perFORMer ?

Here are some links and info on my current/previous projects in music (mostly drumming) or other stage-worthy activities.

In the process of compiling this list, I see a (possibly related) trends of steadily  increasing creative control, and exponentially decreasing number of  live performances.

solo work  (ongoing)

  • usually under name “less“
  • ongoing
  • whatever electronic gear I can get away with, with or without drums.

Though I have stretches of creative inactivity, I have no plans (nor means) of disbanding with myself.

 

Collaborations w/ Paul Howerton

During the 2021-2022 years of the Pandemic Lockdown, I started a remote-recording collaboration w/ prolific multi-instrumentalist/recording-engineer Paul Howerton. I’d originally met Paul in 2002/3, when I was returning from Oberlin College for summers in Tulsa. Paul was instrumental in the JoyLuckFightClub project of that time, capturing our live shows on video and eventually recording co our “demo” on 8-track tape.

In 2021, Paul and I started meeting on Zoom, kicking around synth/sampler/sound-design ideas. We soon arrived at the practice of “Braiding” in a DAW; limiting ourselves to 3 tracks, adding partially-overlapping segments to the exposed “end,” always growing the sound-scape timeline blindly forward.

This “concept/flow jamming” proved an inspiring exercise for generating ideas, but editing and mixing the results proved less fun. The projected ended in late 2022, and Paul released the compiled Braided Sound project on his BandCamp in 2023.

Thanks P.

 

 

FmReader – 2018 ~ Present

Studio-only (for now) project bringing together Chris from DrawN and Dan from PowerLoader/Wormrider. My main compose-by-recording exercise, based in remote collaboration on cloud-synced DAW sessions

  • acoustic and electronic drums
  • vocals
  • keyboards
  • electronics samples and synthesis
  • rehearsal/demo recording
  • setup/maintenance of cloud-synced tools in Mac/PC resources.
  • training/standardization of DAW practices in Reaper, Logic, and StudioOne
  • principal production, tracking and editing for:

Rad Captive (2017-2018)

started as a math-rock-y jams, then we got a “front man”, and devolved into a mix of sludge and punk.

  • drums
  • vocals
  • rehearsal/demo recording

Played two shows. Disbanded amicably after too many cooks wrote (or remembered) too many riffs with too little agreement about not enough things written down or rehearsed consistently.

 

DrawN / 2016

Electronically-decorated guitar/piano pop project led by singer/songwriter Chris Panico. Recruited to play drums, I helped accelerate and focus songwriting and arrangement efforts in my burgeoning home studio.

  • drums
  • background vocals
  • demo recording

Played one show.  Disbanded amicably when Nick (synth bass) left abruptly to go do something about videos.

No, we don’t have any videos of this band performing.

PowerLoader 2013~2014, 2020

A studio-only experiment where the drummer and keyboard player from Wormrider continued making music and trying to write and “sing”.  Noisy pop-industrial proof-of-concept, inspired by Skinny Puppy and Richie Havens.

Played no shows. Never will.
Project’s initial thrust of writing/rehearsal with machines led to Salvage, then collapsed amicably under the weight of creative inertia, inhumane humidity, and newborn children.
Project revived during 2020 COVID Pandemic as exercise in remote-collaboration for MicroDreams in HyperSleep.

Wormrider 2010~2012

epic, heavy, slow. Doom metal made even heavier with shrill synth and nerdy sci-fi cosmology. Featuring Dan (keys) and Eric (bass, vocals) from Philly prog-rockers Bear Is Driving, and Matt (guitar) from North Carolina hardcore legends Catharsis.

  • drums
  • triggers
  • vocals
  • production

Played a dozen concerts, opening for the likes of Woods of Ypres and White Mice.

Since bassist/vocalist/songwriter Eric Osheim has moved out of Philly, the project on indefinite hiatus; and the worm is never dead, only dormant.

music.for.headphones 2005~2009

This Philadelphia psych-rock project was my last work for my step-brother, singer/guitarist/producer Jonathan “Mono” Allen, with whom I’d been in a half-dozen bands with back in Tulsa, OK. Heavy, lush rock influenced by My Bloody Valentine, SpaceMan 3, PortisHead, and more.
My contributions include:

  • acoustic drums
  • electronic drums / triggers
  • drum machine
  • sampling, synthesis, sound design
  • backup vocals
  • production assistance.

A varied mixture of psychedelic rock…

…and noise freakouts…

Played dozens of shows, sharing stage with Peter Kember (Sonic Boom, SpaceMan 3),

After years as the mainstay drummer, I left amicably to finish grad school.

With creative/familial estrangement before/after the death and of our shared parent, prospects for future collaboration seem infinitesimal and remote.

 

theJoyLuckFightClub 2002-4

…tba..

 

Self-Test 2001-2

…tba…

 

Both Heads Failed 2000-3

…tba…

 

Pipsqueak 1999-2000

…tba…

 

The Wax Dolls 1996-98

Of the many projects with my step-brother Jonathan Allen/Zang (“Jonathan Mono”) through our shared middle/high school growth, The Wax Dolls was the most productive and prolific. Jonathan (who’d been playing guitar since before becoming my step-brother) encouraged me to pick up drums, our jams led to songs which led to learning to record. As our taste/chops/songwriting/recording/demoing matured, out last band together Wax Dolls captured the peak of our growth from riot-grrl punk, across surf, towards psychedlic rock.

Johnathan hosts the Wax Dolls collected recordings on his bandcamp.

All songs written/recorded by J. Allen, except #11~14, recorded by Martin Halstead at his Tulsa studio.

I returned to a period of collaboration w/ Jonahtan when he moved to Philadelphia in 2006, leading to formation and tenure of drumming/recording/writing/singing with Jonathan’s MusicForHeadphones banner.