Ambient psychedelic rockers Spectrum are set to release wave after wave of tunes in 2008. The adventure begins in February with an LP titled Spectrum meets Cpt. Memphis – Indian Givers. This record documents the unique collaboration between Spectrum (Peter Kember/Sonic Boom and friends) and record producer/piano player Jim Dickinson! This album ^ will be released in addition to the highly anticipated new Spectrum album, also due in ‘08, plus an EP that will precede the LP. whew! ([More →])

Our favorite psychedelic space-rockers – Spectrum – are currently weaving across the Northern US on their way to V Festival in Toronto. If you heard Sonic Boom on his tour earlier this year, you may have been left with an appetite for a full Spectrum experience. Boom played a handful of songs from the Spectrum archives during his sets, and now we can hear them in proper stereo. Spectrum just played two shows in NYC over the weekend and Tuesday night they were in Cambridge Mass. After that, it’s on to Philly, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Then in September, they hit Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and a lot of midwest in bewtween. And of course, Portland, SF and LA will get their turn before the band travels through the south, finishing up the tour at the Wall of Sound Festival in Fort Worth, Texas. ([More →])

I did it! I finally headed over to youtube and created a channel for HearingTest! Now i will be able to post videos here immediately!

On that note, let’s get to the Sonic Boom show review!

The digs – Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, April 8th, 2007.

An absolutely lovely night in SF, already starting to hint at the warmth of summer, with the soothing moisture in the air that is ever-present from the nearby beaches. My mates and i filled our bellies at the late-night diner just up the hill from Hemlock Tavern, because you can’t get fries and root beer floats at the bars here.

There were 2 bands that played before Sonic Boom :
Stevenson Ranch Davidians
LSD and the Search for God

Even when I was at the show I couldn’t figure out which was which, so we’ll skip that part. They were both fun to listen to live, and both were at the mercy of the person doing sound who seemed to have no idea how one was supposed to run sound. When one singer asked through the mic for the monitors to be turned up, they got no response, and no action. So, they had to wonder if it sounded right. In front of the stage, where the audience was, it sounded great. To the side of the stage and on stage, it sounded weird. Luckily, the crowd thought it sounded great. Note to sound tech people – take your earplugs out once in awhile to gauge how it sounds, especially when changing the volume on different things! This person did not, and consequently kept turning up the volume on a microphone that was picking up the cymbals. To the audience, it was way too loud and shrill, yet they kept turning it up….

OK! On to the good stuff! Mr. Sonic Boom played an absolutely wonderful set! He had crazy old digital electronic instruments, like a Yamaha synthesizer, a Dr. BOSS Sampler (which he never used the sequencer of, he triggered each sample by hand as he needed it!), an Electribe (i think it was the sampler version, I don’t think he used the sequencer on this one either!) and some strange little box marked Casio that made drum rhythms akin to old organ percussion beats! You know, samba, foxtrot, rock…. For some reason, i expect this type of gear to make crazy techno or noise or dub or similar. SB made gorgeous ethereal music that was delicate even as it expanded to fill the room. The one man show consisted of songs that he has played in the bands he has been part of previously, mostly Spectrum music. You can hear little bits of the songs in the videos.

As much as I love Hemlock Tavern, and will keep going there because they host many of my favorite musicians, they really need to work on their ventilation. Every show I have ever seen there, I ended up out in the alley trying to cool off and get fresh air. Even with the big door open in the back of the room, it is impossible to stay in the throng of people pressing as close to the stage as possible because it just gets too sweaty hot. And it’s only April now. In July, it is much worse. Some people theorize that this is part of the rock and roll experience, but that’s dumb. I have never enjoyed a show less just because it was comfortable. Just read my review of ISIS at Bimbo’s 365 Club for proof. But don’t get me wrong, Hemlock is still one of the best venues to see music – the stage is only a little bit elevated from the floor, so you can get in real close (which is how i can read itty bitty type on plastic boxes of obscure electronic devices), the sound is usually good, the drinks are proper, and the staff is so dang nice.

Here are the videos, with the slideshow from last week repeated at the end of this post :

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ_WbJ8YPzU]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35AWEpHjShA]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mINTesKP4sY]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Ymp4SzAyA]

Sonic Boom is also the purveyor of a fantastic website, so make sure you check it out : http://www.sonic-boom.info/

So, this is actually just another tease…. I was lucky enough to see the wonderful performance by Sonic Boom in SF this month. Sonic Boom is the genius behind the aural experimentations known as E.A.R. and he is also the voice and half the music of Spectrum AND he is one of the Spacemen3. Busy Boy. Well, he is touring the US and has shows in the UK as i earlier posted about. The show at the Hemlock Tavern was fantastic! i will do my best to write a proper report about it this week. i will definitely have a series of 1-2 minute videos with sound to post up here very soon. i haven’t posted movies yet, so i might have to figure out how to do that within wordpress. Maybe it’s time to start a youtubular account…. ([More →])

Hurray!!! Finally, EAR, Experimental Audio Research, is touring!! Not too many chances to catch his far out experimentalism, only a handful of US dates spanning April, and only 2 in London, but better than nothing which is all we have heard from EAR lately!
EAR was created by an experimental electronic scientist, Peter Kember, aka Sonic Boom, who may be more well known for his participation in surf guitar rock band, Spaceman 3, and psychedelic spaced out guitar rock band, Spectrum. There seems to be no limit to the scope and direction of the experimentations. he is notorious for his use of mulitple speak and spells as instruments and found sound recordings. i own an album which consists of nothing but recordings and simulations of daily noises, starting with the time of dinosaurs, and progressing to the modern experience. For further and deeper descriptions of this project, please read the bio on Sonic Boom’s website.

It gets better, the April 15th London performance will have EAR opening for Cluster! The April 30th London performance will also present a performance by Bert Jansch! Cluster, formed in the 70’s, is one of Germany’s pioneer experimental electronica bands. Cluster has collaborated with experimental krautrock band, Neu! and Brian Eno. These days, Cluster play mostly ambient electronic krautrock, and as far as i know, they have not toured since 1997. Bert Jansch is the founding member of Pentangle and won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for his work in folk music. The Scotsman has worked with Neil Young, Johnny Marr, and Jimmy Page, among others.

According to Sonic Boom’s website, here are the dates and places :

1 APRIL 2007, NYC, NY

E.A.R., REBEL NYC
2 APRIL 2007, PHILADELPHIA, PA

E.A.R., JOHNNY BRENDA’S
3 APRIL 2007, CLEVELAND, OH

E.A.R., BEACHLAND TAVERN
4 APRIL 2007, CHICAGO, IL

E.A.R., LAKESHORE THEATRE
5 APRIL 2007, AUSTIN, TX

E.A.R., EMO’S
8 APRIL 2007, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

E.A.R., HEMLOCK TAVERN
9 APRIL 2007, HOLLYWOOD, CA

E.A.R., SAFARI SAM’S
10 APRIL 2007, SACRAMENTO, CA

E.A.R., BLUE LAMP
12 APRIL 2007, NYC, NY

SPACELINES DJ SET, TRIBECA GRAND
15 APRIL 2007, LONDON, UK

E.A.R. SUPPORTING CLUSTER, CAMDEN UNDERWORLD
30 APRIL 2007, LONDON, UK

E.A.R., ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL. as part of St.Etienne’s launch of the refurbished room. Bert Jansch also playing.

Spectrum is also planning to tour the Pacific Rim in the late summer and fall of this year. Spectrum will release an EP and LP before the year is over.