Polarity

I finally finished the artwork for my cassette entitled "Polarity" on Handmade Birds. I think that I might want to photograph it in a different setting and with different light. The texture of the wall and glossy paint in the background bother me as does the warmth of the light. I think I want to try it on a smooth, matte, wall with slightly cooler light. We will see. Either way, I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. This one is a pretty new approach for me. When adding color to these pieces, I usually only place different colors in spots that are fully closed in with black borders. I will credit Robert Motherwell's "Opens" series with some of the inspiration for this new approach. In the same way that "Polarity" is marking a turn in a new direction that I have been exploring in a live setting as well lately, this piece is an early sketch for a larger score that I am working on to eventually use as a visual component to accompany my live performances of this new work. For an example of this new direction check out this video that David Russell took at last weekend's Audio Visual Baptism in Cleveland, Ohio.

HUSH!

I am FINALLY getting around to finishing up the cover artwork for the Factotum Tapes HUSH! compilation series. This image will be cut up into 6 cassette-sized pieces. When you buy all 6 cassettes in the series, you will be able to piece them together like a puzzle to see the complete image. Up next, I will be working on the cover image for my cassette on Handmade Birds.

Voice of the Valley

Upcoming shows.

September 17th in Minneapolis, MN. For more info see Crow With No Mouth
September 22-24 in Milwaukee WI. For more info see FTAM.

Coming soon

Polarity: solo cassette on Handmade Birds
The Human Quena Orchestra: A Natural History of Failure Lp also on Handmade Birds

http://www.handmadebirds.com/
http://www.handmadebirds.com/store/

A Vacant Lot to be In: Solo LP on Hanson Records

http://www.hansonrecords.net/

Blessed Breath: solo cassette on Ides

http://idesrecordings.com/

Here is another picture of the finished tape totems for the collaborative project Matt Ruzicka and I are doing. I am pretty excited to see how this turns out.

Matt's original post.

"Another project born of the will of Frans de Waard and of his Bronbron. Encountering this time in the extrapool studios in Nijmegen, Holland, is the thirtieth prodigy of sound sculpture Ben Gwillam and the master of the art of ...tape recording Jason Zeh. Coaxing sounds from old magnetic tape cassettes is the sound source utilized by two musicians for their improvisations. After five minutes of mechanical noise and silence, a wretched drone takes over and proceeds intermittently creating for a short moment the effect of an incoming storm. Then, still more events: the needle of a turntable; the sound of dust; and other microearthquakes amplified as needed." Translated by Nathan Crook.