Start Time | Photo | Bio | Thursday 7pm: citizenGreen | 
| citizenGreen's rhythmic compositions have been evolving for 5 years and running. Fusing many modern styles of electronic music, citizenGreen's pulsing mechanical beats, cyclic melodies, bubbling organic basslines and delicately crafted textures and patterns make for a unique listen, and a sonic fingerprint all his own. Chris Amell is the man behind citizenGreen. http://www.myspace.com/citizengreen | Thursday 8pm: Different Skies All-Stars |       
| The Different Skies All-stars is a revolving group of musiicians who have previously performed at the Different Skies Music Festival in Arcosanti, Arizona, which is a highly collaborative and improvised annual event. Musicians and visual artists spend a week in the Arizona high desert at Paolo Solari's Urban Laboratory (Arcosanti), mostly creating new electronic works of music that is then performed for an audience of about 100 at the end of the week. The listening and improvising skills developed at Different Skies are unique, and the comradery of the alumni of Different Skies is equally unique. It's one of those things that until you do it, it's hard to explain. We once again are able to share a bit of Different Skies with the City Skies audience with a core group of Kevin Haller, Tony Gerber, Paul Vnuk Jr., Klimchak, Bill Fox, Howard Moscovitz, Jim Combs, and Jeannie Allen. http://www.differentskies.com | Thursday 10pm: Broken Symmetry | 
| _____________ Broken Symmetry is Doug Hughes, Gene Thompson, and Chris Schwartz. Doug Hughes is also working in Tenth To The Moon, and has played in several Atlanta area bands including Liar's Club, King Kill 33' (re-union show-3/2001), My Evil Twin, and Fluid Transmission. He recorded Pineal Ventana jam sessions for inclusion on several of their CD releases, as well as the sessions for their debut demo release in 1993. He made his stage debut at the Destroy All Music Festival in 1988 playing guitar with the band Album 88, and the following year in Fluid Transmission, both featuring an assortment of WREK hangers-ons and DJs. Doug began in the late 80's by recording/mixing tapes of found sounds, mixed with crude digital samples and loops of guitar effects. Guitar gradually became the primary focus, he also plays drums, bass and synthesizers. His Solar Wind studio became the recording arm for the independent label Perimeter Records, assembling the Annual Perimeter Christmas compilation, a free promotional cassette, released between 1987-1993. This tradition was continued by Hughes in '96-'97 under the Outer Loop tag. Gene Thompson formed a partnership with Hughes in the late 80's, recording and performing for Perimeter Records as Thompson/Hughes; this project eventually became Broken Symmetry. Gene also worked with My Evil Twin and Fluid Transmission, playing syn-drums, acoustic drums, sax and violin. He produced four solo albums of electronic music for Outer Loop, melding world music with electronic synthesis, with and without drums/percussion. These releases used a variety of sound samples culled from the internet, which Gene worked into the mix with his own sound creations. While in Boston in the 1980's, Gene was a member of Shut-up, Savage Ohms, Monad and Inner Space, the later of these once opened for Gong in 1979 at the Modern Theater. Gene performed on drums, recording several records with these bands as well as with members of Cul-De-Sac and as a duo with Chris Hanzsik. Chris Swartz founded Perimeter Records with partner Robert Hollis, they released 3 vinyl albums in the late 80's as Hollis/Swartz. They were notable for performing and recording on home built instruments; exclusively, on their second and third albums Music for Homebuilt Instruments and 11 x 2. The home builts included a variety of percussion and stringed instruments, some inspired by Harry Partch and several other artists, some Chris designed and constructed himself. He helped foster the Atlanta underground music scene by releasing annual Perimeter Records Christmas cassettes, which featured many aspiring artists and noise makers, to promote the label. He recently compiled the best of these recordings as a 2 CD release, mailed to many of the same college stations who received the cassette releases in the late 80's-early 90's. Perimeter Records also released full length cassettes and 12" vinyl product, most notably "Nine Underground", a collection of recordings by various Atlanta bands/artists, which was routinely featured on WREK 91.1 FM "Destroy All Music "show in the late 80's. This release includes an appearance by Jarboe, later of Swans and now a veteran solo artist. Chris was a founding member of King Kill 33', as their original drummer. He recorded with Pineal Ventana and performed with numerous Atlanta area bands, including Skeesicks, Disk, 349, Liars Club and My Evil Twin. He also recorded and performed various solo projects and in Eta Carinae, working with former King Kill 33' bassist Donna Smith as an electronic duo. Chris joined Broken Symmetry full time in the late 90s. http://www.myspace.com/brokensymmetry | Thursday 11pm: Masik | 
| Másik Origin: Hungarian Definition: 'Other' Sound: A grating apart of many musical & artistic styles, sewn back together to form a bastard child of culture. Jazz, Hip-Hop, Glitch, Dada, Dance, Noise, Anarchy, Free Form, Psychedelics, Technology & Distant Planets are just some of the influences floating through the minds of Másik. Our practices, performances & recordings are completely improvised, allowing a stream of musical consciousness to constantly flow. Tracks are then edited to various degrees until the desired sound is achieved. These methods allow for endless possibilities in remixing, extending & layering...over time we will control your subconscious. http://www.myspace.com/masik420 _____________ | Friday 7pm: Earthgirl | 
| Jeannie Allen is Earthgirl, whose music grows from sounds and feelings on our planet, plus some imagined ones. A lone car driving by late at night, far away thunder, the tapping of rain, and the swirls of falling stars. Earthgirl is a veteran of electronic music festivals around the country including Different Skies 2008 in Arizona, electro-music 2008 in Tennessee, and City Skies 08 in Georgia. She also performs regularly in her hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Jeannie has been inspired by new music created every day and by the musical roots of Vince Clarke, Yaz, Erasure, Tangerine Dream, Stereolab, Portishead, Moby, Brian Eno, ELO, Lou Reed, Syd Barrett, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Police, and Mozart, to name a few. Earthgirl music combines ambient, experimental and found sounds to create sonic soundscapes, that have attracted the the attention of fans, musicians, and record labels around the globe. When the debut album "Vibrations in Space" is released in 2008, all profits will go for global warming relief in developing countries. http://www.myspace.com/earthgirlvibes | Friday 8pm: Kathy Raimey | 
| Composer, pianist, producer, Kathy Raimey (aka Kathy M. Gleim) has been making music since early childhood with compositions spanning a variety of formats and styles including works for solo piano, video soundtrack, choral music, electroacoustic music, an odd assortment of unclassifiable work, and singer/songwriter material. At the age of 13, she began playing professionally as a church organist, and has worked as a music educator and musician in various locations including Cincinnati, Ohio; Vienna, Austria; Atlanta, Georgia, and Raleigh, NC. Holding degrees in Piano Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and Furman University; with further study in Vienna, Austria, her main teachers included Maria Regina Seidlhofer, David Bar-Illan, Jeanne Kirstein, Ruby Morgan, John Noel Roberts, and Lee Gleim, her mother and very first teacher. She also studied with chamber ensemble coach, Lee Fizer, of the LaSalle Quartet, and jazz pianist, Ted Howe. As Director of Music at Midtown Spiritual Community in Atlanta from July 2001 to April 2004, Kathy attracted a loyal following of listeners with her live improvisations of contemplative music for meditation. Kathy Raimey's 2007 CD release, "It Is Always Now", chosen as an Editor's Pick in the New Age: Progressive Alternative category at CD Baby has received great reviews from New Age Reporter's Bill Binkelman and RJ Lannan. "Delightfully different...Raimey expertly merges her electronica/ambient side with her softly melancholic New Age side... solidly recommended." - Bill Binkelman. "Kathy Raimey offers not just a solo piano album, but a recording filled with ambient tracks that include electronica, voices and ethnic instruments. Put it all together and you get a sound that is out of the ordinary, inspiring and very entertaining. "It is Always Now" has music that is quietly beautiful, soulful and always emotional." - RJ Lannan. "It Is Always Now" entered New Age Reporter’s Top 100 chart in February 2008 and reached #11 in April. It hit the Number 1 spot at Music Choice, "Soundscapes" cable TV channel in June and August, and continues to receive widespread international and domestic airplay. http://www.kathyraimey.com http://www.myspace.com/kathyraimey | Friday 9pm: Tony Gerber & John Rose | 
| Tony Gerber was mesmerized by electronic music in 1971, after playing with an SWTP theremin and hearing the classic "Switched on Bach". Like many young synthesizer explorers during the 70s he built his own PAIA synth when he was 14 years old. However, guitar is his main instrument, but he became a multi-instrumentalist over the years with an emphasis on synth sound creation. In 1986, he founded the performance collective Space for Music which spawned multimedia performances combining film, video, dance, and electronic music. Space For Music was turned into a website in 1996 and then into a record label in 2000 (spaceformusic.com). In 1997, he founded the well-known space music group, Spacecraft, with fellow synth lover and musician, John Rose, after solo releases on the Lektronic Soundscapes label. Combining his solo releases and SPACECRAFT recordings there are over 20 CDs available. Some of these recordings are with fellow City Skies performer and friend, Giles Reaves. Gerber has been a driving force in the art and space music arena during his 25 year stay in Nashville, TN. Tony is quite active in Second Life as the space music performer Cypress Rosewood (cypressrosewood.com). His own web site is http://spaceformusic.com/tonygerber Many of Gerber's recorded works are the result of live performances, many of which take place in planetariums or outside, under the stars themselves. Several of Gerber's performances have been broadcast live on public radio in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana and the subsequent recordings have received airplay on syndicated shows like Echoes and Musical Starstreams. A pioneer in the use of computers for creating music and graphics, Gerber has also consulted with Apple Computer and has given many speeches on art and technology. An accomplished visual artist and craftsman working with both computers and wood, Gerber has enjoyed exhibits sponsored by the prestigious Cheekwood Gallery in Nashville and the Visual Artists Alliance of Nashville. John Rose is a composer working out of Lexington, Kentucky. Rose and Gerber have worked together for several years doing live radio, outdoor festivals, art openings and planetarium performances. John has been a pioneer of electronic music in Kentucky since the 1970s. He continues to work on solo recordings and works with other artists throughout the south. He is a music teacher when he is not performing or working with other bands. John Rose’s music is created primarily from his own experiences, what he calls “life’s soundtracks”. He utilizes elements from his diverse musical background, which includes early music (especially the Medieval and pre-Renaissance era), Baroque (owing to his direct musical lineage to J.S. Bach through oral teaching tradition), Middle Eastern Music, Gregorian chant, traditional Celtic and Appalachian music, and experimental electronic music. Music and musicians who are of interest to John Rose are J.S. Bach, Arvo Part, Tangerine Dream, Dead Can Dance, Gregorian chant, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Alan Stivell, Morton Subotonic, John Jacob Niles, Debussy, and Chopin. He considers Nature and Silence to be the foundation of all music. John’s music is timeless and pensive, interwoven with images of nature, expressive rhythms, deep space pulses, and industrial ambience. Other compositions contain intricate piano passages dancing across waves of geometric ostinatos. “Music is structured in silence and has its foundations in the rhythm of nature, out of which springs the language of humanity and reflections of the energy of life. I wish to express this to the listener through my music.” | Friday 10pm: Xeriod Entity | 
| Xeroid Entity is constantly exploring new musical territory by going beyond the barriers of standard conventions while still drawing upon classical influences. Their music ranges from light and whimsical to dark and aggressive, often within the same piece. Much of it is ambient in nature; without a discernable beat. When they do play rhythmically based music, there are often complex counter rhythms giving the music a poly-rhythmic flavor. The results can be subtle and spacey without being boring, noisy without being harsh, dynamic yet continuous. The members of Xeroid Entity are Howard Moscovitz, Bill Fox, and Greg Waltzer. Combined they have more than 70 years of experience making electronic music. They all program their own sounds, and refuse to be bound by conventional scales or rhythms. The parts are freely improvised, though they frequently have structures based on the concerto forms of Mozart and Bach. This allows for maximum expressiveness and interaction between group members, while avoiding predictability. http://xeroidentity.com | Friday 11pm: Paul Vnuk Jr & Klimchak |
| _____________ Paul Vnuk Jr. is percussionist, synthesist, vocalist, recording engineer and sound designer. He is one half of the Tribal Ambient duo Ma Ja Le' with Christopher Short, and their albums (which have been eloquently labeled, Symphonic Tribal Minimalism) include "Dreams In The Orchards Of Saturn", "Imaginarium" (with Vir Unis) and "Seed" (with James Johnson). Together as sound designers they have been involved in sound-libraries and projects for Sony, M-Audio and Apple, which have been used in films and top ten albums. As a solo artist Paul's album "Silence Speaks In Shadow" is a classic among minimal-ambient connoisseurs and is a perennial favorite on the Hypnos Label. His latest Hypnos release, "Distance To Zero" (with Italian minimalist Oophoi) is as dark and intense as it is beautiful. When not crafting ambient-space music, Paul can be found deep in recording and production at "The Moss Garden" a professional project studio located in the serene countryside of southern Wisconsin. As an audio engineer Paul is a regular contributing author and reviewer in Recording Magazine. Paul is a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and holds a BFA in Photography; his work has been shown in galleries and published in magazines. http://www.myspace.com/paulvnuk http://www.majale.com Klimchak loves opposites. That may explain why he's played with bands as diverse as disco diva RuPaul and avant hipster Bruce Hampton. "I think of music as a crazy-quilt of different styles and patterns. I'm the thread that holds the whole mess together," says the Atlanta-based composer and percussionist. "I love the clash of colors and opposing patterns. That's where the music comes alive." On his new solo CD, The Beat and The Buzz, he works the difference between electronic and acoustic music styles. Electrobeat buzzes clash with soulful hand drumming. An urban funk groove explodes into a hoedown of jaw harp and handclaps. Tuvan throat singing provides a sound bed for a flowering samba ensemble featuring the pig-like grunting of the Brazilian Cuica. This could be the loops of sample-hungry turntable collagists and laptop-toting poindexters. But it's not. One of the important qualities of Klimchak's music is that he plays it all himself. "I don't have anything against buying and using samples and loops of other people's music. For what I'm doing it's easier and quicker just to record myself playing the instrument." Of course that is easy for Klimchak to say, since he owns and plays literally hundreds of instruments. "I've been collecting sound-makers since the late 1970's. When I have some free time, I usually sit down and learn to play a new flute or percussion instrument." It could be an early electronic instrument like the sci-fi staple, the theremin or a low-tech rawhide frame drum from the Middle East. It's all grist for the sound-mill. "In the modern world of Ebay and the internet, locating exotic instruments for cheap and getting instructions on playing them is a lot easier than it used to be." Klimchak has been working exclusively in this style since the mid-eighties. Between stints with RuPaul, Hampton, and his two bass-vocal-percussion band, Fab Area, he began working on solo works for modern dance and theater. He uses his knowledge of exotic instruments and the sounds they make to provide a live underscore theater productions. Many of his recent works have been at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. He has written and performed scores for the plays: Othello, Henry IV, Hamlet, Tartuffe, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cymbeline. In addition, he's done scores for Shakespeare's Coriolanus at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, a live score for No Exit at Le Neon Theater in Washington, DC (nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for best sound design), and a live score for Malinche performed at the Bovenzaal Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam. Klimchak's dance work is equally important to his style. His recent work includes scores for Jane Comfort ("Three Bagatelles for the Righteous, excerpt (Election Update 2004)", performed in NYC at the Joyce Theater by Jane Comfort and Co in September) and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of Urban Bush Women ("Are We Democracy?", performed in November at Emory University's Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts). He regularly composes for faculty and guest choreographers at Emory University. http://www.myspace.com/klimchak | Saturday 12noon: Andrew Weathers | 
| Andrew Weathers is a North Carolina-based composer. He studies music composition and percussion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. http://www.myspace.com/pacificbeforetiger | Saturday 1pm: Don Hassler & Jason Butcher |   
| _____________ Don Hassler was born in 1960, Ohio. At age 4, he discovered, Rimsky-Korsakov, at age 8 he began studying the Saxophone, discovered the synthesizer, and became aware of his lifelong bond to music. Heavily influenced by both NASA and the Counter-Culture movement of the 1960’s, the draw of electronic music grew unbearably, but due to it’s expense, unrequited (to the point of severe delinquency) until age 20, when he was finally able to purchase an EMS Synthi A. Following an unsuccessful pursuit of a college degree, he eventually settled upon private studies with Carter Thomas, former student of Morton Subotnick. Both teacher and student were attracted by their mutual admiration for Subotnick. The outcomes of Don’s studies under Carter were primarily the liberation of his musical values from the constraints of conventional theory and the urge to attempt earn money from music, along with the gift of Carter’s class project Serge synthesizer he built while he was a student at Calarts, and 25 year quest to seek out a Buchla Electronic Music Instrument. Armed with Carter’s Serge and his Synthi, Don began to participate in the nascent underground music scene of Atlanta. Maintaining a firm connection with Georgia Tech’s WREK FM radio station, including live and recorded performances, Don expanded his activities to the heavily AMM and MEV influenced free improv trio Accident’s of Culture consisting of Jeff Gilbreath, John Avant along with Don. A few performances and appearances on two compilation records (Nine Underground, LP, 1987, Perimeter Records, and Mighty Risen Plea, LP, Sacred Frame, 1990) resulted. Going further, Don began a 21year association with the now gone Atlanta College of Art, assisting painting instructor William Nolan develop an experimental sound class geared for non-musician visual arts students. Through his involvement the college, Don expanded his work to include interactive, site specific sound sculptures both solo and collaboration with sculptor Scott Gilliam( 1984, The Atlanta Arts Festival, 1987, Nexus Biannual, 1988 The Arts Exchange, 1989, Socrates Sculpture Garden, NYC, 1992, The Atlanta Arts Festival.) Throughout this time Don continued to work with musicians including local Atlanta electronic music pioneers Dick Robinson, Howard Wershil, Richard Devine, Graham Moore, Tom Smith (To Live and Shave in LA) and, including participating in a Fluxus performance led by Dick Higgins in 1987. He also worked electronics designer Timothy Adams, assisting in the design of Tim’s Chaos/Difference box for Pauline Oliveros and Dick Robinson, plus assuming Tim’s duties after his premature passing in 2005 as the US service support for the Swedish electronic music instrument company Elektron. In 1987, Don began to serve as a US representative for the long running British synthesizer company EMS, and much later on very briefly with the California electronic music collective EAR-Group. In 1990, after getting married to his wife Sandra, Don began regular employment managing the electronic art labs for the Atlanta College of Art while completing an electronics diploma at a local tech school. In that period he adapted the use of the personal computer for his work, first on the Commodore Amiga, then settling on the Apple Macintosh. The college allowed Don to serve as an adjunct instructor for their experimental sound class from 1992 until the schools closing in 2005. Landing quickly at the Art Institute of Atlanta as a lab technician following the closure of ACA, Don was able to direct his severance towards his continued quest for a Buchla, obtaining a compact newly created 200e, resulting in his ever growing DSM-IV series. Don’s work today centers in abstract interpretations, both in performance and recording of his surroundings and perceptions still using materials drawn combined areas of computer and analog audio, combined with occasional diy electronics. Jason Butcher is a renowned hermit, artist, teacher, composer and of course family man, JB is first and foremost an adventurer. He scoured the world for ten years in order to assemble a synthesizer capable of provoking spontaneous insanguination through the eyes. He traveled back in time in order to have his own baby. His heart pumps single malt scotch, his hair spontaneously changes color and his tears are premium unleaded. |
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