San Francisco Bay Area Scene

From Bay Improviser and Squid’s List

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 8pm
The Lab, 2948 16th St., SF
23five Incorporated, swissnex San Francisco, & The Lab present:
Infrasound (Oakland), Jason Kahn (Switzerland), Francisco Meirino (Switzerland)
On September 27, 23five celebrates 10 years of Infrasound, the acclaimed collaborative project between Scott Arford and Randy Yau. These two sound artists engage the architecture of a particular performance space in manipulating the resonant frequencies of that space through finely tuned broadcast of specific frequencies at necessary loud volumes. The low frequencies literally rattle the walls and manifest standing waves through the space. As such, Infrasound performances are experienced only in a live context; and they have never played the same space twice. Infrasound will also be joined by the pioneering electro-acoustic minimalist Jason Kahn and the noise tactician of failed electronics Francisco Meirino. Preceding Infrasound, Kahn and Meirino will be presenting two solo sets and a collaborative set.
With the support from the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia.

From Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, Stanford University

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 8pm
CCRMA – Stanford University, The Knoll Courtyard, 660 Lomita Drive, Stanford
CCRMA presents Transitions 2011, Night 1: Acousmatic: Soundscapes under the Stars, featuring multichannel pieces using the full potential of our augmented outdoors surround sound system. Music by John Chowning, Gilles Gobeil, Jonty Harrison, Fernando Lopez-Lezcano, Ake Parmerud, Hans Tutschku and Jonathan Abel / Bissera Pentcheva. From industrial sounds to prosaic kitchen utensils, from real voices to audible dreams, through gateways to imagined and real spaces, pure immersive spatial joy. Sound and space carefully crafted and patiently shaped into musical forms coming out of 16.4 loudspeakers surrounding you.

Thursday, Sept. 29, 8pm
CCRMA – Stanford University, The Knoll Courtyard, 660 Lomita Drive, Stanford
CCRMA presents Transitions 2011, Night 2: Live Electronic Music, featuring experimental multi-channel electronic music from Mark Applebaum, Chris Carlson, Bjoern Erlach, John Granzow/Hongchan Choi, Fernando Lopez-Lezcano, and Mike Rotondo/Nick Kruge. The second half of this concert will feature beat-based electronic music from Luke Dahl, Locky, and Cloud Veins.

From Bay Improviser and Squid’s List

Thursday, Sept. 29, 8pm
OutSound presents Luggage Store Gallery New Music Series
Luggage Store Gallery, 1007 Market St. 3rd Floor (@ 6th Street), SF
Guest curation by NorCal NoiseFest XV, featuring XOME from Sacramento, + – ERROR from Germany, MARLO EGGPLANT from Olympia, Washington, and Daryl Shawn and Laurie Amat duo from the Bay Area.

Thursday, Sept. 29, 8:30pm
El Valenciano, 1153 Valencia St. (between 22nd & 23rd) SF, presents:
Rova Saxophone Quartet, featuring Bruce Ackley, Steve Adams, Larry Ochs, and Jon Raskin.

Friday, Sept. 30, 8pm
Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez St (between 23rd & Elizabeth), SF, presents:
addleds (maximalized minimalism? aggro-gagaku improv?) and Bristle (curveball-riddled chamber jazz)
addleds – the quartet of Kyle Bruckmann (oboe/English horn), Tony Dryer (double bass), Jacob Felix Heule (percussion) and Kanoko Nishi (koto) — explore timbral and textural extremes of distended instrumental technique via improvisation and open-ended compositional strategies. Their music tends towards a brutalist minimalism as informed by the noise underground as by recent developments in the field of free improvisation.
Bristle’s unique sound is a fortunate accident: when saxophonists/clarinetists Cory Wright and Randy McKean asked bassist Lisa Mezzacappa to join them in 2009 to perform their original compositions, they were looking for a drummer to round out the quartet. A set of Spinal Tap-ish circumstances led them instead to draft violinist/oboist Murray Campbell, and this one-of-a-kind strings-and-reeds ensemble was born. Bristle combines an intuitive chamber music sensibility with an off-kilter improvisational approach, seamlessly mixing fierce solo statements with intricate group textures in its pieces.

Saturday, Oct. 1, 8pm
Berkeley Arts Festival, 2133 University Avenue, Berkeley presents:
ElectroPoetic Coffee, a fun blend of music & words. Music that makes you think. Music that makes you smile. NSAA – voice, poetry; Ross Hammond – guitar. Special performance with Tom Monson – drums. Equal parts jazz, afrobeat, folk, soul, rock and improvisation.

Sunday, Oct. 2, 7:30pm
Musicians Union Hall, 116 9th St. (@ Mission), SF
OutSound presents SIMM Series
7:30 – the four strange rivers percussion quartet – music for drum sets, vibraphone, marimba, piano, hand percussion, idiophones, found objects, sound sculptures, imaginaphones, voice and bells, with Brandi Brandes, Kevin Carnes, Aaron Kierbel, and Dave Mihaly.
8:30 – Obstreperous Doves: David Boyce – saxophones, pedals / Karl Evangelista – guitars / Bill Noertker – basses / Jordan Glenn. – drums

Related Articles:

• Interview with John Chowning (University of Aberdeen)
• Interview with Rova Saxophone Qt. (Rubberneck Magazine)
• NorCal Noise Fest XV (avantmusicnews.com)