++O+

++0+ live

@ 5:30 PM Saturday, September 11th

at the electro-music festival

smit:

Well, "that thing over there" seems to be some sort of improvisational/electronica thingy.  It is comprised of pseudo guitars in altered states along with a myriad of electronic percussion gizmo's, and when successful in its goal of spontaneous composition, sometimes within a world beat context, or not, one would be hard pressed to know who is doing what, even when one is standing right in front of them, which of course would put the listener somewhere over there, as well. 

 

meltzer:

++0+ is like eating a tofu dog: not much taste but good for you.

arlington:

++O+ is NOT a pancake mix nor is it shell-fish despite the fact that some of us are crabby.  What ++O+ is to me is an outlet for three very talented musicians and myself to create comprovisions (composition + improvisation + vision? )  that could not be realized elsewhere.  Hopefully someday we will find a home for said comprovisions and live happily ever after.

leaman:

it will breathe as it is

 

that:

1. used to imply mere contradistinction;
2. used to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time, remark, etc., as pointed out or present, mentioned before, supposed to be understood, or by way of emphasis;
3. used elliptically to introduce an exclamation expressing desire, a wish, surprise, indignation, or other strong feeling;

 

thing:

1. some entity, object, or creature that is not or cannot be specifically designated or precisely described;
2. a material object without life or consciousness;
3. an inanimate object; a living being or creature;
4. a fact, circumstance, or state of affairs;
5. a peculiar attitude or feeling, either positive or negative, toward something;
6. something signified or represented, as distinguished from a word, symbol, or idea representing it;
7. anything that is or may become an object of thought: an action, deed, event, or performance. 

 

over:

1. so as to rest on or cover;
2. on or upon, so as to cause an apparent change in one's mood, attitude;
3. here and there on or in; about;
4. above and to the other side of;
5. through all parts of; all through;
6. from one side to the other of; to the other side of;
7. reaching higher than, so as to submerge;
8. throughout the duration of;
9. in excess of;
10. in preference to;
11. in repetition or succession;
12. until after the end of;
13. while engaged in or occupied with;
14. so as to displace from an upright position;
15. across or beyond the edge or rim;
16. throughout or beyond a period of time;
17. a shot that strikes or bursts beyond the target.

 

there:

1. at that point in an action, speech;
2. used by way of calling attention to something or someone;
3. that state or condition;
4. into or to that place.
5. in or at that place where you are.

smit

smit has played in various situations, many of which have gone by the wayside, but all have influenced him in some form or fashion.  Notables would include his own ensemble Monkeyworks, recently augmented by ++o+, fellow guitarist nut-job Peter Biedermann, SwampMonkey, a combination of members from Swampadelica and Monkeyworks doing deconstructed covers and constructed originals, and then there's Felt, a garage fresh assortment of fellows whom allow Smit to do that fake, but convincing (hopefully), pedal steel thing, or just blast off into the nether world of psychedelia.  Recent recordings include live improvised sessions with Monkeyworks along with ++o+, Chris Koch and Teeter Gray, BrazzTree, Sun Palace, and My Brightest Diamond.

meltzer

meltzer studied ethnomusicology at Goddard College in Vermont with mentor Dennis Murphy, an eccentric jack of all trades and Wesleyan graduate. Dennis built one of a handful of Gamelan's in the nation at Goddard and it truly inspired me to gravitate towards a world music sensibility. I've always been interested in jazz so I studied part time at the now defunct Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY under the tutelage of vibeist Karl Berger. I met and played with Dave Holland, Don Cherry, Nana Vasconcelos, and Ed Blackwell, among others. One of my first big shows was as an opener for Larry Coryell with ECM recording artist the Everyman Band.  It was not a pretty show.  When my good friend Pete Beidermann's son passed away unexpectedly several years ago, I inherited his Roland Handsonic. Needless to say it has changed my head and launched me knee deep into electronics; albeit, with some trepidation. I enjoy the hands on approach to playing as opposed to reading manuals. That's why Mr. and Mrs. Leaman had Barry.

arlington

arlington has played with Tom Burns, SwivelHead, Spoon Feeding the Masses, Einsteins Music Fair and countless other marsupials.

leaman

leaman spent has had his ear on a speaker since the art of noise came through his plastic shack radio, tuning in static and pops and clicks and thumps until he found and then dove headfirst, smiling, into electronica. rave. the repetitive beat led him to be a (rather unsuccessful) dj named puppy who spun belgian and german minimalist ambient and tecno. a miracle accordion repairman blessed him with a roland tr808 and he realized that he could make this thing called music, so he bought 12 guitar pedals and started reinventing the song that never sleeps. another miracle gave him salisbury, bertaccini and agelasto in a band that could not be named, but could consider the hum of a speaker a song.as radiate sky,he became a man made entirely of audio cords and instruction manuals and things that need electricity to make sounds. he misses improvising at the underpass and the dancing goat, where he found the people that make that thing over there, and so here we are. he is not a musician, he is a fingerpainter with audio weapons. he really doesn't care what key you're in, just so long as you understand it wouldn't matter if he knew anyway.

smit:

Klein guitar; spruce body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard, rosewood pick guard (nice!), with Seymour Duncan Pick-ups; '59 PAF (neck), single coil Alnico (center), JB Humbucker (bridge), and Trans Trem tremolo system (must they call it a system).  PowerTone amp with with 2 old stock black plate big bottle RCA 6L6 power tubes, two line outs to drive rack stuff, and a separate cabinet containing a California Weber Speaker (all hand built by Jeff Feola-awesome).  And, when Smit is feeling more pure, a Martin D-28 acoustic guitar (no pick-up!).

Pedals: Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah, TC Electronic Compressor/Sustainer (pedal steel in a box), Zvex Fuzz Factory (a skronk machine!), Moogerfooger Ring Modulator, Boss FV100 volume pedal, Barber Electronics Tone Pump, SIB Vari Drive w 12ax7 Mullard tube (aptly renamed The Destruct-o-Pedal), all powered by a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2.  Pedal Boards by Ultimate Cases (sturdy but effing heavy). 

Rack stuff: TC Electronic Fireworx, and D-Two Delay, Eventide Eclipse (The Orgasm-a-tron), an Oberheim, and Gibson Digital Echoplex for stereo loops, Lexicon MPX 1, Custom Audio Electronics Mini Mixer.  All of the rack stuff passes through a Hafler Mosfet Power Amp into two Mesa Boogie cabinets, one with an EV 12" speaker, and the other a Celestion 12" speaker (I kinda blew up the first Celestion).

 

meltzer:

Roland Handsonic HPD-15, Korg KP3, Green Line 6, Filter Queen when it behaves.

 

arlington:

Crap I use right now.... in order......Di Pinto Belvedere Deluxe, semi-hollow mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard & vintage twang humbuckers into... Z Vex Box of Rock, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff, MXR Distortion III, Z Vex Fuzz Factory, Mid-Fi Electronics Glitch Computer, Digitech EX-7 Expression Factory, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Electro harmonix Frequency Analyzer, Electro Harmonix Flanger Hoax, Pigtronix Echoloution, Electro Harmonix Harmonic Octave Generator, Roger Linn Adrenalinn III, Boss RE-20 Space Echo, MXR Carbon Copy, Boss DD-7 Delay, Hardwire DL-8 Delay/Looper, Mid-Fi Electronix Pitch Pirate, Akai E2 Head Rush, Line 6 Filter Modeler, Boss Gigi Delay, EH-Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai, Boss Sl-20 Slicer,  T. C. Electronics G Major, Lexicon Jamman with 32 second upgrade into 2 Fender Super Champ Amps.  Various tunings, strings are excited by ballons, toys, small electric fans, chop sticks, allagator clips, metal balls, string. felt, screwdrivers, pencils, paper coffee cups, whatever I feel like at any given time.  Please note I have a serious GAS problem and this list tends to change often.

leaman:

korg kp3, kp2, electribe emx, electribe sampler : roland sh32, ef303, sl-20, vp70 : moog moogerfooger, freqbox : alesis air synth, air fx, akira : line 6 m13 : electric m'bira : mackie mixer : casio sk1, mt40 : circuit bent Buddha machine, harmonica, kazoo : fatman stereo tube amp : 2 roland kc350’s : 2 fender kbr 200’s : various noisy things… oh, and i tap meltzer’s midi signal and audio, which is what gives my sounds motion.