Jabon

Happy Solstice!

Jabon cause severe weather in Indy (see below)

Meanwhile at the Melody Inn….The Jabon Dancers

At 1223 am EDT… National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a
severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. This storm was located 9 miles northwest of Shelbyville…
moving southeast at 30 mph. Penny size hail may also accompany these damaging winds.

Pics from the Show

One more oddity from the Melody Inn

Accidentally caused a fire in the El (with my excess wizard power), hanging out with my partner in crime and a Nachtmystium Show… Let’s get this party started!

Chicago firefighters extinguished a track fire in the Red Line subway north of the Chicago Avenue station this afternoon, officials said. At least 19 people were taken to area hospitals, five of them seriously injured, a Fire Department spokesman said.

Five people were being taken to area hospitals in serious-to-critical condition; three were taken in fair-to-serious condition; and 11 were transported in fair-to-good condition, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

Day 1 – arrive in Chicago to the dismay of the Mayor. A “police” escort is un-welcomed. I will now “kick back” in the hotel.

June 21st – Melody Inn, Indianapolis, IN
w/some other comics
June 25th – 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
w/ Zola Jesus and Dada Trash Collage
June 26th – The Frequency, Madison, WI
w/ Zola Jesus and Dada Trash Collage
June 27th – Schuba’s, Chicago, IL
w/ Zola Jesus and Dada Trash Collage
July 1st – Sunset, Seattle, WA
w/Fuxa and This Blinding Light
July 2nd – Josephine, Seattle, WA
w/Fuxa and This Blinding Light

This is one of the most satisfying projects I’ve completed in a long time. I feel that this is truly a Jabon classic which ranks up there with As Fess from 1987. This tape is a collection of different musical styles and really hits home the left right concept of album production. The left right concept is simply to grab hold of the listener and get their attention, then give them a right hook, then a left hook, then an upper cut, maybe a stick in the eye. Anything to surprise and make the recording a interesting listen. Taking one by surprise and stretching most people musical boundaries is what I strive for. This tape has it. Everything from Gamelan to Metal to Improv to Experimental, it’s a roller coaster ride.

The most satisfying element of this session was writing 12-25-95 on the reel master. When I lived in LA, my friend Marty worked for Hollywood Sound Recorders. They were asking him to come in on Christmas Day. We were wondering who would be insane enough to work on Christmas…it was Rick Rubin doing some work on a new Slayer record. I wondered if I’d ever find myself working on Christmas…I did.

This is the tenth Jabon release and therefore the ten year anniversary. This project was somewhat a departure for them in that side one’s first cut is very long and is a sound sculpture which tells a story. This harkens back to the first two cassettes which used less rock styled songs and more sound sculpture. The story goes that Billy finds an ancient drum in the Japanese Martian Garden. He immediately feels a compelling alliance with this drum. This leads to a militaristic interest which is satisfied when he grows older by joining the militia. While in the militia, Billy recognizes a deep rooted disgust for most people on the planet. He is overjoyed when he finds himself in the Airborne division about to let loose untold destruction upon the Island of Lost Souls (ie Los Angeles) The carnage that follows is immense, but Billy does not come out unharmed. In fact his plane goes down and he is near death. He is taken to the hospital but he can not be saved. He dies in the end with a smile on his face. Knowing that he was part of the team of soldiers who successfully put an end to the Island of Lost Souls.

The other pieces on this tape are Jabonesque dance music. Certain dance music hot shot in L.A. have been quoted as saying “This stuff is pretty good…you should send it to Wax Trax”. It is interesting to note that a single DX7 was used on all these cuts and was not sequenced. All parts were played by hand to an initial drum machine track.

Digital release of this recording from 1986 in the vein of instrumental Black Flag, Chrome and Gone.

Continuing Jabon’s alliance with the Lingo Dance Company after the successfully executed “A Glimmer of Hope or Skin of Light”, Jabon performs “dead” again at On The Boards as part of the Northwest New Works Festival. There will be two performances on June 12th and 13th at 8pm. Also on the bill are:

The Offshore Project (Rainbow Fletcher & Ezra Dickinson) – Dance
Corrie Befort – Dance | Live Music
Laara Garcia/Pseudopod Interactive – Dance Theater