lots to talk about….

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Kittery, ME for a special performance as part of Sean Reardon’s Unique States series. This is an exciting opportunity to play in another section of New England with some great musicians.  Here’s the deal:

“*- UNIQUE STATES -* an event series which investigates the strategies of group dynamic with music and sound, composition and improvisation. Each event will feature three artists who have lived or are living in one of three states – Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts; each of the artists will represent one of these three states. With an initial list of over fifty artists willing to participate, a list randomizing program from random (dot) org was utilized to curate a triad of performers for each event. Each group prepares to perform by sharing contact information, and is encouraged to communicate in the time before their event to create a conceptual framework. *UNIQUE STATES* could be considered a platform for artists to exchange information together, interacting in a way they might not have otherwise, and possibly emerging with creative and innovative ideas.”

The show will consist of three solo sets: myself, id m theft able and Nat Baldwin.  We will then play as a trio. If you are in the area, come by and say hello!

Details: Unique States at BUOY – 2 Government St. Kittery, ME 03904.  Should get going around 8.

Bhob Rainey and I played our first set as a duo at the Outpost in Cambridge last week.  Thanks to all who came out on a cold night.  Bhob and I were most pleased and you’ll be hearing from us again.

The 2009 release schedule is getting a little bananas. So be it.

I’m happy to announce that my duo cd with NYC sound artist Richard Garet is out now on Unframed Recordings.  Details are coming together for a March release show in Brooklyn as I type, watch this space for information.

My new, self-titled/untitled solo cd on Students of Decay is heading into production.  The first 100 copies are being offered with a bonus cdr for a special price.  The bonus is a live recording from the Swedenborg Chapel in Cambridge, MA last year called “The Cold Piano”.  Also out on Students of Decay in the coming months is a rethink of some soundtrack music I did a few years ago for the film Human Heart Explodes.  The cdr is called “Exploding Heart Mixes” and is an expansion of some of the cues I developed along with string players Vic Rawlings, Mike Bullock and Katt Hernandez.  I’m pleased that this music is seeing the light of day.

There’s lots of other stuff in the works.  I shouldn’t talk about it too much.

As mentioned previously, I will be making my first trip to the West Coast in April to be part of the Activating The Medium festival in San Francisco. Tony Conrad will headline the bill and  I’ll be collaborating with film maker Paul Clipson on what is shaping up to be an exciting piece for sound and video.

I’ll be in SF/Oakland for a few days.  It will be all about record shopping, burritos and omokase.  Pretty psyched.

Speaking of SF, Jefre-Cantu Ledesma had me do some Q and A for his great Root Blog recently. Check it out.

As always, get in touch if you like.  See you soon.

sf april 09

from 23five:

“2009 promises to be another adventurous year of programming and releases for 23five, with two confirmed sets of recordings from Tarab and Jason Kahn. We are also in negotiations with SF Cinematheque to complete the programming for Activating The Medium with performances and screenings by Tony Conrad with a supporting performance between Brendan Murray and Paul Clipson. More details on all of these will be forthcoming.”

Exciting!

recent interview w/koonoklast

Andrew Bowman wrote recently to say hello and came up with some questions about Commonwealth and my plans for 2009.  Check it out.  Thanks Andrew!

http://koonoklast.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/interview-with-brendan-murray/

my favorite band from the 1980’s, forever and ever

I bought the reissue of “Drum” by Hugo Largo on cassette at Peaches Records in Altomonte Springs, FL.  I listened to it every day for two years.  I have very strong memories of seeing them on a special that VH1 broadcast about Brian Eno, who was responsible for the reissue of “Drum” and later issued “Mettle” on his Opal imprint.  This is not that paticular footage, but I really love it nonetheless.

I have no idea why I love this band so much.  There’s nothing else really like it.  There’s some performance art gestures happening that place it squarely in the time it was made, but I really don’t care.

When I was a kid and playing in a hardcore band and telling everyone how they should really listen to Sonic Youth or fIREHOSE, the truth was I would go home and sit in my room and listen to Hugo Largo.  I never told anyone to listen to them. They were “my” band.

tonight we smash

Ouest is playing the Smash Palace festival in Boston tonight.  There’s lots of information here:

http://www.smashpalace.org/

Tonight’s line up is:

11pm Bill Nace
10pm Moshimoshiiamthedecider
9pm Ouest
8pm Human Hairs

I encourage anyone local to the Boston area to take an evening (or two or three) and check this festival out.  I am also Dj’ing the Saturday Matinee.  Come by and say hello!

This is my last music performance of the year.  I’ve played more shows this year than any other.  I have no intention of slowing down next year.    I’ll be travelling to places I’ve never played before and am looking into some new (to me) opportunities to develop my work.

The new solo cd should be out at the beginning of the year, with many others planned for the following 18 months.

In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be taking part in the time-honored and somewhat futile task of creating a Top 10 (or so) list of recordings that I liked this year. I’d like to see your list too. Send it along!

b

November and News

Thanks to everyone for coming to see Mike Shiflet and I on our tour.  There’s some pictures I took on our trip here.

November is a busy month for shows as well.

November 14th 730-10pm
White Electric Coffee
711 Westminster Street.
Providence, RI

Area C
Brendan Murray
TBA

November 18th 9pm
The Middle East (Upstairs)
472 Mass Ave.
Cambridge MA

Lawrence Cook Disaster Unit
Thurston Moore / Bill Nace / Paul Flaherty (Ecstatic Peace)
Paper Summer
Work/Death

The rock band Paper Summer, in which I play drums/guitar, makes its last local appearance for awhile.  The next time you’ll see us, we’ll have out first record done.

November 19th 8pm
The Outpost
186 1/2 Hampshire St.
Cambridge, MA

Noell Dorsey – voice
James Coleman – theremin
Jules Vasylenko – saxophone

Brendan Murray-solo electronics

James is one of the reasons I play music.  This will be the first time I hear Jules and Noell.  Excited.

November 20th 6pm

Dartmouth College
The Way To Go Out
Spheris Gallery
59 South Main St
Hanover NH

Brendan Murray
and
various ensembles performing the music of Christian Wolff and John Cage

I’ll be playing a solo.  I was to play at Dartmouth in May, but had to cancel.  I am grateful that they were able to have me back.

November 22 8pm
Third Life Studio
Open Sound
33 Union Square, Somerville, MA

Ouest (Howard Stelzer, Brendan Murray, Jay Sullivan

Yael Bat-Shimon, violin
Karen Bray, performance artist/dancer

Third Life is the room where 90 percent of all Ouest music has happened.  We’ll be playing two extended sets of our music.  Get comfy.

I am pleased to announce that my fifth solo cd will be released by Students Of Decay in 2009.  This eponymous 6-track record was made in 2008 and is sourced from live shows, radio performances and studio work.  Unlike Commonwealth, this record is six shorter pieces of music employing melodies, instrumentation and various recording methods/fidelities. I know it’s a little weird to have a self-titled record, but I had to for this one. Hopefully you’ll hear why.  Look for it at the beginning of next year.

More soon…

MIKE SHIFLET AND BRENDAN MURRAY: SENTIMENTAL GENTLEMEN TOUR 2008

I am proud to announce the dates for the tour I am sharing with Mike Shiflet this October.  Mike has not played the East Coast solo in some time.  I am really excited for these performances and hope you can join us. Our first collaborative recording, “Come On And Feel Mike Shiflet and Brendan Murray” will be available at all the shows.
http://shiflet.gmby.net • • •  http://myspace.com/mshiflet
http://www.brendanmurray.com • • • http://www.myspace.com/bpmwondersnevercease

TUE 10.14.08 (Shiflet only)
2217 Wightman St.
Pittsburgh, PA
w/ Rick Gribenas, Tusk Lord, Hunted Creatures
early show. 6:30 PM start

WED 10.15.08
Supreme Trading
Brooklyn, NYC
8PM
http://www.supremetradingny.com/directions.html

THU 10.16.08
People’s Center
New Haven, CT
w/ Sickness & Heaven People
8PM

FRI 10.17.08
Circle of Hope
Philadelphia, PA
w/ Nagle/Lentini duo
1125 S. Broad Street
http://phillysoundforum.org/

SAT 10.18.08
The Charleston
Brooklyn, NYC
w/ Workbench, Miami Beach Bob Bellerue, CM * Chaos Majik
174 Bedford Ave. N. 7th, Brooklyn, NY 11211
8PM

SUN 10.19.08
Hampshire College Dining Commons
Amherst, MA
8:30 PM

More info as we get it.  See you at the shows!

Issue Project Room This Saturday

Hi!

I am playing at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn this weekend with two of my favorite artists.  We’ll play short solos and accompany each other with video (well, I won’t have anything to show video-wise, but Asher and Richard sure do) and then we will play a trio for the first time.  If you are in NYC, please come by and say hello!

The details:

asher thal-nir  + brendan murray + richard garet

Issue Project Room
The (OA) Can Factory
232 3rd Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
directions

8pm 10 dollars

This event will consist of a collaborative aural and visual live performance between Boston artists’ Asher Thal-Nir and Brendan Murray, and NYC artist Richard Garet. The show will range from combinations of solo, pair, and trio groups exploring the interconnected dialogue of improvised live sound and video performance.  The sound presence will focus on exploring different parameters affecting the listening experience by ranging from quadraphonic to the full spectrum of the ISSUE Project Room’s 15 channel speaker system. The sound can be expected to range from computer processing, micro-tonal, minimal drone, phonography, phenomena found by live-room-sampling, and self-generated sounds. The live moving image will vary from an optical-sensory-overload color field exploring light phenomena, to static and minimal recorded footage.

weekend war in overdrive

Two shows this weekend with the mighty Brown Wing Overdrive from Brooklyn, doing a mini-tour of the Northeast in advance of their new cd out on Tzadik in September.

Albany Sonic Arts Collective Presents:
Brown Wing Overdrive and Brendan Murray
Saturday, July 12, 2008

8:00pm
Upstate Artists Guild
247 Lark St.
Albany, NY

If ever there were a flyer that illustrated “the differences between Boston and New York”, that might be it.

Kidding, kidding.

Sunday July, 13 2008 8pm
Brown Wing Overdrive(NYC),
Neckhold(Australia)
Ouest (Howie Stelzer, Jay Sullivan, Brendan Murray)
Freida Abtan (Montreal)

791 Tremont Street (South End) off of Mass Ave. Piano Factory, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
Cost : $8

Hope to see you!

i got it

At last, my Chimeras Synthesis BC16 has arrived!  So far it’s totally fun and LOUD!