music & multimedia

To submit a proposal for electronic or experimental music, please contact mixedmedia@thetanknyc.org.

For contemporay classical music, contact newmusic@thetank.org.

For all other music proposals, email music@thetanknyc.org.


Octant

Thu, 07/29/2010 - 9:30pm
$6

Artist Matthew Steinke Presents Octant: a one man band featuring experimental robotic musical instruments that erupt onstage in an array of sounds, lights, and flailing machinery. These devices provide accompaniment as he sings, shouts, and plays various home-brew instrumentation.

Octant performs an initial set of current and old songs ranging from dark melodic melancholy to bursting atomic pop-punk . The second part will include a live soundtrack to a projection of Steinke's film, "Your Quest for Excellence" , a hypnotic abstract hand-drawn animation inspired by optical illusions and time lapse photography.

Bert Stabler of the Chicago Reader writes "Matthew Steinke is an alchemist. In a era of multimedia works created by collectives and art stars with workshops of hirelings, Steinke has the ideas, the skills, and the work ethic to operate as a scrappy, no-budget demiurge. His dense, funny, haunting installations and performances feature everything from animatronic puppetry and meticulous animation to interactive homemade kinetic and sound apparatuses. Each piece offers an incomplete glimpse into an evocative, elegant, claustrophobic cosmos."

Links:
http://octantmusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/octantmuzak

http://matthewsteinke.com

Phony Ppl, Sister Helen, Wool Over Eyes and Anna Bradley

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 7:30pm
$7

SISTER HELEN are a young rock band seeking to conquer the world through sheer power, applied in sophisticated proportion. A guitar, a bass, and a drumset fuse into a sound like the judgment of God, while at the same time keeping their distinctness and shading in the subtleties of the sound, deep as a valley in the goatherding Alps. Over it all a singer makes his immutable proclamations in the style of the ancient prophets of the Mediterranean world. Those who attend Sister Helen's Mass do not hold back. They hold on. http://myspace.com/neces

PHONY PPL is a teenage group that seamlessly mixes hip-hop with rock, and jazz elements to create an original fusion of the truest order. With three vocalists, two piano players, a drummer, a guitarist, a saxophonist, and a bass player, Phony PPL delivers a fresh and professional sound. The band came together informally - socially, through jamming, and has since evolved into a serious outfit with mass appeal on MySpace and You Tube. Captivating live shows earned them acclaim along with a diverse spectrum of performance opportunities, from different high school “battle of the band’s” type events, to sharing the stage with hip-hop pioneers. http://myspace.com/phonyppl

ANNA BRADLEY are a band led by "...some unsigned kid from Manhattan whom no one has ever heard of. His music sounds as if J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr was sixteen and holed up in his room with nothing but his electric guitar, an acoustic guitar and his MacBook. Anna Bradley’s first EP [Are You A Young Rebel?] is nine songs long, and plays itself out in under twenty minutes. [Kipling] sings mostly about girls, and states, nonplussed, that he 'can’t handle subtle.'" - Josh Ginsberg, the Stony Book Press http://myspace.com/annabradley

WOOL OVER EYES were formed in 2009 in Brooklyn, New York, The Wool Over Eyes is destined to rule and regulate you, like big brother for instance, or your mother. EP will be released 2011. http://myspace.com/woolovereyes

Pulsewave: SADNES/NONFINITE/BATTLE LAVA

Sat, 07/31/2010 - 7:30pm
$10

What do you mean you just want to spend a nice quiet night at home with your friends? Pulsewave is throwing a party just for you and your hundred closest friends. Without you, the last triple dozen or so Pulsewave events would have been total duds, and to celebrate that they have put together a line-up that is of the utmost sickness!

Headlining is your friend SADNES. Sadnes enjoys the electric guitar, but he does not have a band. Sadnes enjoys the Nintendo Entertainment System, but isn't that good at video games.

NONFINITE has played his chiptune music at shows in places like San Francisco, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Philadelphia. His two albums, Northbridge and Southbridge, have influences of classical composition, while also infusing hard beats with gritty sounds. You may also know him as the proprietor of NONFINITE ELECTRONICS, a fine purveyor of only the freshest Game Boy modifications for the discerning chipstar.

BATTLE LAVA (Alexander Westcott) is a solo chip music project using the Nintendo Game Boy as a source of sound and inspiration. Hailing from Montreal Canada, he is making his triumphant return to NYC and his Pulsewave debut.

Visuals provided by NO CARRIER. Don Miller performs live visuals in real time under the alias NO CARRIER. He works with nearly obsolete repurposed electronics to create high energy low resolution abstract video. Part of the 8bitpeoples artist collective, he performs, exhibits, and lectures worldwide. Miller is based in Philadelphia, where he organizes and curates 8static, a monthly showcase of low-bit music and visuals.

Buy tickets for Pulsewave: NES/SADNES/NONFINITE/BATTLE LAVA

9 Volt Circuistry

Sun, 08/01/2010 - 9:30pm
$7

9 Volt Circuistry is an unlikely collaboration between 2 accomplished band leaders: trombonist, New York City native Rick Parker and Israeli guitarist Eyal Maoz. Combined, these two musicians have released 8 CD’s as leaders on such well renowned record labels as Tzadik, Fresh Sound New Talent, Piadrum andAyler Records. Their own bands have performed at major venues including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Williamsburg Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Somers Point Jazz Festival, the Stone, 55 Bar, Blues Alley, National Gallery of Art and countless others. In addition, the two are in demand sidemen having performed along side the likes of John Zorn, Tim Berne, John Medeski, Frank Lacy to name just a few. Parker?s use of electronics with the trombone combined with Maoz?s unique approach to guitar and effects results in a music that is a synthesis electronic experimental, rock, jazz and neoclassical minimalism. The trio is usually completed by drummer Yonadav Halevy who can be found crossing genres of music and the globe with their unique rhythmic talents.

9 Volt Circuistry – www.myspace.com/9voltcircuistry

Rick Parker – Electric Trombone
Eyal Maoz – Guitar
Kevin Zubek - Drums

Creative Music Incubator

Mon, 08/02/2010 - 7:30pm
$8

Creative Music Incubator unites experimental sonic artists on the first Monday of every month to share creative concepts, explore new sonic possibilities and collaborate in new line ups and in unique situations. Each month is curated and hosted by a member of the NYC experimental music community.

Next Show - Aug 2nd:
Curator and Host: Amber Brien

Line up:
Amanda Ray
John Fell Ryan
Kaoru Watanabe
Barbara Merjan
Conrad Sparnroft
Tatsuya Nakatani
Mitch Blank
Doug Principato
Mike Durek
David B. Penn
Jennifer Leigh Aschoff
David Tamura
Thomas Bell

This month there will be multiple mini groups created from the pool of musicians participating. Each mini-group will perform 5 to10 minute mini-sets. The first half of the night will consist of groups whose members have performed together at some point in the past. The second half will consist of groups whose members have never performed together, ensuring new collaborations and sonic discoveries. This month's Creative Music Incubator is curated and hosted by Amber Brien

< Listen > On Ka'a Davis

Tue, 08/10/2010 - 9:30pm
$8

On Ka'a Davis with
The Famous Original Djuke Music Players

A sound of jazzed-out expressionism woven into afro-beat / geechie rhythmic pulse-beat grooves lilting pointed lyrics on social commentary. Derived from the Seneglese Woloff language that means to 'pull up' or to 'draw', this word survives in the southern United States mainly to African-American culture as the word 'jook', meaning to 'pull along' to 'jerk' or to 'jump up' as in the dancehall atmosphere of a 'jook joint'. On Ka'a Davis' pioneering approach to introduce these traditional polyphonic-polyrhythmic elements found in the root of the music of the African diaspora seeks to bring out a new face of American music.
Along with On Davis, this stellar group will feature legendary bassist Juini Booth along with David 'Riddim-Athon!' Pleasant, Nick Gianni and Electric Meg Montgomery.

Green Cabaret

Sat, 08/14/2010 - 9:30pm
$10

A night of music and fun

Join Earth Mum & Friends for some eco-entertainment that includes, comedy, art and spoken word.

The Murder Show!

Thu, 08/19/2010 - 9:30pm
$10

Ever feel dissatisfied with your lover? Ever been jilted by the object of your desire? Ever feel burdened by your spouse and children and had terrible fantasies involving rat poison, a slight nudge off a tall bridge or perhaps a good old-fashioned blunt object?

Then please join us for an evening of multimedia murder, madness and mayhem!

Composers from New England and Chicago collaborate with performers from Brooklyn’s own Opera on Tap to weave both historical and current (unsolved!) murder tales into a wicked pastiche of a show involving live music, dance, video and animation.

Opera on Tap, cellist Rose Bellini and percussionist Bill Solomon perform music and multimedia pieces by Kirsten Volness, Tucker Fuller, Peter Bussigel, Jacob Richman, featuring devious audio/visual diva Blevin Blectum!

For more info please visit: www.kirstenvolness.com/murder.html

Presale tickets available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121539

Project 60/40: Escape

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 7:00pm
$10

“In 2003, scientists hypothesized that a black hole in the Perseus galactic cluster emits a B-flat 57 octaves lower than middle-C after studying ripples in the surrounding gases. Black Hole Soundings is a quasi-sci-fi journey through the anatomy of a black hole, all courtesy of a single pitch: B-flat.” -Lee Hartman

Project 60/40 merges classical and modern worlds premiering works for an original unexplored instrumentation. In addition to the premier of Hartman’s Black Hole Soundings, Howard/Tetelman’s arrangement of Strobe combines electro house and classical music in a never been done collaboration of harp, piano, double bass, violin and house dj. Also on the program: 5 Pieces for Bass and Harp by Nicholas Fernandez, Bach Brandenburg No. 3 arr. Drake Andersen, Arvo Part and Lady Gaga arr. Project 60/40.

Project 60/40 is Kathryn Andrews (harp), Hilary Castle (violin), Lea Ivanovic (bass) and Sara Leila Sherman (piano). With an interest to keep music alive, these versatile artists challenge the boundaries of convention mixing classical, folk, rock, electro house, and contemporary music.
www.project6040.com
www.leehartmanmusic.com

Buy tickets for Project 60/40: Escape

< Listen > UNTYTE

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 9:30pm
$8

UNTYTE (oon-TEE-teh) resurrects ancient Lithuanian polyphonic folk tunes that almost became extinct under the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. Conducted by dynamic drummer Dalius Naujo, the band takes the simple melodies and trance rhythms for a flight into the parallel universe. Members: Dalius Naujo, drummer, conductor (plastic recorder on Light in the Grass): Mike Williams, bass trumpet: SandRA Koponen, alto sax, recorders, plastic flutes, whistle and rib-a-phone (percussion), : Matt McDonald, electric guitar; Mike Irwin, trumpet; Nick Gianni, tenor sax and flute; Jonathan Haffner, alto sax; On Davis, guitar, Dmitry Ishenko, double bass; and guests

Pulsewave: Square Wail/Rainbowdragoneyes/Wet Mango/Oven Rake

Sat, 08/28/2010 - 8:00pm
$10

Pulsewave, The Tank and The Brooklyn Salsa Company present: Chip and Salsa

End of summer blast with west coast chip music superstars! Free chips and salsa while it lasts!

* Square Wail
* Rainbowdragoneyes
* Wet Mango
* Oven Rake
* Gideon on visuals

Pulsewave is a monthly series of music events at NYC's The Tank. It was founded in 2006 in association with 8BITPEOPLES, a collective of artists sharing a common love for classic videogames, and various like minded individuals. Pulsewave focuses on innovated, experimental and lo-fi music, with an emphasis on the burgeoning neo/retro art scene around Chipmusic. Featuring various audio and visual artists, both oddly familiar and stunningly innovative, every Pulsewave provides a look at some of the newest and most exciting members of the scene, in a affordable and newcomer friendly atmosphere. Open mikes, workshops, and QA screenings of works provide an accessible entryway to this exciting and culturally rich modern retro movement.

Buy tickets for Pulsewave: Square Wail/Rainbowdragoneyes/Wet Mango/Oven Rake

The Untempered Violin

Tue, 08/31/2010 - 8:30pm
$10

"The Untempered Violin" seeks to explore the ephemeral, undefineable, beautifully unruly sounds that can emenate from a violin. Violin as untempered sound source. Of course included in the price of admission will be the usual notes that violins normally play, but the listener will also hear unearthly, microtonal, off the grid sounds which violins naturally are capable of. Violinist and prestidigitator, David Ryther will start the program off with the scintillating virtuosity of Salvatore Sciarrino's ghostly Sei Cappricci. Six capprices which explore the rarefied world of violin harmonics. The sounds emerge out of a haze as if Pagannini himself were playing from the grave. Next Mr Ryther and his colleague from the intrepid Presidio String Quartet, Deborah Katz will treat the audience to the duos for two violins by Luciano Berio which playfully explore extended techniques and also create character sketches of Berio's closest freinds and colleagues. On the second half Mr Ryther and two dancers from the experimental Dance Theater troupe Dandelion Dance Theater will present ""aftershock"" a new piece of Dance Theater in which music making and dance literally collide, where boundaries between dance, theater and music break down and blur. To end the program Mr. Ryther will present his ""Six Etudes for solo violin."" Completed in 2009, these six concert etudes represent a virtuosic and probing exploration of the violin and some of its limitless possibilities. Featuring: David Ryther, violin -Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "Vivid and Extraordinary" Eric Kupers, dancer -Dandelion Dancetheater co artistic-director/ensemble director/performer Julia Hollas, dancer -San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Dandelion Dancetheater and Alyce Finwall Dance Theater. Deborah Katz, violin -founding member of the bay area's Presidio String Quartet

< Listen > Oxygen Ensemble

Tue, 09/07/2010 - 9:30pm
$8

Oxygen Ensemble is a collective of musicians led by New York bassist Thomas Bell. The group takes an improvised collective composition' approach to its music which provides a relentless groove heavily steeped in the traditions of Funk & Free-Jazz, with tinges of Drum n Bass, Hip-Hop, & the experimantal Avant-Garde. The Ensemble's improvisations are reminiscent of Miles Davis' early 70's groups with a modern and often futuristic feel. The music is based on rhythm, spontaneous composition and group improvisation which allows exploration of all styles of music and creates a captivating sound that pushes the envelope of today's music.