Experimental Sound Studio

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Experimental Sound Studio

ESS is a non-profit, artist-run organization focused on sound in all its exploratory cultural manifes November is Membership Month!
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Join at https://ess.org/donate. Experimental Sound Studio is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to artistic evolution and the creative exploration of sound. As an international hub for sonic experimentation, ESS nurtures artists, heralds new works, and builds a broad, supportive community of makers, enthusiasts, and creative partners through preservation, production, presentation, and education.

11/02/2024

What. A. Year! From November 4-8, ESS staff is taking an organization-wide Digital Break Week. After a very full year and with a full year coming up, we're taking a moment to connect with one another offline. We hope you'll take some time during the intensity of this week as well! Perhaps we'll see you in person out in the world, otherwise, we'll see you back in your device the week of November 11😊

11/01/2024

Paul Hertz presents new visual, audio, and intermedia works created with his new free, libre open source software library for Processing, PixelAudio. PixelAudio maps arrays of audio samples onto arrays of pixel values and allows you to play with both interchangeably. You can turn audio into images and images into audio, process both audio and images with FFT-based filters, and draw onto images to trigger audio events. The opening will include prints created with PixelAudio, musical performances, and a presentation on PixelAudio features. At a later date, Paul will present a hands-on workshop for people interested in using PixelAudio for live performance, animation, and audio generation.

Saturday, November 9
Doors: 6PM
Performance: 7PM
Experimental Sound Studio

https://buff.ly/3C5MOWe

10/29/2024

Join ESS for 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴, featuring the Eli Winter Ensemble at Bond Chapel this Sunday, November 3rd at 8pm.

Eli Winter is a writer, composer, and self-taught guitarist based in Chicago. Reaching across technical styles and musical idioms, Winter has developed a practice rooted in listening and collaboration, drawing inspiration from luminaries like fellow Houstonian Pauline Oliveros, his compatriots across Chicago’s jazz scene and beyond, and a host of guitar heroes. In his evolving work Ghost Notes, Winter explores new compositional methods, collaging and sculpting a bank of samples reaching back across years of recordings created with friends and fellow travelers, from studios to living rooms. This ensemble performance in Bond Chapel assembles a group of musicians who appeared on the original recordings, playing through the new works live as compositions for the first time and taking them as launchpads for further improvisation.

Eli Winter - electric guitar and piano
Tyler Damon - drums
Gerrit Hatcher - tenor saxophone
Andrew Scott Young - upright bass
David Sexton - violin, bowed guitars
Sam Wagster - pedal steel guitar

Co-presented by the Renaissance Society and Experimental Sound Studio.

Free, advance registration is encouraged.

📸 Eli Winter, Photo: Ricardo Adame

https://buff.ly/3UnH5Bl

10/28/2024

ATTENTION CHICAGO MUSICIANS: 5 days left to apply for a retirement matching grant from Golden Egg! Golden Egg is an artist-led initiative strengthening financial security for Chicago’s freelance musicians. Applications close at 11:59 PM on November 1, 2024.

Applications take less than 15 minutes and are open to all Chicago musicians between the ages of 20-65 whose individual adjusted gross income is less than $80k. More information and application are available at goldeneggchicago.org.

ESS is proud to be a lead institutional partner for this initiative, which aligns with our core value that the artist is the center of the creative process—in order to support artists, we need to take care of the WHOLE artist, including their financial security. We believe that through collaboration, we can find pathways that actually serve our community. Applying in this pilot year is the first step!

https://buff.ly/4dZej0M

10/19/2024

🏡🛍️📦📱💻🎮📷📚🧸🖨️📺🔌💸🔖⚡️
TOMORROW!!! TOMORROW!!! TOMORROW!!!
🏡🛍️📦📱💻🎮📷📚🧸🖨️📺🔌💸🔖⚡️

10/14/2024

Explore the synthesis of code, sound and moving images in this multimedia presentation and demo with Lisa Glenn Armstrong. The group will discuss historical as well as contemporary contexts for conjuring moving images with sound. Lisa will share her research and how she’s been customizing the Critter & Guitari EYESY synth patches with some light programming in Python.

There will be time after the session to connect with the panelists and each other. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Patchbent Sessions are a meeting place and learning community for women, trans, and non-binary people. Each session features a workshop in sound technology presented by local teaching sound artists.

At this time, Patchbent Sessions are open only to women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive participants in an effort to encourage equity in sound and audio spaces. All levels welcome, no experience necessary.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Doors: 6 PM
Workshop: 6:30 PM
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave
Pay-what-you-can

https://buff.ly/3Y9tL4q

10/11/2024

The fourth ESS Creative Audio Archive Mixtape comes from Lily Finnegan. Please enjoy her selections and full mix on the ESS soundcloud page

From Lily...

"Somehow the ESS archive manages to cover a big portion of my musical background. My music foundation is rooted in punk, rock, jazz and funk, largely due to my parents. Most of the archive covers alternative and underground music from the 1980’s and 1990’s, some which my parents were fans of (partially explaining why I feel so connected). This was some of the first music I ever heard. “Dry” by PJ Harvey was one of the first CD’s my dad gave me when I was around 10. Nirvana is a major reason I started playing drums at age 12. At the end of middle school, I checked out “Jazz In Silhouette” by Sun Ra from the library. As a family, we attended Bill Frissell concerts. I’v spent hours playing along to James Brown My mind was blown when I heard Minutemen in high school, emphasizing my love for funky punk. Soon after, I also discovered Sonny Sharrock and Milford Graves. Moving to Chicago I met my ultimate hero Hamid Drake and now get to play in a band with Ken Vandermark. All these artists and more are included on this mix, sharing a special place in my heart.

I believe it’s important to follow the art that makes you FEEL something. All this music has clearly done so for me. It’s become a reason to keep going in this apocalyptic world because beauty still exists, which will fortunately never go away. Forward momentum creates a desire to keep creating, an energy I try to tap into every day. If I can trust my passions, turn ons, and community, maybe some things will be alright. Nothing interesting fits neatly in a box. Once I realized I didn’t have to chose between seemingly contrasting categories, I felt more free. And maybe there are more common threads then different between everything I like. For one, cool art doesn’t give a f**k about achieving some socially accepted marker of “success”. Do what you want, and some people will connect to that genuineness. All these artist represent that to the highest degree."

The CAA Mixtape Series is supported by the Reva and David Logan Foundation

10/08/2024

This Thursday join ESS, 21c Museum Hotel Chicago, and artist Yanira Castro / a canary torsi for Art as Civic Ritual, a Long-Table discussion. We begin the evening by listening to the audio work "Exorcism = Liberation" before moving into a participatory, non-hierarchical conversation for, with, and among the public about art making as a ritual for civic work. Featured guests Tonika Lewis Johnson, Faheem Majeed, Bindu Poroor, and Gibran Villalobos join the conversation to thicken and galvanize our dialogue.

Art as Civic Ritual: A Long Table Discussion
Saturday, October 10, 6-7:30 PM
21c Museum Hotel Chicago, 55 E. Ontario
FREE

Art as Civic Ritual is presented as part of “Exorcism = Liberation”, a public art project by Puerto Rican-born, Brooklyn-based artist Yanira Castro / a canary torsi that investigates our relationship to land, self-determination, migration, and climate disaster. For more information and to listen to all the audio works, visit exorcism-liberation.net

https://bit.ly/4813VUR

10/08/2024

Discover the power of code as a creative tool in this immersive workshop focused on sound synthesis and processing with SuperCollider. This workshop will focus on real-time audio synthesis, creative signal processing techniques, and how to harness algorithms to sculpt unique, evolving sound environments. Whether you're an experimental musician, sound designer, or tech-savvy artist, you'll leave with fresh skills to apply in your projects. Don't forget to bring your laptop with SuperCollider installed—let's make some noise!

There will be time after the session to connect with the panelists and each other. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Patchbent Sessions are a meeting place and learning community for women, trans, and non-binary people. Each session features a workshop in sound technology presented by local teaching sound artists.

At this time, Patchbent Sessions and Soft Noise Skillshare are open only to women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive participants in an effort to encourage equity in sound and audio spaces. All levels welcome, no experience necessary.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 6 PM
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave

https://ess.org/esscalendar/patchbentsessions1016-nc4sg

09/30/2024

Presented in partnership with Soft Noise Skillshare. Xadie James will explore their set up using triggers or contact microphones attached to drums. They will go through a step-by-step process of how to set up triggers using a Digital Audio Workstation, using anything you can attach to a microphone to make an instrument or play back found sounds. Using some sample libraries, the group will have the opportunity to use the trigger setup as a group and create some improvised music.

There will be time after the session to connect with the panelists and each other. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Patchbent Sessions are a meeting place and learning community for women, trans, and non-binary people. Each session features a workshop in sound technology presented by local teaching sound artists.

At this time, Patchbent Sessions and Soft Noise Skillshare are open only to women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive participants in an effort to encourage equity in sound and audio spaces. All levels welcome, no experience necessary.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 6 PM
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave

https://ess.org/esscalendar/patchbentsessions1009-r6gka

09/27/2024

The iconic event is back! Experimental Garage Sale returns to ESS Sunday, October 20 from noon-6pm.

Join us for a garage sale of epic proportions featuring synthesizers, DIY and boutique noisemakers, records, vintage A/V equipment, refreshments, performances and camaraderie galore. More details coming soon.

There’s still room for more vendors, sign up with the link below!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYnP-vZo7Hr-7cO4hxD28i87yQ1H8m7_C27lVMcqP4sg7OBg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Sunday, October 20, 2024
12-6 PM
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave

09/24/2024

The synth show at ESS earlier this month featured 3 incredible sets by Bakantez, Dalibor Cruz, and Onur Zlobnicki. For those who couldn't make it in-person, the 3 full sets are now available on ESS's Youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBxbddARljQ8KPtGgM6hImqIMytCn3YdI

09/20/2024

Wednesday, October 2, join us for a panel discussion on multichannel sound work with Gabi Kinlock, Kim Nucci, Regina Martinez, and Beth Bradfish, moderated by ESS engineer Kate In. Panelists will discuss artistic and technological decisions and techniques that factor into making multichannel works, featuring examples from sound systems in and outside of Chicago.

There will be time after the session to connect with the panelists and each other. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Patchbent Sessions are a meeting place and learning community for women, trans, and non-binary people. Each session features a workshop in sound technology presented by local teaching sound artists.

At this time, Patchbent Sessions are open only to women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive participants in an effort to encourage equity in sound and audio spaces. All levels welcome, no experience necessary. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by clicking the button above.

Wednesdays in October 6-8 PM
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave
Pay-what-you-can

https://ess.org/esscalendar/patchbentsessions1002

09/18/2024

This Sunday is the opening of “The World Doubles in Size”, a new sound installation by Macie Stewart located in the Fern Room of the Lincoln Park Conservatory.
Please join us at 2:00pm for a special performance featuring Macie and Lia Kohl. They will play an acoustic set of music leading into the playback of the audio installation.

On View: Sunday 2pm, September 22, 2024 - Sunday, November 24, 2024
Exhibition hours: open daily, 10am – 5pm
Fern Room at Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago
Free admission with reservation

“Following a summer spent in Chicago, “The World Doubles in Size” is a piece compiled of field recordings taken all around the city- documenting a summer spent at home. The sounds of the Chicago river, summer storms, conversations, cicadas, violin, and voice, are all featured throughout the piece in varying levels of processing. This bed of recordings creates a soundscape in which nature and the sounds of the city can be improvised alongside- a collaborator that is always present. Loosely inspired by the Mary Oliver poem, “Hurricane”, from the compilation, “A Thousand Mornings”, the piece plays with comparing the shifting of the seasons with the ever evolving nature of the self.

This piece is dedicated to Gladys [The fish in the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room pond].”

“The World Doubles in Size” was commissioned by Experimental Sound Studio for the Florasonic sound installation series, a partnership with the Chicago Park District. The 2024-2025 Florasonic season is supported by Cliff Dwellers Foundation and the Paul M. Angell Family foundation. ESS programs & services are made possible through the generosity of our members and donors. Major support is provided by the DEW Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Walder Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Ga***rd & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, New Music USA, and The Alice M. Ditson Fund.

Any guest for the opening reception will be expected to register as a visitor either in advance or upon arrival to the Conservatory

09/16/2024

Come along with us on Thursday for a behind-the-scenes at Noisefloor led by Stosh T. (Ad and Film Mixer/Sound Designer), Katie W. (Foley Artist), and Victoria S. (Ad and Film Mixer/Sound Designer)!

Says producer Travis Spicer, "This team is really the go-to for anything out-of-the-ordinary that comes through Noisefloor. They range from video game sound design, horror film sfx and foley, to recently mixing a narrative podcast in spatial, which is super dope."

This tour—and many others throughout the year—is available to ESS Studio Group members. To join visit ess.org/studio-group

Pictures from Noisefloor

09/06/2024

Eli Winter Ensemble
Sun, Nov 3, 2024
8pm
Bond Chapel 1025 E 58th St, Chicago, IL

Eli Winter is a writer, composer, and self-taught guitarist based in Chicago. Reaching across technical styles and musical idioms, Winter has developed a practice rooted in listening and collaboration, drawing inspiration from luminaries like fellow Houstonian Pauline Oliveros, his compatriots across Chicago’s jazz scene and beyond, and a host of guitar heroes. In his evolving work Ghost Notes, Winter explores new compositional methods, collaging and sculpting a bank of samples reaching back across years of recordings created with friends and fellow travelers, from studios to living rooms. This ensemble performance in Bond Chapel assembles a group of musicians who appeared on the original recordings, playing through the new works live as compositions for the first time and taking them as launchpads for further improvisation.

Presented in partnership with The Renaissance Society.

https://ess.org/esscalendar/eliwinterensemble2024

09/04/2024

Applications are officially open for the pilot round of Golden Egg's retirement matching grants!

Golden Egg is an artist-led initiative rooted in the belief that every artist deserves the right to age in good health, retire if they choose to, and work how they want throughout their entire life. ESS is proud to be the fiscal sponsor and lead organizational partner for this necessary work.

In 2024, Golden Egg is giving away $50,000 in retirement matching grants to Chicago musicians!

The application is simple, it should only take about 15 minutes or less to apply! You can find all of the grant and application info, as well as a complete transparency statement, at the link in our bio or at goldeneggchicago.org. Please apply and share this opportunity with any professional musicians you know!

Please follow for more information.

The pilot phase is supported in part by an Arts Recovery Grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

08/30/2024

On view beginning Sunday, September 22nd - "The World Doubles in Size" by Macie Stewart.

“Following a summer spent in Chicago, “The World Doubles in Size” is a piece compiled of field recordings taken all around the city- documenting a summer spent at home. The sounds of the Chicago river, summer storms, conversations, cicadas, violin, and voice, are all featured throughout the piece in varying levels of processing. This bed of recordings creates a soundscape in which nature and the sounds of the city can be improvised alongside- a collaborator that is always present. Loosely inspired by the Mary Oliver poem, “Hurricane”, from the compilation, “A Thousand Mornings”, the piece plays with comparing the shifting of the seasons with the ever evolving nature of the self.

This piece is dedicated to Gladys [The fish in the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room pond].”

— Macie Stewart

On View: Sunday, September 22, 2024 - Sunday, December 29, 2024
Exhibition hours: open daily, 9am – 5pm
Fern Room at Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago
Free admission with reservation

“The World Doubles in Size” was commissioned by Experimental Sound Studio for the Florasonic sound installation series, a partnership with the Chicago Park District.

https://ess.org/esscalendar/florasonic-maciestewart24

Address

5925 N Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, IL
60660

Telephone

+17739981069

Website

http://ess.org/

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Videos

Here's a beautiful Sun Ra reel that we pulled off the CAA shelf today. Please enjoy a bite of this deliciously crunchy nugget ... Space I. T. P. SR-R170_CAM_02-09-73.wav

🎺⚡️🪐🔭 In collaboration with International Anthem’s streaming release of “Rob Mazurek, Exploding Star Orchestra - Live at the Adler Planetarium” we are psyched to be releasing video from the live performance on our YouTube channel! Masterfully directed & edited by Brian Ashby and presented in glorious 4k!!! (Link to the video and album in our bio) 🎺⚡️🪐🔭 @intlanthem @esschicago @androidlovecry @bjashby @adlerplanet

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Computer Campaign! We met our goal $25, $50, $100 at a time, proving once again that ESS is a by the community, for the community endeavor. 💛

OPTION: Brandon Seabrook - July 14, 2024

Option: FLUTTER (Fay Victor, Nicole Mitchell, Devon Gates) - July 7, 2024

Option: Nick Dunston - June 30, 2024 Nick Dunston performs “banjer,“ an experimental electro-acoustic solo project that seeks to explore alternative approaches and contexts to the banjo. 🪕

Earlier this month ESS hosted an open jam session where musicians were invited to come and jam along to recordings from the Creative Audio Archive. The session was led by Lily Finnegan, James Wetzel, Erez Dessel, and Tyler Wagner. Here's a short clip from that jam session. Make sure you don't miss the next one!

Jake Meginsky - Option: June 23, 2024

A clip from Dorothy Carlos’ performance at the Option series on June 16. We will be releasing the full videos from the entire series later this fall.

We’re trying something new! This Friday, July 12th, we’re hosting a CAA Archive Listening Party & Jam session in our studio from 7-10 PM. Chicago musicians Lily Finnegan, Erez Dessel, Tyler Wagner, and James Wetzel will cue up some special selections from the archives and shortly thereafter kick off a jam session in response to the material. This event is open to the public—musicians, listeners, fans, please come along for the ride. If you play music, bring your instrument and hop in the mix! Refreshments will be provided. Afterwards a playlist of the CAA selections will be shared for your listening pleasure. Friday, July 12 7 PM - 10 PM Experimental Sound Studio 5925 N Ravenswood Ave This program is brought to you by the Reva and David Logan Foundation https://ess.org/esscalendar/caajamsession

You have until 5pm today to win prizes from LOM, Synth City, and Pitchfork Music Festival by supporting Chicago musicians as an ESS member (as little as $5/month). That's a win win! All active ESS members (even if you just joined at 4:45pm today!) have a chance to participate in the Annual ESS Scavenger Hunt (it's easy and fun) for a chance to win one of these prizes: - One 3-day general admission pass to Pitchfork Music Festival @pitchforkfest - $100 gift card to Rock & Roll Vintage/Synth City (Chicago, IL/online) @synthcitychicago - One of the SOLD OUT omnidirectional geophone DIY Kit from LOM @lom.label Link to join: https://bit.ly/4br0vuy

Come rain, come shine! This is your chance to look as cool as Jaap Blonk. ESS Bucket hats are available on our website! https://ess.org/store/limited-edition-bucket-hats