Metal Chaos Ensemble
Narration Performances
A Great Python Spews Venomous Kerosene Upon the World
Excerpt From Liner Notes by PEK
“…Each session at Evil Clown Headquarters poses an aesthetic problem for the ensemble to solve which is: How to structure a concert length improvisation with the particular section through the Evil Clown resources available to that set…“
A Great Python Spews
Venomous Kerosene Upon the World:
Metal Chaos Ensemble
Evil Clown Headquarters – Waltham MA – 2 November 2023
1) A Great Python Spits Venomous Kerosene Upon the World – 1:10:10
2) Conflagration – 5:14
PEK – clarinet, contralto & contrabass clarinets, alto, tenor & bass saxophones, tarota, melodica, [d]ronin, 17 string bass, Tibetan bells and chimes, theremin with moogerfooger, LFO synth, gongs, plate gong, almglocken, crotales, glockenspiel, orchestral chimes, prophet, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, syntrx, ms-20, recitation
Michael Caglianone – soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, flute, melodica, hulusi, array mbira, spring & chime rod boxes, xylophone, balafon, orchestral anvils, almglocken
Bob Moores – space trumpet, electric guitar with effects, MacBook Pro with 61-key keyboard using MainStage, MacBook Proc with 25-key keyboard using miniMoog D emulator, Korg Monotron Duo mini-synth, Synth-A-Sette mini-synth, nord stage 3
Eric Woods – analog synthesis, nord stage 3
Steve Niemitz – drums
Joel Simches – real time signal processing and live to 2-track mix
Full Video
Video Shorties
Liner Notes by PEK
Metal Chaos Ensemble was formed in early 2015 by PEK and Yuri Zbitnov as a working project to explore chaotic rhythms on metallic instruments. I had started to amass the Evil Clown Arsenal of percussion, electronic and wind instruments and we needed a workshop to develop this universe of sounds for the Leap of Faith Orchestra. It was immediately obvious that Metal Chaos Ensemble had a sound to itself and over the last eight years has been one of the most prolific Evil Clown ensembles. We have produced over 50 albums covering a wide range of sonority sets, but always with the presence of gongs, chimes, glockenspiel, Tibetan bowls and many other metallic sounds and the horns of PEK.
More recently, MCE has been a recurring sextet unit with most of the sessions having exactly the same six performers. With drums and electric bass and electronics, this unit contains the most rock elements of any of the Evil Clown ensembles. Since Yuri retired from Evil Clown, drummer Steve Niemitz has been holding down the drum chair. He drives into Boston from Western Mass, so we don’t do quite as many sets as we did back in the day, but it tends to make them a bit special.
Each session at Evil Clown Headquarters poses an aesthetic problem for the ensemble to solve which is: How to structure a concert length improvisation with the particular section through the Evil Clown Resources available to that set. Consequently, we are easily able to continue with a performance despite possible surprises… For A Great Python Spits Venomous Kerosene Upon the World, Mike Gruen was not able to make it, so we just rolled with it and performed as a quintet. Mike was missed, but the performance is simply a solution to a slightly different section through the Evil Clown Universe of Sounds. Without the bass, the overall character of the piece is a bit different from usual MCE set, but here at ECH it ain’t no thang…
I’m super happy with this album and I bet you like it too…
PEK – 11/3/2023
Video Screen Grabs
