This droney bit of ambience was on Epitapes which I believe was run by Mike Tetrault who also did a series of compilations and his own poetry. Appears to be a 1988 release.
A classic BCO release on Brook Hinton's Subelectrick Institute label. The DJ, Your Host Bobby did the cover.
This BCO tape came out on the Canadian, Doomsday Transmissions label, which was run by Jim DeJong, who now runs The Ceiling out of Hamilton, Ontario.
Part time BCO member and also ran his own label, The Subelectrick Institute. Released several solo tapes of experimental music.
Big City Orchestra may hold the record for releases on other labels. This one was on Ralph records.

living archive home

don campau.com

No Pigeonholes 1989

 

artists, comments, links

by don campau

LISTEN TO THIS SHOW NOW

This program was originally broadcast on 23 July 1989 and featured a studio appearance and live performance from Bay Area experimentalists, Big City Orchestra. On this day, BCO consisted of dAS, Brook Hinton ( who also did his own solo music and ran the Subeletrick Institute label) and T-Bone Juju, who I believe was dAS' partner at the time. During their live performance they rattled noise making instruments, a small radio and stuck a plastic fork into the KKUP fan. I recall being blown away by the fact that their sound was so quiet in the studio and on the headphones a raging torrential sea of swirling noise. I could not understand how it could been so different. dAS is a mainstay of the SF Bay Area scene and continues to do his projects here: http://www.ubuibi.org/

I also played a few other artists that day and will comment below.

Part 1a:
Big City Orchestra/ Animal Religion/ Ralph cassette: from one of their best tapes, issued on Ralph Records. Features sampled animal sounds in a hallucinogenic adventure.


Ken Clinger/ Radio/ Bovine cassette: my theme song that I still use. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Ken+Clinger+MySpace&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=


Andy Savage/ Be Good/---cassette: British zaniness and good time humor . He also did some compilations called SuperTrouper. He now calls himself Angelo Gravity. Some info: http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Savage_Andrew_539392037.aspx


Bad Boy Butch Batson/ Once I Had A Dream/---cassette: totally crazy and fun songs from this Texas outsider. http://www.last.fm/music/Bad+Boy+Butch+Batson


Big City Orchestra/ Man Of Steal/ audiofile cassette: droney meanderings from their massive body of work.


Brook Hinton/ Perfections/ SEI cassette: experimental sampling and electronic sound. Here's a youtube video of Brook in 1992: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXL01lBBB4U


Tom Dougherty/ Languaging /---cassette: cannot remember this guy.

Part1b:
Big City Orchestra/ performance/ live: long KKUP live performance that was never released.

Part2a (originally called Vol.167):
Big City Orchestra/ performance-interview/ live


Crawling With Tarts/ Flat Leaves and Mandrill/---cassette: the fabulous Bay Area duo of Mic Gendreau and Suzanne Dycus-Gendreau played music that was an interesting and playful combination of naieve pop and experimental. Hear songs from their various releases:  http://www.last.fm/music/Crawling+With+Tarts


Kevyn Dymond/ No Answer/ Guaranteed Cleveland cassette: One the greatest home tapers of the 80s/90s delivered pop hooks, masterful musicianship, clever arrangements and was able to get his local friends to help him on some songs. His run of tapes from the mid 80s to the early 90s may be the best of this entire era.

 
Athletico Rheinland/ As Follows/---cassette: No memory.


Brook Hinton/ Parental Discretion/ SEI cassette: More experimental music from this educator and artist.

Part2b:
Big City Orchestra/ performance/ live: part two of their KKUP show

 


Minoy/ Flavor Of Acid On Ice/ Minoyworks cassette: Southern California sound texture artist was very reclusive and as far as I know only appeared once in the Bay Area live. One of the seminal electronic artists of the underground.