Tyler Damon

Known / Unknown

Artwork by Robert Beatty.

What is there to report? On the bright side of things Kuzu (Dave Rempis / Tashi Dorji / yours truly) has a new LP out on Astral Spirits entitled The Glass Delusion. Classic Chicago record shop Dusty Groove says:

“Kuzu is fast becoming one of the more compelling settings for the saxophone talents of the great Dave Rempis – as the blend of sounds here really sets things apart from other improvised combos, even though the elements are all very familiar! Tashi Dorji has a way of handling the guitar that creates lots of sharp edges and bold moments – much fiercer than the legacy of improvisers like Derek Bailey or Fred Frith – and really full-on at moments when the drums of Tyler Damon take off! Rempis is as deft at these moments as he is in some of the sparer, more open passages – blowing alto, tenor, and baritone on the two long tracks on the record – “It Simply Becomes Jammed” and ‘Gnash.'”

Thanks to homie Robert Beatty for providing the excellent elemental artwork for the LP. Robert was at the very first duo show Tashi and I ever played (as well as one of the last Kuzu shows pre-COVID and many in-between) and it’s a pleasure to have his exceptional artwork gussy up the sleeve. I have copies available for those interested – drop me a line over at the CONTACT page if you’d like to order directly…

There is some hope that I will be playing some dates in Europe in August and November of this year and should have more information on that soon. For those interested, keep an eye out on my LIVE page…

What else?

I’ve “gone dark” as they say; you will no longer find me shamelessly self-promoting or offering graceless, pedestrian opinions on any social media platforms. This beacon, along with my Bandcamp page, seems like enough online presence to me. Content nausea hit me hard during the lost year. I’m trying to break out of the corner instrumental reason put us in and can no longer justify use of these platforms that flatten discourse & creativity and so on…

I did participate in a handful of online streams since this all started; I lacked the resources / know-how to do this effectively and ultimately found it diminished my work under these circumstances (the exceptions being the incidentally streamed outdoor sets Rempis & I did last year). I’ve felt little or no motivation to correct this, either. The idea of being more effectively online is, well…repellent to me. About as appealing as learning to code or joining the military. Being an “artist” at this juncture feels more like being a process manager or administrator, and I’m not sure I have the stomach for that path…certainly not the desire. It reminds me of the old Mitch Hedberg joke:

“Alright you’re a stand-up comedian…can you act? Can you write? Write us a script. They want me to do things that are related to comedy but not comedy…that’s not fair. It’s as though I was a cook and I worked my ass off to become a good cook and they say, ‘Alright, you’re a cook – can you farm?'”

It’s true, it isn’t “fair,” not that fairness is relevant or even matters. Another disruption some will bend to and some won’t, though if this is the New Way™ I might just stick to playing drums for people in my direct vicinity. That said, participating in well-executed live streams with technologically knowledgeable operators at the helm was a pretty-alright experience (as a stand-in for the visceral nature of live music with an audience physically present) and I’m grateful for their efforts. Thanks to Nolan & Ed at Constellation & Ben at Elastic for hosting a couple of first-time outings with me on the tubs (a trio with Gerrit Hatcher & Joshua Abrams and a quartet featuring Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom & Steve Marquette):

Both units plan on having a future together, so keep an ear to the ground if you find promise in either of the above ensembles…

I also want to share a fundraiser for a friend and early advocate of my work, Tim Barnes. From the fundraiser page:

“Tim has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease (EOAD). Over the past 2-3 years, his symptoms have become more defined, affecting his ability to recall words and concepts and express himself verbally. He has issues with concentration, using technology, and spatial and simple math problems. After two years of medical testing resulting in an unclear diagnosis, Tim and Erica sought help from the Mayo Clinic. The doctors there believe EOAD is the best fitting diagnosis at this time.”

I was and am deeply saddened to hear this news. Beginning with his (unfortunately defunct) DIY performance venue, Louisville’s Dreamland, Tim was incredibly encouraging to me as a young musician trying to find my place in the broad world of free / experimental music and the effect it had on my development is incalculable. I can only imagine that if you ask around you will hear countless stories from other artists about the profound impact he had on them as well. I have witnessed it enough first hand to know this is true. His solo CD All Acoustics, released on his own Quakebasket label in 2002, remains a strong, unique statement in the realm of solo percussion almost two decades later and is held in high esteem by drummers ranging from Chris Corsano to Glenn Kotche. I could go on about Tim’s wide ranging contributions to independent music in general, but would rather encourage you to listen for yourself and, if you’re able, to please donate to alleviate some of the burden on Tim and his family:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/tim-barnes-medical-expenses

Lastly, my longtime friends/collaborators/cohorts at Indianapolis’ Medium Sound label have released their first “sheet music” compilation with a small contribution from me. My “piece,” a kind of map of my work from 2018 entitled Successes & Failures Both Public & Private is featured amongst “…sheet music and visual scores from Gnat Bowden, Tyler Damon, John Collins McCormick, Mac Blackout, Nick Yeck-Stauffer, Jordan Munson, Mark Tester, and Landon Caldwell.” It is available to order here: https://mediumsound.bandcamp.com/merch/medium-sound-sheet-music-one

Thanks for checking in. ‘Til next time…

Tyler

April 17, 2021   [permalink]   , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,