Perturbations
Intractable Problems
Excerpt From Liner Notes by PEK
“…The combination of strong deeply connected improvisors with deep broad palette doubling and Joel’s perturbations resulted in an extraordinary improvisation. There is a bit more space than usual, and a lot of very interesting sounds from the auxiliary instruments. With Joel at the controls of the signal processing, we essentially have real-time decision making as a performance unit, and we get the full-time attention of a master engineer on the electronic Perturbations of the instrumental expressions…”
Perturbations
Evil Clown Headquarters – Waltham MA
4 March 2025
- Heuristic Solutions – 6:01
- Intractable Problems – 1:09:34
PEK – clarinet, contralto & contrabass clarinets, sopranino, alto & tenor saxophones, glissophone, piccolo oboe, English horn, Indian double flute, accordion, sheng, melodica, ms-20, syntrx, prophet, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, lfo violin, gravichord, daxophone, noise tower, theremin with moogerfooger, [d]ronin, 17 string bass, psaltry, spring & chime rod boxes, Englephone, danmo, crotales, glockenspiel, gongs, plate gong, brontosaurus & tank bells, cow bells, orchestral chimes & anvils, chimes, almglocken, temple & wood blocks, log drums, balafon, xylophone, Tibetan bells & bowls, flex-a-tones, crank siren, cuica
Michael Caglianone – soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, flute, melodica, slide whistle, psaltry, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, log drums, cow bells, wood & temple blocks, chimes, brontosaurus & tank bells, orchestral anvils, almglocjen, balafon, xylophone, noise tower, gravichord, seed pod rattles, clown hammer
John Fugarino – trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, French horn, melodica, ocarina, nord stage 3, prophet, ms-20, novation peak, moog subsequent, Linnstrument controllers, gravichord, noise tower, wood & temple blocks, guiro, spring & chime rod boxes, array mbira, psaltry, gongs, crotales, glockenspiel, rattles, bells, seed pod rattles, Tibetan bowls, orchestral anvils
Joel Simches – Live to 2-track recording, perturbations (Korg DD550, TC Helicon, TC Electronic M300, VoiceLivePlay, Alesis WEDGE, D-Seed II, echoplex, Lexicon MPX500 & vortex, Roland SDE3000, Sony DPS-07, Electrix warpfactory)
Full Video
Video Shorties
Liner Notes by PEK
Every once in a while, a new Evil Clown Project emerges. Mostly, the new ensembles are based on a small core group and a basic aesthetic problem which we solve in performance. For example, Turbulence is the band with mostly horn players, but the ensemble makeup is different each performance.
Perturbations is the newest Evil Clown Ensemble. The core unit is PEK and Joel Simches… Joel is the Evil Clown house engineer who comes to nearly all the recording sessions at Evil Clown Headquarters. Some of the bands (for example, Metal Chaos Ensemble and Simulacrum) feature Joel’s real time signal processing in addition to his role as the recording engineer. Now that the Studio has been updated with new equipment (board and effects) Joel’s Perturbation options have increased and improved.
To help feature Joel’s electronic manipulations, we keep the instrumental unit to no more than 3 players. This set, Intractable Problems, is the ninth Perturbation Set, and the third to feature three of our strongest horn players, me (reeds), Michael Caglianone (reeds), and John Fugarino (brass), while the other 6 Perturbation sets have all had different lineups drawn from the Evil Clown Roster. All three of us also double the percussion, electronics, electro-acoustic and other instruments from the studio. The broad palate concept works best when all the players change instruments frequently through the performance, creating a steady flow of transformations across sonorities over the duration.
The combination of strong deeply connected improvisors with deep broad palette doubling and Joel’s perturbations resulted in an extraordinary improvisation. There is a bit more space than usual, and a lot of very interesting sounds from the auxiliary instruments. With Joel at the controls of the signal processing, we essentially have real-time decision making as a performance unit, and we get the full-time attention of a master engineer on the electronic Perturbations of the instrumental expressions. I really like this combination of live playing with over-the top signal processing. Now having addressed this particular aesthetic problem 9 times, I can see that this will be an ongoing Evil Clown project with at least several LIVESTREAM’s per year.
I really like this performance, and I bet you will too!! Check it out…
PEK, 3/5/2025
Paul Brennan Photos
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