Sunday, November 02, 2008

Thomas Dimuzio

Thomas Dimuzio

Thomas Dimuzio is a composer, sound designer, experimental electronic musician and recording studio owner living in San Francisco, California. He's collaborated with a huge number of artists, including Wobbly, DJ Qbert, Negativland, Chris Cutler and Big City Orchestra. He has over a dozen solo releases on a variety of different labels. Check out his website HERE.

His website features a plethora of mp3s, including concert archives and entire albums, free for the taking. Check out Episode 131 for his creative reinterpretation of the classic track, "Stairway to Heaven." His version is titled "Yawriats Ot Nevaeh," and the title is a clue to what you might expect to hear. Trust me, it will really grow on you.

Without further ado, here's the SAR Q&A with Thomas Dimuzio...


*Name: Thomas Dimuzio

*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: I've worked in projects with artists such as Dan Burke/Illusion Of Safety, Joseph Hammer/Dimmer, Chris Cutler, Nick Didkovsky/Arte Saxophone Quartett, Negativland, Fred Frith, Chris Fitzpatrick/Poptastic, Wobbly, Matmos, Elliott Sharp, 5uu's, Due Process, ISIS, Scot Jenerik, as well as many others.

*Do you use a pseudonym? No, not usually, but Gench could apply.

*Members: Solo to whomever I may be collaborating with at the time. There have been many artists and groups that I have worked and performed with throughout the years. If I could provide a comprehensive and alphabetized list it would read something like: 5uu's, 99 cents, ...and Friends, Scott Arford, Art Bears, Arte Saxophone Quartett, Pippin Barnett, Emil Beaulieu, Big City Orchestra, Don Bolles, Bob Boster/Mr. Meridies, Bran(...)pos, Mitchell Brown, Dan Burke, Coma Virus, Peter Conheim, Tom Cora, Count Zero, Anla Courtis, Beth Custer, Andre Custodio, Chris Cutler, Leslie Dalaba, Dimmer, Due Process, Marcos Fernandes, Hans Fjellstad, Fred Frith, F-Space, Vance Galloway, Lance Grabmiller, Joseph Hammer, Mickey Hart, Paul Haslinger, Ed Hermann, Anna Homler, Mark Hosler, IBU600, Illusion Of Safety, Industrial Park, Instagon, ISIS, Michael Thomas Jackson, Catherine Jauniaux, Scot Jenerik, Don Joyce, Bevin Kelly/Blevin Blectum, Kiku Day, Jai Young Kim, Komoto Trio, Kreamy 'Lectric Santa, Kadet Kuhne, Jon Leidecker, Ron Lessard, TW Li, Matmos, Metalpause, Moe!kestra, Maria Moran, Chris Musgrave, David Lee Myers, Negativland, Brandon Nickell/Aemae, Michael Nine, Konoko Nishi, Yasuhiro Otani, Patronized Humoplasms, Tim Perkis, Poo Poo Shoe, Poptastic, Rick Potts, Garth Powell, David Prescott, Psychic TV/PTV3, DJ Q-bert, Radiosonde, Will Ragano, Don Ritter, Gino Robair, Sean Rooney, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Hahn Rowe, Saifir, Semiconductor, Elliott Sharp, Skeleton Crew, Solid Eye, Moe! Staiano, Sunny Cuba Ensemble, Atau Tanaka, Lon Mitchell Teller, The Chopping Channel, The Jet Black Hair People, The Resonance, David Therrien/Comfort Control Systems, Larry Thrasher, C.W. Vrtacek, Jon Wiggins, Wobbly, Xome, and Zipperspy.

*Founding Members: My parents.

*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: Digital tape manipulations & deconstructions.

*Another genre descriptor: Live sampling and digital musique concrete both come to mind, although I could probably use a better catch phrase. How about a sonic conduit? Except that what goes in doesn't necessarily come back out, but that could be construed as sonic constipation. So let's go with "Live Sampler.”

*Why you use this descriptor: I've been pioneering live sampling and looping for more than a decade and have evolved a real-time environment/musical instrument designed to bring the techniques of musique concrete and live composition to the stage. I find it liberating to have such a vast palette and powerful instrument to draw upon for live performance.

*Location: I live in San Francisco.

*Original Location: I was living in Boston when my first release came out on Generations Unlimited in 1987. I relocated to San Francisco in 1996.

*What is your creative/artistic background: I'm a composer, musician, and improviser working with sound, noise, and music. I'm primarily self-taught as a musician and technologist. I am also a mastering engineer at my own Gench Studios.

*History: I started writing music and creating works at an early age and was in various rock, comedy, prog, sound art, thrash, and industrial projects from 1979 through 1985. My first formal solo release was in 1987, so it's been more than 20 years for me now as a solo artist.

*Born: I was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1965.

*Motivations: Playing live and tapping into the power of the music is one of the greatest experiences that I know. Composing in the studio can be as equally rewarding, but just as gut-wrenching at the same time. Working with sound and noise in a musical context is what I enjoy best and the music itself is the driving force behind my work.

*Philosophy: To create compelling listening experiences (sonic excursions, visceral vibrations, aural contortions, macrophonics/microphonics, nether realms, disparate juxtapositions, ambient immersions, the almighty drone, systems damage). Tapping into the power of the sound.

*How would you like to be remembered: Good music is timeless, but the digital medium is fragile and fleeting. Will the music even outlive the medium? With that said, I'd be happy with just a Wikipedia entry.

*Web address:
Thomas Dimuzio - http://www.thomasdimuzio.com
Gench Music - http://www.gench.com

Link

www.some-assembly-required.net

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