Showing posts with label ministry of phonic services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry of phonic services. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Recording: Ben Rempel & Justin Gunter

Artist: Ben Rempel & Justin Gunter

Song: [first piece]

Recorded at The Bickford Centre Quad (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), May 24, 2026.

Ben Rempel & Justin Gunter - [first piece]

Visiting percussionists Ben Rempel and Justin Gunter are no strangers to reclaiming public spaces for their performances, so their Toronto appearance in the vibrantly-decorated quadrangle of the Bickford Centre felt like a completely-suitable environment for their minimalist percussion duos. No mere jams, they played with a focused rigour while allowing their sounds to mix in with the environment surrounding them.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Recording: Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro

Artist: Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro

Song: [first section]

Recorded at The Bickford Centre Quad (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), May 24, 2026.

Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro - [first section]

Back in day, Doug Tielli and Mike Gennaro were part of the Rat-Drifting scene as members of Wrist Error (although the project was never documented with an album), and have now rekindled their musical relationship in this duo. Tielli is a player of a great many talents, many of which involve a sublime delicacy that he can bring to the proceedings — which makes one forget at their peril that he can shred on guit like a mofo when it's called for. Mike Gennaro, of course, can bring cacophonous volume, providing plenty forward momentum which lead to some satisfactory splatter action as things geared up here — but there was also some tasteful restraint as Tielli brought out the singing saw.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro will be joining together again tonight (Tuesday, July 7th) at Track Could Bend.]

Recording: Not the Wind, Not the Flag

Artist: Not the Wind, Not the Flag

Song: [last section]

Recorded at The Bickford Centre Quad (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), May 24, 2026.

Not the Wind, Not the Flag - [last section]

Heading outdoors for this MPS late-spring celebration, NTW kept things portable — that is to say, Colin Fisher came armed solely with his saxophone this time out. While Brandon Valdivia explored a lot of approaches behind the kit, Fisher took advantage of the space, wandering around and using the underpass section below the school building as a giant echo chamber, which you can hear at the end of this extract.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Not the Wind, Not the Flag will be back in action at this month's Musica Universalis, this Friday (July 10th) at The Tranzac.]

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Recording: Jaap Blonk

Artist: Jaap Blonk / Jaap Blonk & Mike Gennaro

Songs: Muzikaret / [excerpt]

Recorded at The Jama (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), October 18, 2025.

Jaap Blonk - Muzikaret

Jaap Blonk & Mike Gennaro - [excerpt]

Moving inside after their month-long outdoor "Back to School" festival, Ministry of Phonic Services pulled together this night of sound poetry (and other noises) mixing international guests and local talent at The Jama (a new operation taking over the former Smiling Buddha). Pre-eminent sound-poet Jaap Blonk brought some deadpan Dutch humour and an endless capacity for noise-invention to two sets demonstrating quite different approaches to his work. His solo set was a more meticulous affair, a recital of various pieces moving from a histrorical nod to Hugo Ball to Blonk's own investigations into "encrypted proposals", fake Dutch, and rubberized gamelan sounds. The duo set with local percussionist Mike Gennaro leaned into Blonk's improvisatory skills, adding some synthbursts to the babblelogue for some pleasingly-energized back-and-forth.

Recording: T.D.

Artist: T.D.

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Jama (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), October 18, 2025.

T.D. - [excerpt]

Moving inside after their month-long outdoor "Back to School" festival, Ministry of Phonic Services pulled together this night of sound poetry (and other noises) mixing international guests and local talent at The Jama (a new operation taking over the former Smiling Buddha). Philadelphian Thomas DeAngelo was apparently using his time in Toronto to do some research on the recenty-departed local legend Paul Dutton, although the sonic world he was investigating here pushed in another direction, with a visually-satisfying side-stage set up with extended tape loops and other bricabrac. Like the night's other acts, though, this did indeed play with and deconstruct language, with talkbursts emerging from static and melting into phonemic abstractness.

Recording: qeTTe fossa

Artist: qeTTe fossa

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Jama (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), October 18, 2025.

qeTTe fossa - [excerpt]

Moving inside after their month-long outdoor "Back to School" festival, Ministry of Phonic Services pulled together this night of sound poetry (and other noises) mixing international guests and local talent at The Jama (a new operation taking over the former Smiling Buddha). qeTTe fossa, a recent nom de guerre from the mysterious/multitalented Lenny opened things up, here in duo formation with drummer Mateos Labbé-Phelan in support. Moving from rising drones to impassioned soul shouts (and moving from the stage into the crowd), this showed off more of Lenny's boundless ssense of unfettered invention.

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Recording: Christine Duncan and The Element Choir

Artist: Christine Duncan and The Element Choir

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Christine Duncan and The Element Choir - [excerpt]

This year's Field Trip closed out with a trek up the Humber River Recreational Trail to the legendary Oculus Pavilion. With stars twinkling above and the late-season forest-dwellers whispering encouragement, the glorious UFO-like structure hovered above while a robust crowd gathered to hear some strange sounds — and then hung out for a late-night karaoke party.

Christine Duncan's longstanding improvising choir is a modular affair, capable of sizing up or shrinking down as space and vibe require. This latenight outdoor excursion saw them a dozen deep, making quiet whispers that added the late-night insect singers to their numbers, and then moving into some more raucous call-and-response — big dynamics bouncing back off the UFO overhang, then heading off into the night.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The Ministry of Phonic Services has moved indoors for the season, and among their offerings is BPM — the "Big Percussion Meeting" hosted by Colin Cudmore and happening monthly at The Tranzac. Next one will be happening on Friday, November 21st.]

Recording: Future Proof

Artist: Future Proof

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Future Proof - [excerpt]

This year's Field Trip closed out with a trek up the Humber River Recreational Trail to the legendary Oculus Pavilion. With stars twinkling above and the late-season forest-dwellers whispering encouragement, the glorious UFO-like structure hovered above while a robust crowd gathered to hear some strange sounds — and then hung out for a late-night karaoke party.

Longtime collaborators Bea Labikova and Raphael Roter have played together enough that sonic mindmeld is easily achieved — even as new instruments and techniques get added to their repertoire. But this duo project increasingly treats all of that as a given and a background element as the pair explore new frontiers in playful interactivity. In this set, the one-on-one musical encounters were navigational elements, allowing the pair to engage the audience in some "drummington" (badminton shuttlecocks volleyed back and forth on hand drums), bird whistles, and sparklers. The latter served as the set's coda, with members of the crowd listing off things to be thankful for as sparkling stars burst to life and faded away — reminding everyone to share the moments while they last.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The Ministry of Phonic Services has moved indoors for the season, and among their offerings is BPM — the "Big Percussion Meeting" hosted by Colin Cudmore and happening monthly at The Tranzac. Next one will be on Friday, November 21st.]

Recording: SSSY

Artist: SSSY

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

SSSY - [excerpt]

This year's Field Trip closed out with a trek up the Humber River Recreational Trail to the legendary Oculus Pavilion. With stars twinkling above and the late-season forest-dwellers whispering encouragement, the glorious UFO-like structure hovered above while a robust crowd gathered to hear some strange sounds — and then hung out for a late-night karaoke party.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there on this Hamilton-based duo of Sargon Yousefian and Sahra Soudi, but there's definitely something interesting cooking here. With a table full of sonic bricabrac, plus a trumpet and percussive implements, the pair moved through several zones, moving from a more atmospheric build into some more abrasive textures.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The Ministry of Phonic Services has moved indoors for the season, and among their offerings is BPM — the "Big Percussion Meeting" hosted by Colin Cudmore and happening monthly at The Tranzac. Next one will be on Friday, November 21st.]

Recording: Woolworm, Ontario

Artist: Woolworm, Ontario

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Woolworm, Ontario - [excerpt]

This year's Field Trip closed out with a trek up the Humber River Recreational Trail to the legendary Oculus Pavilion. With stars twinkling above and the late-season forest-dwellers whispering encouragement, the glorious UFO-like structure hovered above while a robust crowd gathered to hear some strange sounds — and then hung out for a late-night karaoke party.

The forest sounds mixed with — and then were subsumed by — the low thrum of Lucas Dvorsky's stereophonic rumblings and chitterings. The enforced pause of an ableton crash just reinforced the dialogue between foreground and environmental sounds.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The Ministry of Phonic Services has moved indoors for the season, and among their offerings is BPM — the "Big Percussion Meeting" hosted by Colin Cudmore and happening monthly at The Tranzac. Next one will be on Friday, November 21st.]

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Recording: Double Trio

Artist: Double Trio

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded in the CNE Bandshell (Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip — Waterfront), September 23, 2025.

Double Trio - [excerpt]

This "waterfront" night out at the Field Trip festival was originally slated for Marilyn Bell Park, right on the shores of Lake Ontario. Rainy weather kept that from happening, but some organizational ingenuity meant the event still took place outside, and still lake-adjacent. Moving to the CNE Bandshell gave the night its own flavour, with performers and audience alike staying dry under the circular overhang, framing the performances from the opposite perspective one might expect. (And as an aside, let's note that this lovely heritage structure sits empty for most of the year, and ponder on what it would be like to live in a city where a really small allocation of resources could activate it in all kinds of inneresting ways.)

In a festival with its share of noisy and joyfully disruptive moments, it should be remembered that MPS' vision of experimental music includes quieter interludes as well, and this ensemble was well-placed to offer a deep listening experience. (the originally-scheduled lake sounds would have been a sweet enhancement, but as things were, the gentle backdrop of the rainy weather filled in that space nicely as well.) As the name implies, this group featured two trios, one of saxophones (Ben Rositsan, Garret Hildebrandt, and Maxwell Stover) and one of violins (Sara May, Kyla Marlena, and Audrey Mae) joining forces for some improvised chamber music.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Recording: Charles Spearin

Artist: Charles Spearin

Song: unknown [last section]*

Recorded in the CNE Bandshell (Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip — Waterfront), September 23, 2025.

Charles Spearin - unknown [last section]

This "waterfront" night out at the Field Trip festival was originally slated for Marilyn Bell Park, right on the shores of Lake Ontario. Rainy weather kept that from happening, but some organizational ingenuity meant the event still took place outside, and still lake-adjacent. Moving to the CNE Bandshell gave the night its own flavour, with performers and audience alike staying dry under the circular overhang, framing the performances from the opposite perspective one might expect. (And as an aside, let's note that this lovely heritage structure sits empty for most of the year, and ponder on what it would be like to live in a city where a really small allocation of resources could activate it in all kinds of inneresting ways.)

Showing off what can be accomplished with modern battery-powered speakers, Charles Spearin performed this piece for processed nyckelharpa through a four-channel surround sound system, echoes and sweeps of the strings moving across the space. (The set also lead off with a different sort of spacialization in a stripped-down version of his piece "Music For 32 Phones Played Simultaneously", creating a very cool participatory circle on the big stage.)

* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis

Song: Vale of Avoca (Set 2) [excerpt]

Recorded in the Vale of Avoca (Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip), September 14, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis - Vale of Avoca (Set 2) [excerpt]

A wonderful and special day out! As part of Ministry of Phonic Services' September-long Back to School Field Trip festival, members of the Cosmic Homeostasis collective gathered underneath St. Clair Avenue, in the Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip excursion to the Vale of Avoca (perhaps the city's most fancifully-named ravine). Feeling a world removed from the city, the expanded group enfolded itself into the space, with several guest performers taking advantage of stones, sticks and other found objects (including the trusses of the bridge itself!) to add some environmental sounds.

The full ensemble for this performance was:

  • Allison Cameron - ukulele + NASA recording
  • Colin Cudmore - percussion
  • Dame Cook - MIDI synthesis/round objects
  • Dan Friedman - Kastl Drum, Amp, EQ, mixer feedback, wooden flute
  • Grace Scheele - toy melodica, recorder
  • Grant Smales - nightjar sounds
  • Heraclitus Akimbo - accordion, synth, pedals, water bottle
  • Ian McPhedran - guitar
  • Jaz Tsui - rocks
  • Jim Davis - digital synth
  • Juniper Mitchell - site-specific lithophone
  • Karen O'Keefe - vocals
  • Kat Estacio - kulintang, rock, bow, dried leaves, boy bawang, found metal, bridge underboob
  • Louis Pino - rocks and dirt
  • Maks - rocks, camera
  • Mike Filippov - wavedrum + found objects
  • Mira Martin-Gray - synth, jaw harp, kazoo
  • Niamh Girling - tampura, morchang
  • Nilan Perera - amplified acoustic guitar
  • Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
  • Phil Johnston - guitar + delay
  • Rob Cruickshank - electronics
  • Sonia Leung - violin, vocals
  • Sterling McPhedran - rocks in the river

As always, this performance has been archived on Bandcamp:

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Mark your calendar, Cosmic Homeostasis will be back at The Tranzac on the afternoon of Sunday, November 30th.]

photo by Ministry of Phonic Services

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Recording: Fron Reilly & Stephen Vickery

Artist: Fron Reilly & Stephen Vickery

Song: [3rd piece]

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 27, 2025.

Fron Reilly & Stephen Vickery - [3rd piece]

Following some further outdoor excursions, Ministry of Phonic Services came inside for this afternoon of sonic explorations. The afternoon's main attraction was a demonstration of some recently-invented instruments from Guelph's Fron Reilly, including the fron2 ("a whirling ten-string bowed zither with a drum head resonator") and a large drone bass hurdy-gurdy. No mere novelties, both produced quite beautiful sounds, supported by some lovely double bass work (and nimble hurdy-gurdy fingering) from Stephen Vickery. Amazing things happening out at the sonic fron-tiers.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Ministry of Phonic Services has just announced their second annual Back to School Field Trip, featuring "an entire month of strange sounds in strange spaces, all located outdoors. Join the festivities at the thirteen presentations taking place from September 5th to 27th, including four main shows with installations, collaborations with other local experimental presenters, and even some surprises."]

Recording: Joyce To

Artist: Joyce To

Song: Environment Study [edited excerpt]

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 27, 2025.

Joyce To - Environment Study [edited excerpt]

Following some further outdoor excursions, Ministry of Phonic Services came inside for this afternoon of sonic explorations. Percussionist Joyce To provided this new work, which mixed genial ingenuity with DIY/Dollarama tools. A hanging block of ice provided an irregularly metronomic background patter while beans, tubes, and gongs were deployed in various combinations.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Ministry of Phonic Services has just announced their second annual Back to School Field Trip, featuring "an entire month of strange sounds in strange spaces, all located outdoors. Join the festivities at the thirteen presentations taking place from September 5th to 27th, including four main shows with installations, collaborations with other local experimental presenters, and even some surprises."]

Recording: Nilan Perera

Artist: Nilan Perera

Song: [3rd piece]

Recorded in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 27, 2025.

Nilan Perera - [3rd piece]

Following some further outdoor excursions, Ministry of Phonic Services came inside for this afternoon of sonic explorations. Nilan Perera set the tone with some investigations for prepared guitar, bringing kitchen implements and other simple tools to coax complex sounds from his guitar.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Ministry of Phonic Services has just announced their second annual Back to School Field Trip, featuring "an entire month of strange sounds in strange spaces, all located outdoors. Join the festivities at the thirteen presentations taking place from September 5th to 27th, including four main shows with installations, collaborations with other local experimental presenters, and even some surprises."]

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Recording: Brian Ruryk & %%30%30

Artist: Brian Ruryk & %%30%30

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded under Hogg's Hollow Bridge (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 19, 2025.

Brian Ruryk & %%30%30 - [excerpt]

Another triumphant night from the forces-for-good at Ministry of Phonic Services, finding an off-the-grid spot under the busiest multi-span bridge crossing in North America[citation needed] for an evening of noisy sounds. This pair celebrated the release of their joint Outside album — "a series of 'location specific' meetings" — in the style in which it was conceived and executed with this outdoor lurch.

You can check out this full set over on youtube:

[Keep an eye out for more info coming soon on MPS' all-outdoor "Back to School" September festival!]

Recording: Fossils

Artist: Fossils

Song: [1st piece, end section]

Recorded under Hogg's Hollow Bridge (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 19, 2025.

Fossils - [1st piece, end section]

Another triumphant night from the forces-for-good at Ministry of Phonic Services, finding an off-the-grid spot under the busiest multi-span bridge crossing in North America[citation needed] for an evening of noisy sounds. A rare local sighting from these Hamilton/Brantford jazz apes mixed some free-range saxophone with guitar/fx/tapes for some realtime cut-up collage action.

You can check out this full set over on youtube:

[Keep an eye out for more info coming soon on MPS' all-outdoor "Back to School" September festival!]

Recording: Xodkaar × Auto Feeder

Artist: Xodkaar × Auto Feeder

Song:

Recorded under Hogg's Hollow Bridge (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 19, 2025.

Xodkaar × Auto Feeder - [first section]

Another triumphant night from the forces-for-good at Ministry of Phonic Services, finding an off-the-grid spot under the busiest multi-span bridge crossing in North America[citation needed] for an evening of noisy sounds. This first-time joint set from a pair of local noiseniks involved chains, sheet metal, a crowbar, contact mics, synths and so on, creating a crunchy industrial zone.

You can check out this full set over on youtube:

[Keep an eye out for more info coming soon on MPS' all-outdoor "Back to School" September festival!]

Recording: battle milk

Artist: battle milk

Song: [first section]

Recorded under Hogg's Hollow Bridge (Ministry of Phonic Services presents), July 19, 2025.

battle milk - [first section]

Another triumphant night from the forces-for-good at Ministry of Phonic Services, finding an off-the-grid spot under the busiest multi-span bridge crossing in North America[citation needed] for an evening of noisy sounds. Under the gigantic infrastructure and tall trees, battle milk gate-crashed the night with some garbled noise and lurching chaos.

You can check out this full set over on youtube:

[Keep an eye out for more info coming soon on MPS' all-outdoor "Back to School" September festival!]