Summer of 2000 - Dark Muse is created & the pandora's box is open. Started playing with Electric Guitar, Juno6 keyboard, Cheesy Casio, Emax II, Drum machine on some tracks, the T-Rodimba & other found objects that emit tone. (Also, utelizing Cubase, Sonicwerx, Alesis Nanoverb.)
'Once amid a Dream' one of the first tracks improvised as Dark Muse. (all work thereafter is improvised & felt in the moment.)
* 2001 *
January of 2001 - Dark Muse 1st self released cd 'Somber Antenna' as well as some other un-released tracks find their way as the soundtrack to a Horror lo-fi B-Movie called 'Blood for the Muse' (a comic book made to movie) Via Terry West of Dark Muse Productions (the name is no relation to the sound project except for its use in the movie.) Very exciting to see Dark Muse sounds as the creepy soundtrack to such a flick.
Early 2001 - Dark Muse starts to get away from the Drum Machine & synth/keyboard sounds & opts for Bowed Cymbal, Line 6 Delay Modeler & other objects for noise.
Early Spring 2001 - Perform in the 'Indeterminant Ensemble' at local club 'Kimo's'. Description of night... Group Noise Experiment.
Ensemble Participation by: Alex Yeung on Guitar Reverbs, Al Q on Guitar NOIZE, LX Rudis on other weird sound tweeks, Dark Muse on vocals, guitar & various inst., Andre Custodio on various noises, Ernesto Diaz-Infante on guitar noises, Erin on video loops, Carrene on odd childrens toy long key tone maker, Ken on Stand-up Bass & Wolfgang Chan aka Rak.0 on Keys & other noises. (Video & Audio recordings of that night exist.)
Spring 2001 - Dark Muse performs in another Massive Group ensemble at the end of the Big Sur Experimental Music Festival at the Henry Miller Library. (their is probably some video & audio captured of the performance, but I have yet to see or hear it.)
July 4th 2001 - Small ensemble performance at Party including (Dark Muse, Andre Custodio, LX Rudis, M Stevens, Carrene & Steve.)
July 21st 2001 - Dark Muse & Andre Custodio play a duet to open the Skronkfest Experimental BBQ at Tuuva Space in Berkeley. (Video shot of performance.)
July 25th 2001 - First Live Solo Performance of Dark Muse, at Kimo's in Downtown San Francisco. Opened for awesome Experimental sound artist Tom Nunn, & Nihil Communication. Very Nervous that night, many friends & other sound artists there for support... (John from Falling You, Rick from Loop Pool) It seemed to start a little rough, trying to figure out sources of possible feedback (inhouse speakers not the best for my minimal lo-key sounds) But I made due, & had a great time... afterward I shot video of the other 2 performers.
Also, my Video/Art/Color/Movement video played on a Large screen monitor during the Nihil Communication performance. A 'Live' recording does exist (of audio & video).
Sometime in the Fall 2001 - Perform in another Indeterminant Ensemble (Improvised Experimental sounds) at the Luggage Store Gallery in Downtown S.F... Players this round include: Ernesto Diaz Infante on radio & odd static noises, M Stevens on electronics, Andre Custodio on freaky noises, Lx Rudis on sculpting & mixing sounds, & Dark Muse on Guitar, effects & voice... a sound recording exists & one day may be released.
Fall 2001 - Michael Riddick of the Fossil Dungeon wants to Release my first Official Debut cd 'Sounds from beyond the Silver Wheel'...
Throughout 2001 - Dark Muse Self Releases about 6 cds, & contacted by a few different individuals for permission to add a Dark Muse track to various compilation cds & other film projects... (most do not stay in contact with me, so I never know what has happened with some projects.)
* 2002 *
March 2002 - 'Sounds from beyond the Silver Wheel' CD is finally released. What started out as 250 limited cdrs... turns into 1000 limited edition cds.
Reviews, Interviews & Radio play around the world... I am astounded by the feedback & overjoyed by all the individuals out there who listen & are moved by the Dark Muse Sounds.
Spring 2002 - Interviews in 'Black' Magazine out of Germany, & 'Elegy' zine out of France. Reviews in various zines Outburn, Black, Elegy & online sites. Upcoming review in New Witch zine.
Spring 2002 - starting Collaboration projects, one with Dark Ambient female sound artist Gydja.
April-June 2002 - Dark Muse plays a few smaller shows. I perform at the Luggage store Gallery (temporary location) Ellis street, San Francisco. Also, an Amazing performance at Ali's performance night... The wailing I did that night felt so right... One of my fav's. (fun nite). Also, played at my friend MT's party/gathering... & recorded some Amazing tracks... my first time performing with Alma on Didgeri Do (sp?) Also, he sang some bass chant on a track. Tracks 'The Gates are Opening', 'Night Blossom' & 'Rapture'.... Wow.... beautiful sounds....
July - August 2002 - Dm plays a few more shows. One around my b-day... The Santa Cruz Looping Festival spanning 2 days. Mainly dominated by men... over 50 Loopers (& only about 2 women in the whole gig, including myself)... good fun. {didn't record audio & regret it)
Only stayed at the Loopers fest for one day... the 2nd day I played at the Skronkfest/experimental BBQ at the Tuuva space in Berkeley. More of a low key relaxing event. Overall Awesome performance packed weekend.
Sept. 14th 2002 - 1st Pagan Pride Day fest in Golden Gate Park. I performed & vended my Eyescream Wares at the same time. {this was the first time I attempted to do both simultaniously, hard work} This performance I didn't record as well... & definately wished I had. More basic vocal looping (straightup) lo fi instruments... bass drum, gongs etc. More ambient tribal ritual. Good times. {nothing like performing in a huge park with trees surrounding you everywhere & your voice bouncing off the trees in echoing atonement.}
Sept. 28th 2002 - Audible Method 2.0 is back. We found a local café that are allowing us to put the event on the outside of it. DM plays (& I vend my wares again).
Awesome performance! even if I had to battle the local drunk street yokel who kept spewing out & cursing & wanting the mic to sing Elvis & curse people out. I just wailed louder until I drowned him out. After 2 songs he finally left... I took a minute to breathe... then performed a final song. That perf was a good one. {& it was recorded}...
October 4th 2002 - The First Woman's Looping Festival. Location: at the San Jose Art Museum. There were 5 women Loopers. I was extremely nervous... as this was my first performance with my 2nd Line6 Looper. I had just got it back in the mail from having it repaired & I never got a real chance to practice with playing 2 loopers at once. (big mistake) I wasn't able to perfect my sound/feedback levels with 2 loopers... utter chaos. Performing to a packed audience who were probably weary of my distortion... maybe they thought it was part of my sound. {unfortunately this perf. was recorded & documented.} At least I had my named mentioned on the cover of the Arts section of the San Jose paper. And, one of my first well paid gig's... so another experience & music lesson to put under my belt.
October 19th 2002 - The Vampire Bazaar in Long Beach Ca. (performing & vending once again). I drove down from SF (about 5-6 hours) Rushed to set up my Booth & my sound table. Had about 5min. to change & get on stage... with the sun still shining in my eyes I begin to play. As you might tell, I was already exhausted... not the best way to perform. Although my long lost brother actually showed up to see & hear me... utter shock & pleasant. I may have scared him off a bit from my dark sounds. Although he connected mostly with my Bowing of the Cymbal (that whole psychedelic rock with the bowed guitar thing) I finished the set with a rendition of my track 'Swamp Siren'. Great set. If only I hadn't let someone else connect the recording cables to my recorder. Cracks & pops throughout the recording. Although my friend Travis did record it onto video for me. So I may still be able to extract the audio from it one day. Next Vampire Bazaar I want to perform in the evening when the sun has set & there is more of a Dark Muse atmosphere.
Late Oct. '02 - Stayed in LA with friends Tina & Travis, & recieved one of the best gifts ever! They had a photograph for me from their trip to the Big Wave Gotik Treffen event in Germany. While there they visited the local Record store in Leipzig. In the store they found my CD for sale. So Tina held it up with a grin & they took a photo. I just about cried when I saw the pic {which I will post soon}. It is amazing to me to see my cd in a shop in Germany. It is one thing to hear my label say such things... but when you see a pic acknowledging such things.... It really puts it into perspective.
I really would like to perform at the Gothic Music Event in Germany one day. (have to save up for that kind of trip though.)
November 2002 - Perform at another Audible Method 3.0 at the local Café. Awesome performance! One of my best performances ever! Played for the first time with 2 line6 loopers & my new Boss Loop Station. So I was able to pre-record some amazing sounds from the Dark Muse library... into the looper to draw up at the performance at will. Some of my best work... can only get better.
December 2002 - Went into the Rasputin Records in Berkeley on Telegraph during the X-mas fair I was vending at.... & to my amazement I found a section for Dark Muse (on a plastic cd section card) within the Gothic music... & low & behold... there was my Sounds from Beyond the Silver Wheel cd... I had no clue. I wanted to stop someone, anyone & say "Hey, that's me!"
{no performing until April... need a break}
* 2003 *
October 12th 2003 ~
DM played out the first show of the year... the Y3K Loop Fest in Santa Cruz @ the Cayuga Vault. This event was put together by the amazing Looper Rick Walker known as Loopool. André Custodio & his T'Rodimba also graced the stage with his slight percussive Dark Ambient Soundscapes. Amidst Dré being Ill & Nearly thinking I had locked the keys in the truck... & although it was rather late in the year... it turned out to be a Great Performance as well as the performance of other awesome Looping Sound artists. A recording of the event occurred... but only a partial recording. I hope to include a link somewhere to an mp3 from the event & or include a track on an upcoming release.
October 18th & 19th 2003 ~
DM Performance at the Bizarre Vampire Bazaar in Long Beach Ca. I went on at 6pm in between vending at the Eyescream booth. I was scheduled to play about a 1/2 an hour... but with the cancellation of an act.. I played nearly an hour. It was a lot of fun... right as the sun set ... dusk & the sounds of the Dark Muse. I recorded the perf. & once it gets edited... I hope to include a track on the next release.
* as a side note.... I had a few incidents at the Eyescream Booth. (a few I won't mention) but one that really blew me away... at the end of the 2nd Long nite (& just hours before I was to drive back up north 6 hours home after 2 very long work days alone)... I was packing up my Vending gear in the Dark (around 3am) when I heard a crunch... I turned to find one of the security people had driven their 2 ton truck on top of my Jewelry & displays... there the back tire sat firmly on all of my lifes work. I just about collapsed inside except that I had to keep it together for the long drive home. By the time I got back... I still was not ready to look at the damage. When I finally went through everything... other than my newly created Velvet display boards being munched... & my Wire Corset Dummy display completely flattened. All of my work except for 2 pairs of earrings was undamaged. UNBELIEVABLE! The thing that saved everything was the fact that I had just built new displays out of thick corrugated cardboard base folded accordian style which created a cushion for my work. Again UNBELIEVABLE!!! I thought when all is said & done... I would be able to claim on my site.... "my work can with stand a 2 ton truck driving over it... I am sure it can with stand you." (well that sounded humorous in my head at the moment... as you try to make light of the situation in leiu of a 6 hour drive home after an 18 hour vending day)...
That's all for now....
*** 2003-2004 brief news ***
2003 was a tough year for me... I hadn't the energy to play out much last year... although I had wanted to, life dictated otherwise. I am looking forward to end of 2004 as DM will be releasing another CD (a double disc release) from the Fossil Dungeon sometime toward end of 2004....
So far I've recorded & Edited nearly 180 tracks in 2004... that is a Crazy amount... still have time to record a few more... *wink wink*
2004
2 Dark Muse tracks 'Queen of the World of Spirits' & new track 'the Gathering' are to be used behind the scene in an upcoming Art Car film by Harrod Blank... the scene is with Rebecca of Carthedral... Film duo out end of 2004 or early 2005
As stated at top of page... I've recorded & edited nearly 180 new tracks this year... I suppose since I have not been performing out as much this year... I still had to grease my sound wheels so to speak.
Been posting up new tracks all over the net... check out the new sounds if you get the change... hopefully I am ever progressing..
the New DM double disc release is due out So very soon... (end of 2004 if all goes well)... I am very excited to finally release my second 'Official' release...
along the way... I've gained some new instruments to play with... & some very important pieces are starting to conk out on me... isn't that always the case.
*some new instruments & or toys include:
an old Autoharp
Korg Keyboard
Roland Voice Synthesizer Module
(yes I am exploring with synths again... but also still create sounds with other hands on instruments & toys as well).
drum machine
a few childrens toy keyboards & noize makers
Modulation pedal & Distortion Pedal...
this year so far... performances were at a minimum... just no time... did play a free show at JavaCat coffee in SF in late Spring... & also played a coupla tracks outside my Apt. during 4th July weekend... it was an event Andre's Dad put together performing classic rock bands etc... Andre played with the band he is in... 'Say Bok Gwai' which is a Chinese American Hardcore band... & in an effort to involve me (as this event is every year... & is SO Loud ... just outside my door) that I have to be around it anyway... they got me involved... & then there was little o me... freakin out my neighbors... & playing for the classic rock lovin masses... I am sure they did not know what to think.
End of 2004
briefly met Peter of Raison d'etre after his performance at the DNA... gave him a sampler of my dark ambient mix 'Black Forest' he said "Great, now I'll have something to listen to on the plane ride home"... curious about his thoughts on my work... but you know how it goes...
Performed at the Y2k4 Loopfest again (late Sept or early Oct. 04)...
decided to focus on tinkering metal, so I brought my metal leaf stand sculpture & bowed, plucked & beat the branches & leaves & looped into a freaky soundtrack
Oct. 21, 2004 - attempts to play at BVB (bizarre vampire bazaare) 2004 ... fell through. Totally got rained out. Was a bummer but can't control the weather.
Oct. 30th 2004 - Played an awesome perf at the radio station KFJC. First time I ever played live on air. I used to help DJ at the local college station at Nortre' Dame in my hometown. Just about every nite a different friend had a slot there playing experimental, underground, indie, goth (prior to some of those genre's really being called that) in the mid 80's... so I would stop by each nite & help out my friends do their show. It was great fun & thoroughly glad I did that back then. Got turned on to lots of great artists & hopefully turned others on to awesome music as well.
So finally being able to perform live on air was a real treat. Not to mention Halloween weekend. Unfortunately, someone wasn't keeping track of my perf time so when it came time to interview I had 2 minutes... to sit down, say hi into the mic & then the host & I just sort of stared at each other going 'yep'... that's what I do alright. Next....
Dec. 19th 2004 - Final end of year Performance. Played Musicians Union in downtown SF. Fun nite, with vintage slide show... bowed cymbal delights... guitar pluckerings... darkwave musings... mellow evening.
*** BEGINNING 2005 ***
It is now January... I have finally finished working on my upcoming double disc release 'Ghosts in the Ethereal Garden'... It was expected end of 2004... but I had (with a final tally) of about 238 new 2004 songs to wade through & pick good mixes for the 2 discs. Which was terribly hard & I could have continued to construct & deconstruct the final mixes... as I love so many tracks that did not make the cut. We are hoping to have the disc actually released (crossing fingers) within the next month. Let's hope. As I am too excited for this long awaited 'Official' release... I can hardly stand it. I've poured (literally) blood sweat tears & heart (ache) into this endeavor.
focused a lot on more lyrical... some light beatwork... a bit more experimental tweeky freaky bits... on the first disc...
The second disc is dedicated mostly to Dark Ambient instrumental flavors... the light before the darkness consumes.
An exclusive in the SF Chronicle came out today on Andre's solo work as Nihil Communication... with brief mention of our upcoming free perf at the javacat coffee in SF Jan. 30th, 2004
* 2005-2007 *
Many things happened in the last 2 years, though I can't recall a lot at the moment of writing this. I can say that there were a couple of notable performances.
Dark Muse's track 'Plastic Footsteps' was included on the All Women cd compilation 'Women take back the Noise' which was a 3 disc compilation or women noise artists from around the globe. All packaged in a Circuit bent playable pouch. Fun stuff!
The 2 disc release's fate has been sealed. It never was put out. The disc was split back into individual flows & some of the tracks were shifted. As a result, I've created one of my favorite Dark Ambient albums to date titled 'VIAL' and soon I will be offering it as well as other new mixes for 2008.
Dark Muse performs at the WTBTN Weekend at the 21 Grand. The Performance and night & even Home Cooked Gourmet Vegetarian dinner made by Cyoka... The entrie night went on without a hitch & probably the best & easiest performance to date. Though I was the only one that night who performed Live improvised sounds on live instruments. The other ladies mostly performed sequences prerecorded on laptops. To each their own.
Dark Muse opens for the sound artist ZEV performing at Orbis Nex in Oakland.
At some point Dre (nihil communication) & I did a collaboration live on air on KPFA's No other Radio spot with Das & Ninah (who put out the WTBTN comp).
Another Sunday, went over to Das & Ninah's for dinner & sounds... a night of merry sound making. Live Recordings worked into 2 of the Big City Orchestra's Cd mixes.
Trying to organize all tracks into their own cd flow mixes & redoing the older versions to suit the times & flows. Now with over 450 tracks to date. Though a lot are repeats & longer mixes... 10-30 & even 45min. long tracks which I may release as entire albums on their own.
More to come...
