Saturday, March 28, 2015
experimental electronic music and video by Gyre
photograph by Howard Hsu
Gyre is an experimental electronics trio in Seattle, formed by Michael Shannon, David Stanford, and Carl Lierman in January of 2012.
Gyre incorporate a wide cross-section of analog and digital electronics. Discrete circuits are created between these elements that, while they can sustain sonic form, are not always stable. Sounds are generated entirely with oscillators, internal and external feedback circuits, simple sound generators, microphone captures, and digital processing.
To date, Gyre have performed live in several extremes including the Seattle Center's World's Fair 50th Anniversary series "Unexpected Arts".
The trio's work is informed by the concept of the gyre, the conical helix or spiral of atmospheric phenomena, and the ideas explored by W.B Yeats. Yeats' vision of the gyre described it as cycles of creation and disintegration that he used to analyze a variety of subjects from human consciousness to historical patterns.
Performers (alphabetical):
Carl Lierman Self taught visual artist and sound composer. Co-founder of FotoCircle Gallery in downtown Seattle in the 90's, and a member of Eye Music. His work has been heard in Iancu Dumitrescu's 1st Annual Computer Music Festival in Bucharest, and the Center on Contemporary Art's "People Doing Strange Things With Electricity Too".
Michael Shannon Sound/recording artist, musician, photographer, and performer of experimental media, based in Seattle. He began performing in the punk clubs of San Francisco in the late 1970's evolving performance and sound designs through various venues and media, specializing in the use of a variety of string instruments from Asia, percussion, sound objects, and electronics. In San Francisco, he began Joy Street Studios, the name for all of his sound art productions and his studio in 1983, to the present. First releases of audio works in the form of cassettes began in 1987, followed by an LP 'Laguz' on Anomalous Records and CDs on various labels around the world. Presently a member of Seattle-based performing groups Gyre, Eye Music, Echore, Aono Jikken Ensemble, Animist Orchestra, Broken Mask (Bay Area). Past San Francisco bands: Appliances, Kahunas, KuKuKu, Earnerve, Joyo, Lethal Gospel.
David Stanford First instrument was saxophone. Began theory lessons, piano lessons, and self- instruction on guitar several years later. Graduated Cornish College of the Arts (B.M., 2000). Has played with Gamelan Pacifica, Seattle City Gamelan, animist orchestra, and has collaborated with a number of different choreographers and video artists. Current focus is on playing natural objects, amplification/electronics, and (when access permits) prepared piano.
Gyre ~ Live at Bemis Arts from Gyre on Vimeo.
photograph by Howard Hsu