Come hear experimental compositions by Icelandic composer Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson. His music will be performed by the USA Clangers, a quartet of Liz Meredith, Shayna Dunkelmann, Jonathan Pfeffer, and Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson. His compositions have a very fresh sound, a strong identity, and they involve a lot of input from the performers themselves.

Bao Nguyen, who recently released their new album th​ă​ng & gi​á​ng (chuy​ể​n đ​ộ​ng II) | ascent & descent recorded in Vietnam and Baltimore, brings surprising new experiments to the Red Room as the opening act. Bao is known for experimental vocals and unpredictably incorporating unexpected sound objects.

Doors will open at 8:30pm. Show will start at 9:00pm.

– – –

The USA Clangers is a motley crew of  21st century sound outsiders/media scavengers cherry-picked by Icelandic composer Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson to realize his gentle alien outsider Low Tech/High Life chamber music for all sentient beings. Playfully pitched between chaos and control, the primordial and the undiscovered, Gunnarsson’s ill-at-ease ambience is built around a singular approach to rhythm that maintains the slippery sense of “everything is about to fall apart yet we all find a way to move as one undulating organism.” The USA Clangers read from animated scores that scroll on laptop and tablet screens, but use prepared and found percussion, classical guitar, viola, recorders, toys, and household objects. The group’s name references a late 1960s British children’s TV series in which soup dragons and knitted aliens try to find peace on a hollow planet. RIYL Harry Partch, The Shadow Ring, Fat Worm of Error.

Here’s a taste!

– – –

In addition to Guðmundur they are:

Jonathan Pfeffer writes, organizes, makes music, draws, solves and creates problems. His interests right now explore small everyday acts of defiance and subtle comedies of error as responses to the anonymizing influence of the built world on collective ritual and individual identity. His hope is always to document unique experiences of time and space. He lives in Philadelphia, PA.

– – –

Liz Meredith is a violist, improviser and composer from Baltimore, MD. Her music explores intersections between acoustic chamber music, instrumental improvisation, electro-acoustic composition, and ambient music. She has performed at rock clubs, D.I.Y. spaces, art galleries, chamber music venues, music festivals, and academic conferences throughout the United States.

– – –

Shayna Dunkelman is known for her versatile and unique percussion techniques, and use of electronics to access a sonic pallet not found in acoustic percussion. In addition to solo performances, Dunkelman tours with the Puerto Rican band Balún, multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells, electro-acoustic duo Peptalk, Pakistani singer and author Ali Sethi, and her percussion duo Nomon with her sister Nava Dunkelman. Dunkelman became increasingly active in the alternative music scene as a member of the band Xiu Xiu, touring the world for 6 years.

– – –

gudmundursteinn.net

the USA Clangers

– – –

Bao Nguyen is an experimental vocalist and performance artist born in Vietnam and based in Baltimore. Threading together melodic singing, extended vocal techniques and somatic movement, they create soundscapes that contemplate Vietnamese oral traditions, playful improvisation and creative mediumship. More about their work: https://baonguyen.bandcamp.com

Event location: