Ben Marcantel » Theatre Intangible

E047 Milk Vetch 01/18/2011

All Podcasts, Ben Marcantel, Concerts, Leslie Keffer, Post-WRVU Era, Scott Martin, Theatre Intangible LIVE No Responses »

Jan 182011

left to right: Ben, Scott, Leslie. Photo by Valerie Martino.

Tonight’s episode is Milk Vetch, the first of three special podcasts recorded live at Betty’s Bar and Grill on Sunday, January 16th. Milk Vetch features Ecstatic Peace artist Leslie Keffer (The Laundry Room Squelchers), Ben Marcantel (Forrest Bride and T.I. podcast Pulse), and Scott Martin (Lambchop, Hands Off Cuba, Hobbledions, Cortney Tidwell). I’ve been trying to get these three performers on the show for a long time now, and they sound fantastic together! Scott plays percussion; Leslie, Chaos Pad and sequencer (panned slightly right); and Ben, keys and synth (panned slightly left).

Leslie Keffer is throwing a record release party at Betty’s Friday, January 21st for Give It Up, her new Ecstatic Peace record as well as Hold You To It, a split with Outmode and Silver Bridge, a reissued split with Robedoor. Give It Up also features Valerie Martino who performed in the third Betty’s Live improv as Unicorn Hard-on. We’ll release that episode, a duet with Lazer Slut, very soon. Keep your ears pricked for the second Betty’s improv with Tommy Stangroom (Square People), Lawrence Crow, and Stephen Molyneux (Horsehair Everywhere) even sooner.

Theatre Intangible interviewed Leslie Keffer a while back about the Nashville experimental music scene and her method.Here’s what Escstatic Peace has to say about her new record:

Leslie Keffer has been one of the most startling and provocative practitioners of 21st century USA noise music since her first harsh emanations on the cassette underground in the early 2000s. Ecstatic Peace released her first full length LP Feels Like Frenching a few years back and it was hailed as a cornerstone in new blood noise exploration. Boomkat.com reported, “she’s beating the noise-boys at their own experimental game and winning…Keffer had me at hello.” And Performer magazine heard the LP as “a dense series of coded subconscious messages sent from some buried cerebral cortex.”

On this new 12”, which has been waiting to be issued or near on two years, she joins forces with local Nashville rockers John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet, Jemina Pearl), Steve Poulton (Paul K and The Weathermen) and fellow noise artist Valerie Martino (Unicorn Hard-on). These two tracks are a departure from the pure noise action Leslie is known for and present her current trajectory into hypno dance dub psychosis with waves of junk filtered radio wash and siren chants. As with the LP the artwork by Adriane Schramm is astounding.

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E043 Pulse featuring Tatsuya Nakatani 12/12/2010

All Podcasts, Amy Blackburn Simon, Artist Showcases, Ben Marcantel, Brady Sharp, Dave Maddox, Kelli Shay Hix, Kyle Hamlett, Post-WRVU Era, Tatsuya Nakatani 1 Response »

Dec 132010

Tatsuya Nakatani Zeitgeist Gallery Nashville Tennessee

Video and photographs by John Brassil.

Tatsuya Nakatani mesmerised the audience at Zeitgeist Gallery on Saturday, December 4^th with his visceral experimental percussion. For podcast 43, we bring you his entire set from that evening and also the Theatre Intangible live improv that followed: Pulse. Pulse features Tatsuya and the other bands on the lineup that night: Bluff Duo (Brady Sharp and David Maddox) and LYLAS (Kelli Shay Hix, Kyle Hamlett, Ben Marcantel, and Amy Blackburn Simon, also of Forrest Bride). Both sets are amazing! You can hear Brady Sharp perform on these two fine Theatre Intangible episodes. Kelli Shay Hix and Kyle Hamlett recently appeared on the improv Stone & Stream. Look for a Dave Maddox episode to come soon. I also recorded the Bluff Duo and LYLAS sets from the Zeitgest evening. I’ll post those soon as well.

Japanese-born experimental percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani connects with his instruments in a way like I’ve never before seen. He extracts every ounce of musicality out of his gongs, singing bowls, bells, cymbals, drums, handmade bows, and other devices. His performances are an extremely visceral affair. You really get the sense that his instruments are extensions of him. Seeing him live is a cathartic and almost spiritual experience.

At the improv’s end, Tatsuya announced that he expected the improv to be “here,” putting his hand near his chest, but that it turned out to be “here,” putting his hand high above his head. I for one agree.

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ABOUT TATSUYA NAKATANI:

Tatsuya Nakatani (percussion) is originally from Osaka, Japan. In 2006 he performed in 80 cities in 7 countries and collaborated with 163 artists worldwide. In the past 10 years he has released nearly 50 recordings on CD.

He has created his own instrumentation, effectively inventing many instruments and extended techniques. He utilizes drumset, bowed gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects, bells, and various sticks and bows to create an intense, organic music that defies category or genre. His music is based in improvised/ experimental music, jazz, free jazz, rock, and noise, yet retains the sense of space and beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music.

In addition to live solo and ensemble performances he works as a sound designer for film and television. He also teaches Masterclasses and Workshops at the University level. He also heads H&H Production, an independent record label and recording studio based in Easton, Pennsylvania. He was selected as a performing artist for the Pennsylvania Performing Artist on Tour (PennPat) roster as well as a Bronx Arts Council Individual Artist grant.

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