnston of Midwife. Intro and outro music courtesy the artist. Support the show on Patreon.com/easypod.

Will August Park is a composer based in New York. My conversation with Will was recorded in early February shortly after he had finished a residency in Tokyo. Prior to releasing his recordings made during the pandemic, Will August Park worked in beat reproduction. The electronics incorporated into his work now may be much more meditative. His most recent music, released under his own name, blends piano with textural electronic music to create something unique. Support the show on Patreon.com/easypod.

Nika Danilova began recording under the moniker Zola Jesus while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She drew textures from industrial music and harsh noise (alongside operatic vocals) to create a sound that shaped the cultural moment. It also helped define the popular indie label Sacred Bones. This year brings her sixth full-length album Arkhon. This conversation was previously recorded in June. Intro music from Ted Byrnes' Words Have Two Meanings (Foul Prey). Outro music - Lost (Sacred Bones).

Conversation with Icelandic filmmaker and musician Dagur Kári. Along with his filmography, Dagur is known for his involvement in Slowblow with Orri Jonsson. What had started in the 90s as a lo-fi indie outfit, was soon employed to score his own film projects. Dagur Kari was kind enough to take some time away from the studio to talk.

Jeff Witscher is a musician currently based in New York. There he runs the label FLEA with collaborator Jack Callahan, which specializes in experimental music compositions. Past projects include Rene Hell, Impregnable, Roman Torment, and Rainbow Blanket, among others. I had the chance to speak with him in a noisy cafe. Intro and outro music clips courtesy of Jeff Witscher.