NORCAL NOISEFEST 2016 - LINE UP/ROSTER
green background = first time fest appearances
ALPHASTARE (san francisco)
Jeff K. has been a experimental artist since the early 90's where he conducted various social/musical experiments in Buffalo as "Smackicide". Early influences include Throbbing Gristle/EN/Crash Worship/NWW. These early shows consisted of Jeff on noise guitars and drummer Corndog McGee as well as whoever was around that day and wanted to make some noise! Usually non musicians, usually subverting spaces like a coffehouse, an all girls HS gymnasium or a normally quiet jazz bar to create walls of cacophony. He then left Buffalo for LA in 1996 where he played guitar with outsider Punk band The Flesh Eaters for 5 years, then moved on to start his own psychedelic Band The Alphastares which disbanded in 2003 when Jeff moved up to San Francisco. After a break from experimental works Jeff resurrected his old band name and shortened it to just Alphastare as a working name for any solo experimental works as well as collabs.
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AMBERSMOKE (anza)
Ambersmoke are an experimental duo from the high desert of the Inland Empire. We sell soul.
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ART LESSING (sacramento)
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AUME [Scot Jenerik & Aleph Omega -- Fspace/Chrome] (portland,OR/san francisco)

AUME: Immersive sound and image collaboration between Scot Jenerik (Portland, OR) and Aleph Omega (San Francisco, CA)

Scot Jenerik
: Composer and multidisciplinary artist. Performed, lectured and distributed works extensively in the United States, Europe and Japan, as a solo artist and member of F-Space. Co-owner of Mobilization Records, has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, founded 23five Incorporated and co-hosted the No Other Radio Network on KPFA.

Aleph Omega: Composer, multi-instrumentalist and artist. Performed and toured extensively throughout the United States, and Europe as a member of Chrome, Helios Creed, F-Space and pioneering Deathrock band, Altar De Fey. Owner/operator Unicursal Studios.

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BAGHEAD (ashland,OR)
Baghead aka Brian Comnes of Ashland Oregon has been a Noise Junkie ever since he found the supportive milieu of NorCal NoiseFest X....Using DIY vacuum tube toys in combo with the original Krakdos noisebox, analog oscillators and 8 bit samplers he enjoys audible romps with a heavy dose of cacophony, no need for long walks on the beach. His byline? ... Too loud?..Too Bad!
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BIG CITY ORCHESTRA (san francisco)
BCO has is a legendary avant-garde/art project originally from Los Angeles, California which embarked on in 1979. They have publicated about 230 hour-long releases and being an important chain in the cassette culture movement of the previous decades. They jumped out from the same nest as did other famous Californian cutting edge groups such as The Residents, and Negativeland, for instance. Their music has swerved in countless directions, veering from sound art and dada experiments and psycho-acoustic explorations to off-kilter electronica and sophisticated noise and acousmatic "folk" music.
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BLISTER BRATS (sacramento)
SAC/SF 3 PIECE NOISE TRIO OF YOUNG UNSTABLE PEOPLE CREATING BLISTERING POWER ELECTRONICS, DRUG INDUCED OVERDRIVE THROAT SOUNDS, AND ANXIETY DRIVEN SPASTIC DRUM BLASTS COMING TOGETHER IN AN OFF PUTTING WALL OF CHAOS
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BOTCHED FACELIFT (morgan hill)
Botched Facelift is a one person, experimental noise project from the Bay Area, California that has been active since 2005. Encompasses a wide range of ideas and genres including experiments with circuit-bending, xenharmonic/microtonal harmony, video/sound glitch and data bending, scratch built electronics, jazz improvisations, power electronics, musique concrete, extreme metal, shamanism, drone, industrial, hindustani classical and sitar music, and endless permutations of all the above all done with a DIY aesthetic.
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BRAN(...)POS (san francisco)
bran(…)pos is the ongoing audio-visual-performance-noise-musique-brain-bend of Jake Rodriguez from San Francisco. Rodriguez began performing and recording under this moniker with the dubbing of Tape#1, self-released in an edition of 50 in 1997 on Chitah! Chitah! Sounds. For more b(...)p and related 21st century musiques, please visit soundcrack.net
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BURNT DOT (los angeles)
Burnt Dot is an LA-based noise and experimental jazz ensemble founded by Sarah Belle Reid (trumpet) and Ryan Gaston (modular synthesizer).
Reid and Gaston started Burnt Dot to explore open forms of spontaneous creation. The group is a fluid ensemble of sound and visual artists who are committed to creating work that is as quirky, fiery, and thought-provoking as the world that inspires it.
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CHOPSTICK (sacramento)
Chopstick has officially been playing half of the Noise Fest events. Performing sometimes with home made pedals and sometimes with modified store bought pedals he has a unique approach to creating sound. He likes coffee and ramen. As a child he had an imaginary friend that was a robotic cat that was sent back in time from the future to help him become the man he is today.
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BRIAN D'VIL (tempe,AZ)
Layered waves of synth soundscapes, regular beating samples, corrupt vibrations and noisy D.J. turntables are his sound. Member to Fake Snake's industrial noise, dark wave electronica in Centerfold Jesus, and new techno-based project Wick End. Visual arts include burning mousetraps, drawing comics, composing collages, and spraying paints. Previously performed NF2015 as now deleted project O.S. D'vil, in Uberkunst, and in Instagon.
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DENTAL WORK (traverse city,MI)
Dental Work is an extreme underground Noise collective started by Jay Watson in 2007. Originally a solo project for many years, touring the united states with an array of like minds, releasing hundreds of splits, EPs, singles, and full length albums on a variety of labels throughout the world. Today Dental Work is a 3 piece sound and mind obliteration unit consisting of Jay Watson, Justin Lee Smith, and Sean Barry. Merging sounds of squelching power electronics, post-chiptune decomposition, mind-splintering industrial breakcore, perverse elements of sado-sacrilage induced Psychedelic Noise with screwed & chopped grindcore.
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DEPRESSIVE (phoenix,AZ)
Depressive is the latest experimental noise incarnation from Arizona musician David Turner. Also the owner and operator of Cryptic Passage Records and one half of underground industrial noise pushers Fake Snake. Depressive's sound focuses on rubberized kicks, Detuned bass and electronic noise compositions all driven by Turners harrowing vocal approach. The lyrical content of Depressive goes from shallow breaths of hot air to meaningless writings on loss, death , and dependency. Although this will be the first NFXX for Depressive, don't expect any less than the maximum visual and audio intensity from Turner's Live set.
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EDDIE HONEYEATER (sacramento)
I make music with no purpose. It doesn't tell a story or have a message behind it. It just happens in time and will never happen again, but it will never end. John Cage said, "An error is simply a failure to adjust immediately from a preconception to an actuality." Improvised noise.
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ENDOMETRIUM CUNTPLOW (los angeles)
Plants and animals. Tree hugging devil music. Textural explorations and deep sonic weirdness since 2006. This will be Endometrium Cuntplow's 3rd appearance at NF.

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EUROSTASHE (san francisco)
Eurostache is a project centering around electro-acoustic real-time collaborative experiments in sound based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2008. Six core members explore sound-space through the lens and energy of child-like wonderment, using novel instruments, found objects, meta-processing and sound recordings in unusual combinations with traditional instruments.
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FAILURE COCK (san francisco)
Failure Cock has received.
Bio: Failure Cock started in December of 2011 with Scarp Home and Mark Pino. Initial music was made from drums, electronics, and vocals.
Since that time, Failure Cock has evolved naturally, producing sounds akin to German Psychedelic, Industrial, and the wilder edges of Free Jazz.
Failure Cock currently consists of Home, Pino, and Elijah Pontecorvo.
Past collaborators have included Brian Lucas, Dean Santomieri, and Dylan Haas, among others.
2016 will be Failure Cock's first Nor Cal Noisefest Appearance.
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FILTHMILK (san francisco/atlanta,GA)
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FLESH VOMIT (imperial)
Flesh Vomit is a one man harsh noise project from Imperial, CA
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GUSSETTE (martinez)
Gussette is the solo industrial power electronics act that serves as the core of several multimedia projects by the Bay Area artist Travis Castro. What started as a prank entry into a battle-of-the-bands contest became a very serious, aggressive, and personal performance that has toured the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 4 years. Gussette consists of circuit bent electronics, modified synthesizers, and a vocal rig that reflects the Futurist writings and observations of Luigi Russolo. This will be Gussette’s 2nd appearance at Norcal Noisefest.

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HANS VON BARTLES (santa rosa)
Hans Von Bartles began in the summer of 2012 in Santa Rosa, CA. Hans has generated upwards of seven independent releases to date in association with Arcane Visions Collective, with more in the works. Hans can be best described as “cascading noise terror”, similar to North Bay contemporaries RAEPUSBARABUS and MAGGOT THERAPY. Having seldom left the confines of Sonoma County, having little-to-no online presence, interested listeners may aquire Hans' work on cassette via Arcane Visions' webstore.
This will be Hans Von Bartles' 3rd NF appearance
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HAY-LIEBIG DUO (los angeles)
Emily Hay is a flutist and vocalist specializing in avant garde, experimental and improvised music. She is known for her work with ensembles based on the 'left coast' of California, including Hay Fever, U Totem, Motor Totemist Guild, Go: Organic Orchestra, Otherparts, Jeff Kaiser Okodektet, Mooncake and many others. She has toured and performed throughout No. America and Europe and is a featured recording artist on Cuneiform Records, ReR Records, Dragnet Records, Public Eyesore, amongst others

Steuart Liebig
began his career performing as a bassist with Les McCann and Julius Hemphill, later founded the groups BLOC, Quartetto Stig and The Mentones and is known for his compositions and impressive discography, having performed and recorded with Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier, Anna Homler and an array of other well known Los Angeles experimental and jazz musicians.

Emily Hay and Steuart Liebig perform duo improvisations which incorporate mesmerizing soundscapes,primal wordplay, enigmatic drones, harsh grooves, soaring flute passages and impromptu tone poems.
FRI
HUMANFLUIDROT (pompano beach,FL)
Human fluid rot is a burst of sound wave manipulation caused by inner emotion and feeling from creator, Robert Wilson Brantley III. Described by many as harsh noise or experimental soundscape, Robert just puts it as inner-most-feelings and expressions through sound. Using various pieces of hardware, Human Fluid Rot creates audibly colorful moods at intense volumes in what to him seems like a long period of time but in a matter of 3-7 minutes leaves he and his crowds mentally and audibly exhausted.
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INSTAGON (sacramento)
(...a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...)
INSTAGON was founded in chaos theory during 1993, and has for 23 years now continued on with sonic exploration with that chaos. Never the same experience for the band as well as the audience, always changing, never stable, but all under the conceptual direction of LOB, it's founder... .
Instagon has appeared at ALL previous Norcal Noisefest happenings
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J3M5 (calabasas)
[Circuit Bent/Hardware Set]
A multi disciplinary artist whose set up combines circuit bent and modified devices with outboard effects. Stylistically drifting between noise, glitch and dubtronica in a structure-less exploration of texture and rhythm. This amalgamation emphasizes analogue low-end atmospheres, abrasive mangled circuit mid-ranges and dark synth tone accompaniment. The mix approach takes an "Octopus" style of effects and midi signal processing that adds play to the shifting structure. He has released splits and with artists such as Igor Amokian, s*i*n and GataTECH. His recordings can be found on labels Forever Escaping Boredom (Florida) and Ehsan Recordings (Singapore).
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KEVIN CORCORAN/JEN BOYD DUO (bay area)
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LIVER CANCER (rocklin/roseville)
BOBBY HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF +DOG+ SINCE THE MID 90'S AND TOOK HIS FRIEND GEORDAN TO THE NORCAL NOISE FEST '08. GEORDAN WAS INSPIRED AT THE LIMITLESS SOUND OF NOISE AND IN THEIR MINDS MADNESS, THEY JOINED FORCES AND THUS CREATED LIVER CANCER! ...TAKING HARSH POWER ELECTRONICS TO A VIOLENT ...E X T R E M E ! !
Liver Cancer is always a NF favorite !


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LORDS OF OUTLAND (san francisco)
Collette McCaslin - trumpet, no-input pedal electronics
Philip Everett - drums, percussion, electronic autoharp
Ray Schaeffer - electric basses
Rent Romus - alto, soprano, c-melody saxophones, voice, electronics, toys

"Romus' fiery romp is a no-holds barred exposition. He slices through steel with accuracy and ease, equating to a jovial soundscape, scraped with intensifying solos and Everett's colorific cymbals hits. They galvanize your neural system from start to finish, while projecting a take no prisoners approach throughout." - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz

Saxophonist, composer Rent Romus started the Lords of Outland in 1994 a collective of like-minded musicians focusing on exploring improvisation, melody, noise, and sound art while acknowledging their jazz, rock, and blues roots. The group has developed original music ranging from unhinged free improvisation to thematic compositional suites inspired by abstract and socio-political poetry, science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

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MASTER MORYA (sacramento)
In the Ascended Master Teachings Morya is considered one of the "Ascended Masters," also known as the "Chohan of the First Ray". H. P. Blavatsky originated the belief, professing that Morya and Master Koot Hoomi were her guides in establishing the Theosophical Society. Blavatsky also wrote that Masters Morya and Koot Hoomi belonged to a group of highly developed humans known as the Great White Brotherhood. Master Morya is working on an album and plays shows in the Northern California area.
This will be Master Moryas 4th NF appearance in as many years.
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MEDICINE CABINET (tracy)
Medicine Cabinet is an ongoing electronic music project from Tracy, CA resident Marc Schneider. The project started in the mid 90's with nothing more than the now famous Roland 303 Groovebox and a heavy delayed microphone. Marc has been active in the Northern and Southern California noise scenes since 2006. True to Marc’s fascination with the history of the genre, Medicine Cabinet shows are typically noise or noise drone based improvisations using analog synths and circuit bent devices.
This will be Marc's 10th NF in a row.
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MICROWAVE WINDOWS (sacramento)
"MiCrOwAvE WinDowS" Experimental Minimalist Sound Art and Noise project which initiated in 1995 (Bay area California). Fascinated by mere sound itself. MW has been recording Experimental music, collage pieces, field recordings and performing frequently and infrequently since inception. MW has recorded self released material in several formats has been featured on various collections and has performed many times in various cities at concerts and Festivals in the North America and overseas, as well as on Radio and Television. MW collaborates often with various experimental artists and artists from other genres as well. In addition MW is involved in several side projects constantly recording new material ranging in arrived styles and forms. For over 20 years Microwave Windows has lived in underground obscurity and also in the public at various times collaborating with many artists, performing live frequently and infrequently releasing self produced diy material and pieces in cohabitation with other artists. A nomadic art project as a whole, MW has traveled far and wide for two decades and continues to perform and create and be a major supporter of experimental music and noise to this current day.
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MIND ARBOR (eugene,OR)
Mind Arbor blends dark industrial sounds with samples and effects to sculpt abstract soundscapes. It is a synth driven projects that transports the listener to deep and distant grottoes of suppressed memories
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MULVA MYASIS (portland,OR)
Mulva Myasis twiddles with her home made analog feedback oscillators. Squelching chirping circuitscapes packaged in little tin boxes. She has one release out on Love Earth Music entitled Mulva Myasis Introduces Her Friends. She is always building more friends so she never gets lonely.
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MYSTERIOUS MUTILATIONS (sacramento)
Born out of the Nor. Cal. underground metal scene, Mysterious Mutilations is a dark, edgy duo consisting of Adam Russell and Aaron Smith. Their first live show was at the Colony earlier this year 2/11/16 and also appeared on a 3 way split entitled PLEASURES OV PAIN
by collude noise cult.
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NOISEPSALM (camino)
In April of 2008 Noisepsalm was created by Matthew Lewis as an outlet for mixing sound art and electronics with melody and traditional instruments for the sole purpose of musical experimentation. He has now had the pleasure of working with over 30 like-minded artists around the globe, often bringing in new musicians/sound artists for unique live performances.
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PAROUSIA (south sacramento)
Arrian Delabahan (Parousia) was born and raised in San Francisco. He moved to Sacramento in 1989 when he was a senior in high school. He has been playing classical guitar, metal (death metal, and thrash), since 1987. The first exposure to noise came about as a result of listening to Neurosis, and their side project, Tribes of Neurot in the 90's. Dissonant sound was something that cuaght his ear's attention way back when he first heard VoiVod's releases: Killing Technology, Dimension Hatrus, and Nothingface in the late 80's and early 90's. Godflesh is a big influence also, along with Brighter Death Now.
Arrian (Parousia) went to college for fine arts, and does oil painting, drawing, and tattooing. Aside from creating just noise, Arrian would like to create noise that will accompany paintings and drawings he creates. He uses his guitar set up in conjuction with his noise set up together. His goal is to create sounds that intertwine with each other. The same intertwining of sounds one would hear when listening to a Bach fugue.
This year will be Parousia's 3rd NF appearance


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PHOG MASHEEEN (joshua tree)
Phog masheeen is a sound art/video collective from Joshua Tree, California that focuses on using aerophones and electronics for performance. Audio portions are accompanied by live mixed video by William Almas.

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PULSATING CYST (los angeles)
Pulsating Cyst crawls from the murky depths of the La Brea tar pits to emit toxic fumes and low frequency oscillations. The man behind this project may have been time traveller or the victim of a failed military experiment when a hole in time was ripped open using radio frequencies and a space time delay that sent him adrift in a sea of astral video projections. When Pulsating Cyst lands again BEWARE!
The Pulsating Cyst has appeared at portals mostly in Los Angeles and San Francisco although the man behind the project has transported all over the USA, a few portals in Canada and a squat in Paris. It appears that the Cyst has dragged many pieces of gear with him through the portals during his time travel stops in various decades including a tube based Analamp and other pieces of analog and digital auditory distortion devices.
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FLETCHER PRATT (oakland)
Fletcher Pratt is a Canadian experimental composer/musician currently living in Oakland, CA pursuing an MFA in Electronic Music at Mills College. His music includes use of modular synthesizer, tape and various other instruments. He has been involved in various projects including Solar Coffin, KkrakK!!and most recently, collaborations with Sharkiface and Headboggle. He runs a cassette label called Midori Records.
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AMY REED (sacramento)
Amy Reed is a guitarist and painter from Sacramento, she is the founder of Ma Series a project focused on women in creative music.

"Ms Reed... makes use of extended techniques, found objects in particular, to evoke alternating brightness and darkness. Often, her style results in two related voices simultaneously jangling, or one sustained while the other speaks. Her tone is usually clean, but she turns up the distortion toward the end of this single track for a more aggressive, yet still thoughtful, finale.” Avant Music News

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SRC (sacramento)
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SHARKIFACE (oakland)
Sharkiface is an Oakland CA based soundscape artist who weaves field recordings, samples, tape manipulation and vocal incantations to bridge the gap between the spiritual world and day to day existence. She’s been an active member of the lush Bay Area experimental and New Music scene for the last 16 years and is the founder of Life Changing Ministries, a noise and experimental only venue housed in a former church in West Oakland.
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SKRUNT SKRUNT (Edmonton,CANADA)
SkruntSkrunt presents a mad scientist approach to noise. SkruntSkrunt offers a unique and varied combination of audio and visuals. From harsh noises to ambient, SkruntSkrunt explores the soundscape of the modern desktop, the auditory aspects of bodies and gravity, and the interaction of physical simulation and granular synthesis. SkruntSkrunt is a long-running project of Edmonton, Canada-based Abram Hindle who leverages a wide range of custom software and stolen software ranging from office applications, physics sims, video-games and custom-built user interfaces, in order to produce jarring synthesis. SkruntSkrunt has been a regular act at the former Victoria Noise Festival
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SKUNK PUPPET (long beach)
Skunk Puppet is the nom de guerre of Long Beach sound artist/curmudgeon Eric Strauss. His current works utilize a digital hybrid vocal tract to re-channel the atavistic voices that haunt his waking hours.
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MOE! STAIANO (oakland)
Moe! Staiano is an experimental composer, drummer, percussionist, songwriter and multi-instrumental performance artist who has been at the forefront of the Bay Area improvisation scene for over two decades. Moe!'s innovative solo percussion shows feature prepared drum kit, found objects, audio looping and the inventive use of a "percussion guitar" woven in with performance art, which always gets the audience involved and eagerly expectant of what might happen next.
He also fronts Surplus 1980, a post-punk band that continues the journey of no-wave musical exploration begun in his previous project, Mute Socialite. Surplus 1980's revolving slate of first-class Bay Area musicians complement Moe!'s bracing guitar and wry wordplay.
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MATT SWALCUP (davis)
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THE STOLEN ELK (sacramento)
The Stolen Elk is Matt Kretzmann. MK has been making strange sounds on purpose since 1995.
He has played at the Norcal Noisefest several times with the long running psychadelic Sacramento band Delayed Sleep. Stolen Elk is also part of a duo with Garrincha.
Visuals are important to sound. If they are not provided, they must be created or imagined.

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THIRTEEN HURTS (florence,OR)
Thirteen Hurts is an experimental noise project that utilizes modified guitar pedals, handmade sound source devices and synthesizers to create an ever-evolving harsh noise soundscape. The earliest experimental recordings occurred in 1977, with sporadic experimental output burbling beneath the surface of efforts to create "normal" music. Years of performing and recording within the Rock and Progressive genres, it was not until 1999 and the formation of subcutaneous studios that the first full recording of experimental music took place, with exclusive usage of a Serge Modular. The following years led to soundtrack work for two independent films but was soon followed by years of dormancy which eventually led to the development of the Thirteen Hurts/13Hz concept and new recordings with live performances. Heavily influenced by decades of intense music and sounds, the live shows focus on a wide-ranging performance giving the audience an extensive sampling of what the sound of Thirteen Hurts represents. This will be the 5th appearance of Thirteen Hurts at the Norcal Noisefest.
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UBERKUNST (sacramento)
UBERKUNST was first created in 1995 when the NIAD (Noise Instrument Analog Device) was first used to interface humans with machines, allowing each to comprehend the suffering of the other. UBERKUNST engaged in multiple dangerous and outrageous battles with hideous transdimensional beings and the enemies of structure and order, often misconstrued as "noise performances," until 2007 when their efforts to scare the Elder Gods to the other side of the cosmos left them so depleted that they had to be stored in cryogenic healing chambers. They can only be released from their chambers for 10-15 minutes a year, both to ensure their future survival when needed to carry out NIAD's will, but also to protect audiences from the deadly toxic radiation that the band emits after prolonged exposure to the horrors of the cosmos.
Uberkunst has appeared at ALL previous Norcal Noisefests
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LELAND VANDERMEULEN (sacramento)
Sacramento-based guitarist Leland Vandermeulen seeks to push the capabilities of the electric guitar to its absolute limit, crafting psychedelic rhythmic noise soundscapes coupled with searing, undulating solos.
Vandermeulen uses and abuses the guitar and a looping pedal in such a manner to emulate the sounds of a full-accompaniment band, resulting in massive walls of sound that contain everything from lo-fi ambience and spaghetti western-esque tones to fuzzed-out dream pop riffs and harsh industrial textures.
Currently at work on a debut album shooting for a Fall 2016 release date, this year marks Vandermeulen's first performance at Norcal Noisefest.
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VANKMEN (oakland)
speedcore/noise/chaos from 2 brothers, located in OAKLAND, CA. Active members of the 5lowershop sound system in the bay area, they have performed at numerous shows along the west coast, bringing their frenzy live hardware sound whenever the speaker stacks allow.
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XOME (sacramento)
Xome is a harsh noise music project conceived and operated by Bob Scott. Xome first started experimenting with dissonant forms of music in 1989 but the first organized live performance in Tokyo in 1994 marks the true activation of the project. Now based in Sacramento, CA, Xome has evolved into a highly refined and extremely harsh noise music unit by means of improvised manipulation of sound generating and processing equipment.
2016 will mark Xome's 17th NF appearance....in a row!
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