Link to:
Necking
performance video
Gunung Sari
performance video
Felicia & Coctopus
performance video
Oma Yang
performance video
Alien Whale
performance video
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Necking
myspace page
Gunung Sari
myspace page
PRSMS
myspace page
Seriously Warchild
myspace page
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Selected Collaborative Improvisations Randy Lee Sutherland, Michael McManus, Ann Adachi, Marie Evelyn, Nick Lesley
"Sometime ago, I was in love with a tree" for dance piece by Jenny Seastone Stern |
As a musician, Nick primarily plays improvised drums and interactive electronics (analog or laptop using Max/MSP). His drumming style is in the realm of "free-improvisation" but infused with the hardcore punk he grew up with in San Diego in the early 90's. Nick is heavily influenced by jazz, traditional folk musics from around the world, and avante-garde electronic music composition. On any instrument, he focuses on allowing space for collaboration, and creating energy and drama in an improvised performance. | ||
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Necking from "Invisible Things" CD "Gain Rainy End Again" |
The Necking CD "Invisible Things" is comprised of electronic tracks by Nick Lesley and Joshua Graver. The album expresses the physical vs. electronic interests of Necking, but is not a representation of the group's live performances. |
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Necking from split 7" with Battleship "Goldfish Grow Over Graves" from upcoming Necking release "Spit Pollen" |
Necking was formed in 2004 and for years had a freely rotating line-up around a few central members. For the last few years the group has settled into a regular line-up of Nick Lesley (original founder), Dong-Ping Wong, and Rop Vazquez. Necking plays a hyper-active form of improv noise rock influenced by the hardcore punk from San Diego which they grew up with in the 90s. They play two full drum kits, electronics and voices. | ||
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Gunung Sari from "That Wanderest Unseen" CD "Walker Errant" |
Gunung Sari is an experimental performance group,formed in late 2005, of Stanley Ruiz, Michael Dotolo, and Nick Lesley. As a collaborating unit, they are interested in the similarities and differences regarding the physicality of manipulated circuits and more traditional instruments such as percussion, and using these opposing means in interplay of the intentional and interference. They combine home-made electronics, analog boxes, percussions, saw, wood, metal, and toys in their performances. They also do video projections at times, and in some events utilize the computer as a tool for sound and image synthesis. | ||
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Felicia & Coctopus from "Toure de Force" CD "Pelican Nose-Dive for Anchovies" |
Felicia & Coctopus was Lilly Nguyen and Nick Lesley (2003-04). They lived in Oakland, CA, had one self-release CD and did one west coast tour. The band went on long-term hiatus when Lilly move to Los Angeles to persue her PhD and Nick moved to New York for his MFA. They have since performed from time-to-time when they are both in the same town. | ||
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Oma Yang from "Bang Bang" and "From the Heart of Jumbo Malaria" CDs Thick Eyelids, Lazy Eyes |
Oma Yang was Andy Kortman (guitar), Dong-Ping Wong (drums), Jacob Glenn-Levin (bass), and Nick Lesley (guitar). The band formed in San Diego in 1997 and recorded and performed sporadically through 2004, by which time the members lived in Oakland. Most of the life of the band, members lived in 2 or 3 different cities in California. They recorded 2 full-length albums (released by Slowdance Records) and toured the U.S. multiple times. They were also on a split 12" with Log Cabin, released by the Swedish label Tripoli Records, and a number of compilation albums. |
