Hats off to Bandcamp

download album artwork: Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray (Cork, 07-29-10); Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11); Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09); and Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park (Cork, 04-04-11)
My hat goes off to Bandcamp. For those of us watching, reading, anticipating, and, in many cases, worrying about the implications of the new EU law on VAT and electronic services (see: Steve Lawson’s excellent account of the drama), this item from The Bandcamp Blog came as a relief (to put it mildly):

If you’ve seen the recent news of changes to EU tax law, you may be wondering how this affects you as an artist or label selling on Bandcamp. The good news is that for digital sales, there is no need for you to register for VAT, submit quarterly reports, and so on. We will take care of all of that for you. [Read the rest…]

Seriously, Bandcamp, you guys rock something awesome!

Available via Bandcamp [more…]

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11) [details…]

Performers: Paul Dunmall (saxophones and bagpipes), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums).

(cc) 2013 Paul Dunmall/Han-earl Park/Mark Sanders.

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011) [details…]

Performers: Murray Campbell (violins, oboe and cor anglais), Randy McKean (saxophone, clarinets and flutes) with Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Gino Robair (energized surfaces, voltage made audible) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano).

(cc) 2012 Murray Campbell/Randy McKean/Han-earl Park/Gino Robair/Scott R. Looney.

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Marian Murray (violin).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Marian Murray.

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11) [details…]

Performers: Jin Sangtae (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums and electronics).

(cc) 2012 Jin Sangtae/Han-earl Park/Jeffrey Weeter.

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophone).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Franziska Schroeder.

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11) [details…]

Performers: Catherine Sikora (saxophone), Ian Smith (trumpet) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

(cc) 2012 Catherine Sikora/Ian Smith/Han-earl Park.

The Wire: Han-earl Park with Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders, with Gargantius Effect, with Franziska Schroeder, and with Catherine Sikora and Ian Smith

The Wire (July 2013): Han-earl Park with Gargantius Effect, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders, Franziska Schroeder, Catherine Sikora and Ian Smith
I don’t expect my approach to real-time, interactive play and improvisative noise overlaps much with Richard Pinnell’s tastes, but Pinnell takes time to write a short overview of some of my download releases in the July issue of The Wire:

Four ‘name your price’ downloads from… guitarist Han-earl Park in various improv formations situated at the more traditional, loquaciously active end of the spectrum…. The sense of energy and joy in Park’s playing spills over into this flurry of online activity… fans of the talkative brand of improvised music will find something of value.

Traditional? Talkative? Vague? Relentless? Claustrophobic? What do you think?

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

Recommended price: $5+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Also available for download [more…]

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Marian Murray (violin).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Marian Murray.

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11) [details…]

Performers: Jin Sangtae (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums and electronics).

(cc) 2012 Jin Sangtae/Han-earl Park/Jeffrey Weeter.

audio recordings: downloads and recommendations (series 1)

download album artwork: Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray (Cork, 07-29-10); Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11); Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09); and Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park (Cork, 04-04-11)
With the release of the recording with Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders, I’ve completed the current series of download albums, and I’ve been taking a break from releasing new recordings. The albums so far—all Creative Commons licensed, and free or ‘name your price’—are collated here and on the downloads page. With a break in the release schedule, I’ve taken the opportunity to overhaul the downloads page; the most significant update since I started, in September 2010, formally offering complete concert recordings online.

One notable update to the downloads page is the addition of the recommended Bandcamp albums that accompanied the current series. As I wrote previously, there are some very fine and inspiring creative, improvised and experimental music on Bandcamp, but it isn’t always easy to find the recordings. Here’s my small contribution to help people get started. Enjoy, download, share—support creative musicians!

Keywords: improvised music, creative music, jazz, free jazz, free improvisation, experimental music, electronic music, electroacoustic.

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Two non-stop sets of improvised music. This live recording juxtaposes the formidable creativity and muscular technique of veteran improviser-saxophonist Paul Dunmall, the imaginative cyborgian virtuosity of guitarist Han-earl Park, and the ever inventive playing of Mark Sanders, arguably the most sought-after improviser-drummer of his generation. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Han-earl Park, Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

The Gargantius Effect is the brainchild of Murray Campbell and Randy McKean. This album documents Gargantius Effect’s August 2011 tour of Northern California with special guest and fellow Sonologist Han-earl Park, plus Bay Area veteran improviser, composer and electronic artist Gino Robair, and hyperpianist Scott R. Looney. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

A solo performance by guitarist-constructor Han-earl Park exploring, with feedback and resonant buzzes, the complex, cavernous acoustics of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, and the interactions between artifact (guitar) and the body (guitarist). For ‘Strokes and Screwballs,’ Park is joined by violinist-improviser Marian Murray for a conversational improvisation. [More info…]

Recommended price: $5+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

A stark, real-time evolution of on-stage relations. The performance took place during Seoul-based experimental electronic musician Jin Sangtae’s European tour. Featuring clanking hard drives, buzzing electronics, noisy guitars and machine gun percussion, this recording captures Jin’s meeting with guitarist-improviser Han-earl Park, and composer, drummer and intermedia artist Jeffrey Weeter. [More info plus the 24-bit edition…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

“Sounds reverberate and carry in unexpected ways, and music improvised here [The Glucksman Gallery] runs the risk of losing all definition. That [Han-earl] Park and his co-improviser Franziska Schroeder gracefully avoided this testifies to their alertness, sensitivity and experience working together in other spaces…. Indeed the evening had the feeling of conversation, with the instrumentalists demonstrating the improvisatory give-and-take of a convivial exchange of ideas.” [More info…]

Recommended price: $5+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

A performance by Catherine Sikora, a saxophonist with a striking, compelling sound. She has been described as “a free-blowing player’s player with a spectacular harmonic imagination and an evolved understanding of the tonal palette of the saxophone”. Sikora was joined by cofounder of the London Improvisers’ Orchestra, trumpeter Ian Smith, and guitarist Han-earl Park. Smith and Park had just come off the tour as part of the power-trio Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward) with Wadada Leo Smith. [More info…]

Recommended price: $8+

Accompanying Recommended Albums

New York City Jazz Record: Han-earl Park with Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders, with Marian Murray, and with Gargantius Effect

“Han-earl Park’s relationship to the guitar is something akin to John Butcher and the saxophone. Both know how to fill a space and manipulate amplification with skill, but there’s no way of predicting what sounds will emerge as the next moment approaches. These live dates find Park in starkly different contexts.”
© 2013 The New York City Jazz Record (click to view PDF…)

In the April issue of The New York City Jazz Record, Marc Medwin reviews Han-earl Park’s three most recent download releases featuring Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders; Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney; and Marian Murray.

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

Recommended price: $5+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

In the piece, Medwin describes the recording with Marian Murray as the “best way into Park’s protean guitar syntax”:

Park slams through blocks of sound and these deteriorate into shreds and scraps, punctuated with what can only be described as ululations, which become more prominent as things proceed. Park’s often-distorted fingerwork, much of it conjuring shades of the human voice, also references Derek Bailey’s rapid-fire volume shifts and Joe Morris’ fleet runs while sounding like neither. [Read the rest…]

Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08–2011) with Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney is “something approaching Webern-ian counterpoint” with “always edge-of-seat energetic” improvisations. Gargantius Effect explores:

…The outer limits of timbre, especially on the epic “Old Robots Never Rust”. Campbell’s violin slides are an excellent foil to the more vocal qualities in Park’s improvising, not to mention similar devices used by multi-reedist Randy McKean as the trio converge and diverge in pitch space. [Read the rest…]

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Recommended price: $8+

[More about this recording…] [All reviews…]

And finally, “closest to free jazz, though not always that close,” is the download album by Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders:

…Eschewing conventional groove but adhering to solos and telepathic communications, conjuring the jazz trio hierarchy as imagined by Albert Ayler. Dunmall even channels some Ayler, his tenor growling and moaning through key moments as Park handles guitar and bass duty simultaneously. Only Sanders’ occasional chiming percussion bespeaks a more contemporary vibe. As always, Park fills out the texture as much or more than do most keyboard instruments, but his playing is never overwhelming and always tasteful. [Read the rest…]

All recordings released under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported Licenses. Please attribute the recordings to the respective performers. All recordings available as ‘name your price’ albums. Although you can download the recording for free (name $0 as your price) with certain restrictions, please consider paying at least the recommended price. Your generosity will help support the performers and their work.

Also available for download [more…]

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11) [details…]

Performers: Jin Sangtae (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums and electronics).

(cc) 2012 Jin Sangtae/Han-earl Park/Jeffrey Weeter.

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophone).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Franziska Schroeder.

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11) [details…]

Performers: Catherine Sikora (saxophone), Ian Smith (trumpet) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

(cc) 2012 Catherine Sikora/Ian Smith/Han-earl Park.

audio recordings: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08–2011)

artwork for Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)
The recording of Gargantius Effect (Murray Campbell: violins, oboe and cor anglais; and Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinets and flutes) with Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Gino Robair (energized surfaces, voltage made audible) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano) is now available for download. The album was recorded during the August 2011 tour of Northern California, and features tracks recorded at The Tin House (Grass Valley) on August 25th, at Studio 1510 (Oakland) on August 30th. [Bandcamp page…] [Download now…]

Recommended price: €8+

In line with the current series of download releases (Park+Murray (Cork, 07–29–10), Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11), Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09) and Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04–04–11)), this record is hosted at Bandcamp, and available as a ‘name your price’ album. Although you can download the recording for free (name €0 as your price) with certain restrictions, please consider paying at least the recommended price. Your generosity will help support the performers and their work.

Special thanks to Randy McKean for organizing the tour, Ken Schumacher of Live Vibes Recording for the engineering, and to Corey Mwamba for feedback during the mastering process.

description

Gargantius Effect +1: Murray Campbell, Randy McKean and Han-earl Park (The Tin House, Grass Valley, August 25, 2011). Photo copyright 2011 Ken Schumacher.
Gargantius Effect +1: Murray Campbell, Randy McKean and Han-earl Park (The Tin House, Grass Valley, August 25, 2011). Photo © 2011 Ken Schumacher.

In front of a small but appreciative audience, the California-based Gargantius Effect, including [Han-earl] Park, Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Scott Looney and Gino Robair, slip in and out of something approaching Webern-ian counterpoint on Nor Cal 8-2011. Looney and Robair join in later on this disc of various tour dates, leaving the other three to explore the outer limits of timbre, especially on the epic “Old Robots Never Rust”. Campbell’s violin slides are an excellent foil to the more vocal qualities in Park’s improvising, not to mention similar devices used by multi-reedist Randy McKean as the trio converge and diverge in pitch space. When Robair and Looney appear, electronics and hyperpiano are difficult to distinguish, but first-rate audio keeps everything in proper perspective and the improv is always edge-of-seat energetic.

— Marc Medwin (The New York City Jazz Record)

“Han [Han-earl Park] is a very old friend of mine. We’ve done a lot of strange things in various parts of Europe. He’s somewhat responsible for me ending up in Nevada County. About ten years ago he was studying at CalArts, and I came over to play in his graduation show. Part of that trip was my first visit to Nevada County, where many things spinned out from that.

“Also finding this gentleman [Randy McKean] here in Grass Valley; finding not only a great improvising player, but one that plays bass clarinet, was a huge thing that helped me stay. It was a complete leap in the dark to move out here. I was raised in a rural area, I always known that that was the thing to do, but leaving a metropolitan zone [The Hague] and coming out here with nothing—no plan—was a shot in the dark, and finding that there were things like this [McKean] in the woods made it a lot easier to stay.

“So these are two of my favorite people to play music with.”

Murray Campbell (introduction to the performance, August 25, 2011)

The Gargantius Effect is the brainchild of Murray Campbell (violins, oboe and cor anglais) and Randy McKean (saxophone, clarinets and flutes). Like the Stanislaw Lem story of the same name, in which armies of warring soldiers are linked together to form a peaceful, blissfully-aware omni-mind, so, too, these longtime collaborators and Nevada County natives transform the connections and crossfires of the various genres in which they usually find themselves—the Euro-café of Beacoup Chapeaux, Balkan swing of Chickenbonz, chamber jazz of Bristle—into scintillating bits of free improvisation, compositional constructs and mechanized mayhem.

This album documents Gargantius Effect’s August 2011 tour of Northern California with special guest and fellow Sonologist Han-earl Park (guitar), who had just returned to the States after years in Europe, teaching, and playing with the likes of Paul Dunmall, Charles Hayward and Franziska Schroeder. In addition to the recording of the performance at The Tin House (Grass Valley) on August 25, 2011, the August 30, 2011 session at Studio 1510 (Oakland) features Bay Area veteran improviser, composer and electronic artist Gino Robair (energized surfaces, voltage made audible), and hyperpianist Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano).
Gargantius Effect +1 | +2 (Northern California, 2011)

personnel

Murray Campbell (violins, oboe and cor anglais), Randy McKean (saxophone, clarinets and flutes) with Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Gino Robair (energized surfaces, voltage made audible) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano).

track listing

recording details

All music by Murray Campbell, Randy McKean and Han-earl Park, except ‘Thunderous Accompaniment’ by Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Han-earl Park and Gino Robair, and ‘While Drums’ by Murray Campbell, Scott R. Looney, Randy McKean, Han-earl Park and Gino Robair.

‘The First Sally’ and ‘Old Robots’ recorded live August 25, 2011 at The Tin House, Grass Valley.
Performance presented as part of Col. MaCaw’s Magical Cure-All Mid-Summer Soporific.
Recorded and mastered by Ken Schumacher.

‘Thunderous Accompaniment’ and ‘While Drums’ recorded live August 30, 2011 at Studio 1510, Oakland.
Recorded by Randy McKean.
Mastered by Han-earl Park.

Artwork by Han-earl Park.

The recordings (The First Sally, Old Robots Never Rust!, Thunderous Accompaniment of Fife and Drum, and While Drums Continued To Roll) and artwork released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. Please attribute the album to Murray Campbell, Randy McKean, Han-earl Park, Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney; attribute the individual tracks to the corresponding performers; and attribute the artwork to Han-earl Park.

about the performers

Gargantius Effect

The Gargantius Effect is the brainchild of Murray Campbell (violin, oboe and electronics) and Randy McKean (reeds). Like the Stanislaw Lem story of the same name, in which armies of warring soldiers are linked together to form a peaceful, blissfully-aware omni-mind, so, too, these long-time collaborators channel their contrarian impulses into synchronized bouts of free improvisation, compositional constructs and mechanized mayhem.

Murray Campbell

Murray Campbell has described himself as a Sonologist ever since it was recommended to him as a more respectable occupation than “musician” for the purposes of immigration control. In this capacity he has worked with Alex Fiennes on an octaphonic spatialisation system un-muted at Dialogues Festival (Edinburgh).

He currently resides in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California where he is designing an off-grid solar-powered geodesic wavefront recreation system with the aim of upsetting the bears.

He finds writing about himself in the third person slightly disturbing.

Randy McKean

Randy McKean has burrowed into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada but still wants to blow your mind. Whether his mission is executed by his chamber jazz quartet Bristle, through sideman gigs with the likes of the Euro Café messabouts Beaucoup Chapeaux, or via performances of his pieces for orchestra or string quartet, matters not to him, as long as his objective is achieved. Perhaps one of his CDs—Bristle’s Bulletproof (Edgetone), So Dig This Big Crux (Rastascan), or the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet’s Child King Dictator Fool (New World)—will do the job.

Han-earl Park

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park has been crossing borders and performing fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, always traditional, open improvised musics for over fifteen years. He has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries, concert halls, and (ad-hoc) alternative spaces in Austria, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

Park is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora, and Numbers with Richard Barrett. He is the constructor of the machine improviser io 0.0.1 beta++, a project performed in coalition with Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder. He has recently performed with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Dunmall, Lol Coxhill, Mark Sanders, Gino Robair, Tim Perkis, Pat Thomas, Andrew Drury, Josh Sinton, Dominic Lash, and as part of ensembles led by Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker, and Pauline Oliveros. Festival appearances include Freedom of the City (London), Sonorities (Belfast), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), and CEAIT (California). His recordings have been released by labels including Slam Productions and Creative Sources.

Park taught improvisation at the UCC Department of Music, and founded and curated Stet Lab, a space for improvised music in Cork.

Gino Robair

Gino Robair has created music for dance, theater, radio, television, silent film, and gamelan orchestra, and his works have been performed throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. He was composer in residence with the California Shakespeare Festival for five seasons and served as music director for the CBS animated series The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. His commercial work includes themes for the MTV and Comedy Central cable networks.

Robair is also one of the “25 innovative percussionists” included in the book Percussion Profiles (SoundWorld, 2001). He has recorded with Tom Waits, Anthony Braxton, Terry Riley, Lou Harrison, John Butcher, Derek Bailey, Peter Kowald, Otomo Yoshihide, the ROVA Saxophone Quartet, and Eugene Chadbourne, among many others. In addition, Robair has performed with John Zorn, Nina Hagen, Fred Frith, Eddie Prevost, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Myra Melford, Wadada Leo Smith, and the Club Foot Orchestra.

Robair is a founding member of the Splatter Trio and the heavy-metal band, Pink Mountain. In addition, he runs Rastascan Records, a label devoted to creative music.

Also by Murray Campbell and Randy McKean

Bristle, Bulletproof (EDT4124) CD cover (copyright 2012, Bristle)

Bristle: Bulletproof (EDT4124) [details…]

Performers: Randy McKean (saxophone and clarinets), Cory Wright (saxophone, clarinets and flute), Murray Campbell (violins, oboe and cor anglais) and Lisa Mezzacappa (double bass).

© 2012 Bristle.
℗ 2012 McKeanics Publishing, BMI/Corey Wright Publishing, ASCAP.

Also available for download [more…]

‘A Little Brittle Music’ with Han-earl Park, Dominc Lash and Corey Mwamba (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

A Little Brittle Music [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar), Dominic Lash (double bass) and Corey Mwamba (vibraphone and flute).

© 2015 Han-earl Park. ℗ 2015 Park/Lash/Mwamba.

Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders: Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11)

Dunmall-Park-Sanders (Birmingham, 02-15-11) [details…]

Performers: Paul Dunmall (saxophones and bagpipes), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Mark Sanders (drums).

(cc) 2013 Paul Dunmall/Han-earl Park/Mark Sanders.

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray: Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10)

Park+Murray (Cork, 07-29-10) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) plus Marian Murray (violin).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Marian Murray.

Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter: Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)

Jin-Park-Weeter (Cork, 01-24-11) [details…]

Performers: Jin Sangtae (electronics), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Jeffrey Weeter (drums and electronics).

(cc) 2012 Jin Sangtae/Han-earl Park/Jeffrey Weeter.

Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder: Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09)

Park-Schroeder (Cork, 03-26-09) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar) and Franziska Schroeder (saxophone).

(cc) 2012 Han-earl Park/Franziska Schroeder.

Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park: Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11)

Sikora-Smith-Park (Cork, 04-04-11) [details…]

Performers: Catherine Sikora (saxophone), Ian Smith (trumpet) and Han-earl Park (guitar).

(cc) 2012 Catherine Sikora/Ian Smith/Han-earl Park.

updates

10–24–12: add recommended price.
05–20–13: updated the ‘also available for download’ list, and updated reviews.
11–01–15: add A Little Brittle Music to downloads list, and change currency from USD to EUR.

in preparation: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08–2011)

artwork for Murray Campbell, Randy McKean with Han-earl Park, plus Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney: Gargantius Effect +1 +2 +3 (Nor Cal, 08-2011)
Next download release will be of Gargantius Effect (Murray Campbell: violins, oboe and cor anglais; and Randy McKean: saxophones, clarinets and flutes) with Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Gino Robair (energized surfaces, voltage made audible) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano). Recorded during a tour of Northern California, August 2011, the album features tracks recorded at The Tin House (Grass Valley) on August 25th, at Studio 1510 (Oakland) on August 30th. The recording will be available in a variety of formats (including lossless), and as a ‘name your price’ album.

Super excited about this one. It has documents a fun tour, and features outstanding playing from some very, very fine musicians. More info to follow…

Also available for download…

Han-earl Park plus Marian Murray (Cork, 07–29–10)
Jin Sangtae, Han-earl Park and Jeffrey Weeter (Cork, 01–24–11)
Han-earl Park and Franziska Schroeder (Cork, 03–26–09)
Catherine Sikora, Ian Smith and Han-earl Park (Cork, 04–04–11)
Paul Dunmall, Han-earl Park and Mark Sanders (Birmingham, 02–15–11)
Han-earl Park and Richard Scott (Berlin, 10–23–10)

thanks: Gargantius Effect +1 | +2 (Northern California, 2011)

Gargantius Effect +1 | +2 (Northern California, 2011): Murray Campbell, NSAA of Electropoetic Coffee, Gargantius Effect, Nevada County, Church of Sonology, KVMR 89.5 FM, Sacramento, Nebraska Mondays at Luna’s Cafe, Studio 1510, Randy McKean and Gino Robair, SF Bay Area

First and foremost, big, big thanks to Murray Campbell and Randy McKean, for organizing the gigs, and for their open-handed generosity and creative intelligence on- and off-stage—the Gargantius Effect! I hope to respond in kind, and to play again soon. (As I said after the first gig, “you guys are good—I just need to accent what’s already happening!”)

Thanks also to the crafty and powerful improvisers Gino Robair and Scott R. Looney for joining the Gargantius Effect, and to Electropoetic Coffee (NSAA, Ross Hammond and Tom Monson) and Aram Shelton / Larry Ochs Quartet for sharing the stage with us. Special thanks to Ross for running/hosting the very special Nebraska Mondays at Luna’s Cafe, to A Word in Edgewise / The Outpost at KVMR 89.5 FM, and to everyone at The Tin House.

Major sonological kudos to Peter Elsdon (a.k.a. sibling vespucci) and Elspeth Murray (a.k.a. sibling boundless) for telematically contributing to the boadcast.

And thanks to Amber for feeding and housing this itinerant musician, Luke for the use of his Blues Junior, Sam for the fried chicken, and the McKean family for the food and conversation.

Last but not least, thanks to all who listened, watched and tuned-in!

tonight: Gargantius Effect +2 (with Gino Robair) at Studio 1510

Gargantius Effect +2

Tonight (August 30, 2011) at 7:30pm: Performance by Gargantius Effect +2 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; Han-earl Park: guitar; with Gino Robair: energized surfaces, voltage made audible), plus Matt Ingalls (clarinet) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano), takes place at Studio 1510 (1510 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94607). Door/ticket: $6–10. [Details…]

performance diary 08-15-11 (Grass Valley, Nevada City, Oakland, Pasadena, Sacramento)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
August 21, 2011 The Battery Books and Music
1005B Mission Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
7:00pm Performance by Ted Byrnes (percussion) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Admission free.
August 25, 2011 The Tin House
11209 McCourtney Road
Grass Valley, CA 95949
7:30pm Performances by Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar), plus Electropoetic Coffee (NSAA: spoken word, voice; Ross Hammond: guitar; and Tom Monson: drums).
Door/ticket: $10.
[Details…]
[Tin House page…]
August 28, 2011 A Word in Edgewise / The Outpost
KVMR 89.5 FM
Nevada City, California
9:00pm Live broadcast by the Church of Sonology / Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar).
[Details…]
August 29, 2011 Luna’s Cafe
1414 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
7:30pm Nebraska Mondays presents Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar), plus the Aram Shelton Quartet featuring Larry Ochs.
Door/ticket: $5–10.
[Details…]
[Nebraska Mondays page…]
August 30, 2011 Studio 1510
1510 8th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
8:00pm Performances by Gargantius Effect +2 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Gino Robair: energized surfaces, voltage made audible), plus Matt Ingalls (clarinet) and Scott R. Looney (hyperpiano).
Door/ticket: $6–10.
[Details…]
[Bay Improvisers page…]
December 2011 New York Han-earl Park will be based in New York from December 2011, and is seeking formal or ad-hoc playing opportunities. Interested musicians, promoters, venues, please get in touch!
March–May 2012 Europe Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward: drums, percussion and melodica; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Ian Smith: trumpet and flugelhorn), plus Numbers (Richard Barrett: electronics; and Han-earl Park: guitar) are seeking performance opportunities in Europe, March to May 2012.
In addition, Han-earl Park (guitar) is available for formal or ad-hoc performances.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 08-15-11 (Grass Valley, Nevada City, Oakland, Pasadena, Sacramento)”

performances: Gargantius Effect +1 | +2 (Northern California, 2011)

Gargantius Effect +1 +1

August 2011: Performances in Grass Valley, Nevada City and Sacramento, California by Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar), and in Oakland, California by Gargantius Effect +2 (Campbell; McKean; Park; and Gino Robair: energized surfaces, voltage made audible).

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Gargantius Effect +1

The Gargantius Effect is the brainchild of Murray Campbell (violin, oboe and electronics) and Randy McKean (reeds). Like the Stanislaw Lem story of the same name, in which armies of warring soldiers are linked together to form a peaceful, blissfully-aware omni-mind, so, too, these longtime collaborators and Nevada County natives transform the connections and crossfires of the various genres in which they usually find themselves—the Euro-café of Beacoup Chapeaux, Balkan swing of Chickenbonz, chamber jazz of Bristle—into scintillating bits of free improvisation, compositional constructs and mechanized mayhem. They will be joined for these performances by special guest and fellow Sonologist Han-earl Park on guitar. Han has just returned to the States after years of playing and teaching in Europe with the likes of Wadada Leo Smith, Matana Roberts, and Kato Hideki.

about the performers

Murray Campbell has described himself as a Sonologist ever since it was recommended to him as a more respectable occupation than “musician” for the purposes of immigration control. In this capacity he is working with Alex Fiennes on an octaphonic spatialisation system to be un-muted at Dialogues 2007.

He currently resides in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California where he is designing an off-grid solar-powered geodesic wavefront recreation system with the aim of upsetting the bears.

He finds writing about himself in the third person slightly disturbing.

Saxophonist/clarinetist/composer Randy McKean leads or co-leads several bands, including the chamber jazz quartet Bristle, the improv trio Pluck Vim Vigour, the avant-folk duo Sawbones, and the acoustic-electronics duo Zap! He appears regularly with Beacoup Chapeaux, Ludi Hinrichs’ Chickenbonz, Dan Plonsey’s Daniel Popsicle, and Tony Passarell’s Thin Air Orchestra. His string quartet Passages was premiered by the Del Sol String Quartet at the Nevada County Composers Cooperative’s Wet Ink concert in 2009. His CDs include So Dig This Big Crux (Rastascan) and, with the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet, Child King Dictator Fool (New World). McKean studied with trumpeter Paul Smoker and composers Anthony Braxton, David Rosenboom, and Maggi Payne. He has lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, and he and his family have called Grass Valley home since 2002.

Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (박한얼) works within/from/around traditions of fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, mostly open improvised musics, sometimes engineering theater, sometimes inventing ritual. He feels the gravitational pull of collaborative, multi-authored contexts, and has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries and concert halls in Austria, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

He is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith, and is involved in ongoing collaborations with Bruce Coates, Franziska Schroeder, Alex Fiennes and Murray Campbell. He has recently performed with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Lol Coxhill, Pat Thomas, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders, Matana Roberts, Richard Barrett, Pauline Oliveros, Thomas Buckner and Kato Hideki. Festival appearances include Sonorities (Belfast), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), and CEAIT Festival (California). His recordings have been released by labels including Slam Productions and DUNS Limited Edition.

Gino Robair has created music for dance, theater, radio, television, silent film, and gamelan orchestra, and his works have been performed throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. He was composer in residence with the California Shakespeare Festival for five seasons and served as music director for the CBS animated series The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. His commercial work includes themes for the MTV and Comedy Central cable networks.

Robair is also one of the “25 innovative percussionists” included in the book Percussion Profiles (SoundWorld, 2001). He has recorded with Tom Waits, Anthony Braxton, Terry Riley, Lou Harrison, John Butcher, Derek Bailey, Peter Kowald, Otomo Yoshihide, the ROVA Saxophone Quartet, and Eugene Chadbourne, among many others. In addition, Robair has performed with John Zorn, Nina Hagen, Fred Frith, Eddie Prevost, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Myra Melford, Wadada Leo Smith, and the Club Foot Orchestra.

Robair is a founding member of the Splatter Trio and the heavy-metal band, Pink Mountain. In addition, he runs Rastascan Records, a label devoted to creative music.

As a writer about music technology, Robair has contributed to Mix, Remix, Guitar Player, and Electronic Musician (EM) magazine, where he was an editor for 10 years. He is the author of two books, including The Ultimate Personal Recording Studio (Thompson; 2006).

updates

08–15–11: add updates from Randy (Gargantius Effect blurb, new bio for Randy, and lineup details).

08–19–11: update details on the Oakland gig including the addition of Matt Ingalls.

performance diary 08-06-11 (Grass Valley, Nevada City, Oakland, Sacramento)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
August 25, 2011 The Tin House
11209 McCourtney Road
Grass Valley, CA 95949
7:30pm Performances by Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar), plus Electropoetic Coffee (NSAA: spoken word, voice; Ross Hammond: guitar; and Tom Monson: drums).
Door/ticket: $10.
[Details…]
August 28, 2011 A Word in Edgewise / The Outpost
KVMR 89.5 FM
Nevada City, California
9:00pm Live broadcast by the Church of Sonology / Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar).
[Details…]
August 29, 2011 Luna’s Cafe
1414 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
7:30pm Nebraska Mondays presents Gargantius Effect +1 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; and Han-earl Park: guitar), plus the Aram Shelton Quartet featuring Larry Ochs.
Door/ticket: $5–10.
[Details…]
August 30, 2011 Studio 1510
1510 8th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
8:00pm Performances by Gargantius Effect +2 (Murray Campbell: violin, double reeds; Randy McKean: saxophone, clarinet; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Gino Robair: energized surfaces, voltage made audible), plus Scott R. Looney.
Door/ticket: $6–10.
[Details…]
December 2011 New York Han-earl Park will be based in New York from December 2011, and is seeking formal or ad-hoc playing opportunities. Interested musicians, promoters, venues, please get in touch!
March–May 2012 Europe Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward: drums, percussion and melodica; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Ian Smith: trumpet and flugelhorn), plus Numbers (Richard Barrett: electronics; and Han-earl Park: guitar) are seeking performance opportunities in Europe, March to May 2012.
In addition, Han-earl Park (guitar) is available for formal or ad-hoc performances.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 08-06-11 (Grass Valley, Nevada City, Oakland, Sacramento)”