Turbulence
Frontal Zones
Excerpt From Liner Notes by PEK
“… Everyone on the set is a solid Evil Clown regular with many performances at Evil Clown Headquarters in their CVs. Besides being accomplished improvisers, the horn players are all comfortable with the auxiliary instruments (mostly percussion, electroacoustic and electronic) which are permanently set up in the space. When most of the ensemble is making frequent instrument changes over the length of the work, the sonority is under constant transformation – the resulting sequence of movements comprises the form of the work…”
Turbulence – Frontal Zones
Turbulence – Frontal Zones
Evil Clown Headquarters, Waltham MA – 7 June 2026
1) Frontal Zones – 1:10:29
2) Dimensional Transition Area – 5:12
PEK – clarinet, albert bass, contralto & contrabass clarinets, alto & tenor saxophones, piccolo oboe, English horn, bass tromboon, shenai, goat horn, 5 hole Russian flute, Christmas flute, hose-o-phone, triple slide whistle, slide whistle, melodica, sheng, game calls, brontosaurus & tank bells, 17 string bass, [d]ronin, moog subsequent, novation peak, Linnstrument controllers, ms-20, lfo violin, syntrx, theremin with moogerfooger, glockenspiel, crotales, gongs, plate gong, wood & temple blocks, log drums, cow bells, xylophone, balafon, Englephone, danmo, triangle chimes, Tibetan bowls chimes, Captain’s bell, orchestral chimes, castanets & anvils, almglocken, clown horn, rubber chicken
John Fugarino – trumpets, flugelhorn, trombone, French horn, melodica, ocarina, Christmas flute, gongs, triangle chimes, xylophone, balafon, ratchet, array mbira, almglocken, Tibetan bowls, bells & chimes, elephant bell, talking drum, log drums, wood & temple blocks, cow bells, chimes, brontosaurus & tank bells, orchestral castanets, Nord Stage 3, moog subsequent, novation peak, Linnstrument controllers, noise tower, lfo violin, spring & chime rod boxes, crank siren
Eric Dahlman – pocket trumpet, overtone voice, almglocken, chimes, brontosaurus bell, Nord Stage 3, prophet, moog subsequent, novation peak, Linnstrument controllers, gongs, Tibetan bowls, clown horns
Duane Reed – double belled euphonium, overtone voice, wind siren, slide whistle, Tibetan bell, nord stage 3, moog subsequent, novation peak, Linnstrument controllers, noise tower, Englephone, orchestral chimes
Scott Samenfeld – electric upright bass, EWI
Michael Knoblach – Indian festival drum, frame drum, ocean drum, Tibetan bowls, almglocken, elephant bell, devil chasers, orchestral castanets, guiro, seed pod rattle, wah tube, plastic toy
Joel Simches – Live to 2-track recording, real-time signal processing
Full Video
Video Shorties
Turbulence – Frontal Zones
Liner Notes by PEK
I formed Turbulence in 2015 as I started to assemble players for the Leap of Faith Orchestra. Turbulence, the extended horn section for the Orchestra (along with guests on other instruments), also records and performs as an independent unit. As if this writing in 2026, we have recorded over 65 albums on Evil Clown with greatly varied ensembles. All the smaller Evil Clown Ensembles are really more about a general approach, rather than a specific set of musicians. A session gets credited to Turbulence when it is mostly horn players and the only musician on all of them is me. The sessions range from an early duet with Steve Norton and me (Vortex Generation Mechanisms) to a 5-horn band with bass and two percussionists (Encryption Schemes) to four albums by the side project Turbulence Doom Choir which feature myself, multiple tubas, percussion, electronics, and signal processing and many other configurations. More recently, the Turbulence Orchestra and Sub-Units project has been performing twice a year in Brattleboro VT.
One of the most common configurations for a Turbulence session is some number of horn players (typically at least 3), bass and drums. I credit a performance to Turbulence Orchestra when the ensemble size is 8 or more. Frontal Zones was originally planned as a Turbulence Orchestra set, but as often happens, the lineup changed some as the date approached and we landed on sextet (4 horn, bass & percussion) which gets credited to Turbulence.
Everyone on the set is a solid Evil Clown regular with many performances at Evil Clown Headquarters in their CVs. Besides being accomplished improvisers, the horn players are all comfortable with the auxiliary instruments (mostly percussion, electroacoustic and electronic) which are permanently set up in the space. When most of the ensemble is making frequent instrument changes over the length of the work, the sonority is under constant transformation – the resulting sequence of movements comprises the form of the work.
Anyway, I like this set, and I bet you will too.
PEK 6/11/2026
Paul Brennan Photos
and Video Screen Grabs
