Sound / Simulacra is dedicated to sharing high quality recordings of our concerts with the public. Unless otherwise noted all recordings were captured and mastered by Dave Kunath. More of Dave’s recordings can be heard at archive.org/details/@dpk.
These recordings from December 26, 2018 @ 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm Sound / Simulacra feature Sound / Simulacra guest artists Don House and Al Church. Cody McKinney hosted the evening and performed with them for the second set.
Sound / Simulacra featured acoustic bassist Liz Draper at Jazz Central Studios on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Draper started the evening by playing three exquisite solo upright bass pieces utilizing looping, field recordings, and extended technique. Keston and McKinney joined Draper on the second set for two more pieces as a trio.
On March 27, 2019 Sound / Simulacra presented Dean Magraw. The evening started with Dean performing three gorgeous solo improvisations on electric guitar. Afterward Dean was joined by keyboardist John C.S. Keston and bassist Cody McKinney for three more pieces as an ensemble. Please enjoy these recordings from a truly inspirational night of experimental music.
Wednesday, February 27th, 2019, Sound / Simulacra featured vocalist Aby Wolf. These recordings from the event are delicate, ambient, and spacious. During Aby’s solo set her ethereal vocal work and signal processing yield evocative melodies and harmonic layers. In the second set her voice weaves around Keston’s keys and McKinney’s bass leading the listener through a mystical pilgrimage.
On Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019 Sound / Simulacra featured Michael Masaru Flora. During his solo set Flora channel surfed through a dazzling series of unusual electronic textures. Afterward Flora was joined by John C.S. Keston (piano, Rhodes, synthesis) and Cody McKinney (bass, voice, electronics) for two more pieces.
Track 1: Michael Masaru Flora Solo Performance
Track 2: Michael Masaru Flora, John C.S Keston, Cody McKinney Part 1
Track 3: Michael Masaru Flora, John C.S. Keston, Cody McKinney Part 2
On November 28, 2018 Sound / Simulacra featured cellist, Michelle Kinney. Michelle performed three inspiring solo pieces in the first set. For the second set John C.S. Keston and Cody McKinney joined Michelle and performed two lengthy improvisations adding keyboards, synthesizer, bass, electronics, and voice to the ensemble. Please enjoy these recording of the performance.
Michelle’s work as a composer/performer has been recognized and supported by the The McKnight Foundation (Composer Fellowship, 2014), Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, 2014, The Bush Foundation (Bush Artists Fellowship 2004), The Jerome Foundation, MN State Arts Board, NEA/Rockefeller, Harvestworks/Studio Pass, and the American Composers Forum.
*Kinney’s improvisations in Solo Piece 1 are based on the merging of 2 melodies: In a Silent Way by Joe Zawinul and Vasanthi by Nirmala Rajasekar.
Last October, 2018 Sound / Simulacra featured Martin Dosh. Both Keston and Cody have collaborated with Dosh over the years. These recordings reveal an intimate event that yielded two pieces from Dosh’s solo set and two pieces from the second set with the trio of Martin Dosh (drums Rhodes, synth, sampler), John Keston (piano, synthesizer, electronics), and Cody McKinney (bass, voice, electronics).
Longtime collaborator of John and Cody’s, songwriter Adam Svec, attempts to leverage melodies and simple song structures to tell stories. As an improviser, Svec brings the listener familiar scaffolding filled out by sonic architecture that is oddly unique, typically driven by his northern vision of the country.
Adam Svec was the guest of Sound / Simulacra on January 24, 2018. Adam started the night off with a solo performance playing four improvised pieces on guitar, Roland JX-3P, and voice. John C.S. Keston (piano, Rhodes, Moog Sub 37), and Cody McKinney (bass, electronics) joined Adam performing four more pieces.
Set 1: Adam Svec Solo (guitar, voice, electronics)
Set 2: Adam Svec plus John C.S. Keston (keyboard, synth, electronics) and Cody McKinney (bass, voice, electronics)
On December 27, 2017 Sound / Simulacra featured DeVon Russell Gray and Patrick Pegg. DeVon and Patrick started of the evening with an uninterrupted 38:10 minute set of acoustic piano and esoteric electronics. In the second set Cody McKinney (bass and electronics) and me (Rhodes and Moog Sub 37) joined the duo to perform a 34:09 minute piece followed by final 8:47 minute piece in closing.
On Wednesday, July 25th, 2018 Sound / Simulacra featured drummer and composer Davu Seru at Jazz Central Studios. Davu started off the evening with three improved solo pieces. We followed that up with four pieces as a trio with myself and Cody McKinney joining in.
