Joel Gilardini

Festival Headliner, Y2K23 Artists

Experimental guitarist and sound designer, Joel Gilardini is based in Zurich (Switzerland).

Guided by the urge and the will to experiment with sounds, Joel followed a very peculiar path which lead him over a broad range of soundfields, touching different musical attitudes and genres like metal, ambient, doom, dub, noise and even blues.

Involved in various projects, he is well known for his ambient-dub sets as an opening act for Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin (ECM) in Zurich’s clubs, as well as being the mastermind behind the experimental-doom-metal act The Land Of The Snow and part of the noise-industrial duo Mulo Muto.

Joel has also works as a composer and music performer with various theater and dance acts. In this context he has collaborated with partners such as the Ballett Zurich, Swiss dancer Benoît Favre, and the collective House Of Pain.

Katie Martin

Festival Headliner, Y2K23 Artists

Performing across the Southeast since 2006, Katie Martin’s unique blend of blues, folk, and soul mesmerizes audiences in a way that has to be seen to understand. Her agelessly soulful vocals soar effortlessly above a rich propulsion of acoustic blues guitar reminiscent of Muddy Waters combined with the beautiful folk guitar of James Taylor, all performed with the honest intensity of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Seeing Katie Martin perform is an experience like no other, and her refreshing individuality is one that leaves a lasting impression long after the stage has grown silent.

She released her acoustic EP ” Away From Here” with Haney Records in 2011. In 2015, she released “Katie Martin : Live From the Chocolate Room” ft. Tony Brook on slide guitar, and her debut album, “Purpose”. Both were recorded, produced,and engineered by Larry Mitchell at The Chocolate Room Studio. In 2017, she released “Live From The Chocolate Room: VOL. II” and is set to release her 2nd album, “Hope” later this year.

Rejyna

Y2K23 Artists

Festival Headliner. A multidisciplinary sound, visual and word artist, enticing inspiration from fortuity and improvisation and assembling them onto paper, photo, video and sound recordings. Rejyna’s lyrics, drawings, songs and stories are the foundation of a dozen releases by prog folk/symphonic metal band, Citadel. She’s an endorsed DigiTech artist, referred to as a JamMan guru due to her advanced utilization of sonic gadgetry, and a hyper-tutorial ethos. “I’m not a magician guarding illusionary secrets, I’m a muse-cartographer – aiding seekers with willowy maps into forests of creativity.”

Rejyna has been performing at loopfests since 2013, including Seattle, Portland, Santa Cruz and Long Beach. She is building a looplab in Burbank to showcase group looping using 360 video. She teaches, produces and collaborates, doing shows when time allows. She currently works at the largest localization studio in the world, adapting movies and television shows into every language and access service, where she recently coordinated adding sign-language into cinema using tablets and AR glasses.

George Demarest

Y2K23 Artists

George Demarest earned degrees in trumpet performance and computer science from the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, studying trumpet with Raymond Mase of the American Brass Quintet. He has performed with the Cincinnati Ballet, Carmen McRea, the Santa Cruz Symphony, Ensemble Monterey, New Music Works and many others.

He regularly records and performs in the San Francisco Bay Area as a freelance trumpeter, vocalist, wind synth player, keyboardist, live looper and electronic musician. He featured in the inaugural Y2K festival as well as Y2k festivals in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

https://www.facebook.com/gfdemarest/

ecnegrU

Y2K23 Artists

The project ecnegrU was born 2011. Before that, Romain Couillaud had many musical experiences between France and Italy, first as a player (in bands such as Otakatroi), as a live sound engineer and finally as a producer in his own home-studio.
ecnegrU is therefore a mix of all these experiences, a kind of multi-instrument Live Production: every piece is played, mixed -and sometime reixed- live.
ecnegrU has played festivals with various local, national and international artists, like Adrian Sherwood or Dub FX.

Bill Walker

Y2K23 Artists

Bill Walker is a guitarist of uncommon stylistic range who blends a world of influences in to a unique and lyrical personal voice. His solo performance creates a rich tapestry of layered sounds, blending electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel guitars, and percussive guit-boxing techniques, with state of the art live looping techniques and sound design. A gifted composer and instrumentalist, Bill’s music has been described as cinematic, adventurous, and innovative. Recently featured in Guitar Player magazine for his collaboration with musician/composer/producer Erdem Helvacioglu on the critically acclaimed CD, “Fields and Fences”, Bill’s Solo Cd “Sanctuary”, also produced by Helvacioglu received a a top 10 pick by online zine Guitar Modern released in 2013. Recent collaborations include work with Hindustani slide master Debashish Battacharya, percussion and table master Subhasis Bhattacharjee, Guitarists Henry Kaiser, and Stephen Thelan of the band Sonar

Martin Janíček

Y2K23 Artists

Soundartist, sculptor and musician investigating acoustic qualities of various materials and spaces. Creates original sound instruments, interactive objects and installations, radiocompositions, spatial compositions. Studied at Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, 1990-1997 and later assisted at conceptual department of prof. M.Šejn–till 2002. Often site specific works, since 2000 member of mamapapa c.a., where with T.Žižka relised number of important local and international projcets.

Recently performed at: Alternativa-Prague, National Gallery Prague, Cargo train station-Prague,Topolo stazione- Italy, WB Motion- Wittenberg-Germany, Experimental Intermedia- New York, Eyebeam gallery, New York, Expo 2005, Japan etc.

Also activities for the Kunstradio Wien, with Mia Zabelka, Franz Hautzinger, collaboration with Bruno Pisek on a radio piece Sshh, with Maja Ratkje, D.Feyix,R.Malfatti

Collaboration with Michael Northam, residency at Les Bain, Bruxelles 2006
Visual score using a ground plans of former gas container- presented at National Gallery Prague.

CDs: Katalog- 1996, Mayrau- 2009, Tah- 2010, Tok -2017 

 

Rick Walker (Y2K Loopfest Founder)

Y2K23 Artists, Y2K23 Bassfest

Live looping artist Rick Walker is an electronic music composer, percussionist, trapset drummer, multi-instrumentalist and found sound musician.

“I am a found sound/live looping/abstract electronica/world percussionist/drummer/lo fi toy digital video filmaker/multi media inventor living in Northern California with my wife, the talented multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, Chris Wedertz.

I’m a found sound/live looping/abstract electronica/multi-instrumentalist who specializes in drum set and world percussion instruments. I also am very interested in making lo fi toy video ‘animations’ for the abstract electronica compositions I make.

I also founded the Annual Y2K Series of International Live Looping Festivals held every third week of October in Santa Cruz California. We’ve hosted 200 artists from 15 different countries in the festivals 8 years of existence.
I live with my talented singersongwriter/multi-instrumentalist/produce wife in Santa Cruz, CA.”

Dan Robbins

Y2K23 Artists, Y2K23 Bassfest

Dan Robbins has played and recorded in settings ranging from solo, duo, trio, etc. to big band and orchestra, and is known for driving, creative, harmonically and melodically rich background and lead parts on bass. He doubles on both acoustic bass, and four, five, six, and seven-string electric bass, in styles ranging from solo jazz chord-melody arrangements, to hard-swinging jazz double bass accompaniment, acoustic and electric funk, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Carribean, rock, R&B, blues, tango, Indian, and fusion styles, as well as arco (played with the bow) classical and comtemporary interpretations of composed music. He is also known to employ looping and effects to create the impression of a “one man band”.

He brings a fiery improvisational spirit and energy to all the projects he is involved with. Currently co-leading the funk trio Wasabi, he also has an ongoing duo project with distinguished California Poet Laureate Al Young, and plays bass for the Hristo Vitchev Quartet, Joe DeRose & Amici, the Weber Iago Trio, SEVA, Vandivier, the Martan Mann Trio, the BR Jazz Band, and also does solo concerts. He also teaches privately, and for the Monterey Jazz Festival and San Jose Jazz Society, and freelances in studios and venues in the Bay Area and beyond.

Steve Uccello

Y2K23 Artists, Y2K23 Bassfest

Steve Uccello is an upright/electric bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He has playing experience in many genres including jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, R & B, mariachi, and classical. In addition to being a musician for hire, Steve also produces his own compositions. As a bassist Steve plays gigs around the Monterey & San Fransisco Bay areas. Steve is the bassist in The Latin Jazz Collective with John Nava. He has played gigs with The Roger Eddy Band, legendary guitarist, Bruce Forman’s group: Cowbop, as well as, Along Came Betty.

Steve was also a featured soloist with the Monterey Bay Jazz Orchestra in 2009 at the 52nd annual Monterey Jazz Festival as well as with The Andy Weis Monterey Jazz Allstars at the 60th Monterey Jazz Festival in 2017.

Bass Bureaucracy

Y2K23 Artists, Y2K23 Bassfest

Bassist/vocalist John Lester has been utilizing live looping since the late ‘90’s when he won his first “Song of the Year” award from West Coast Songwriters for “The Ways of a Woman”. That song was performed on fretless 6-string bass using a Line 6 DL-4 for looping. Over 20 years later John’s live looping project , Bass Bureaucracy, includes stereo multi-effects, and arsenal of acoustic and electric 4 and 6 string basses, electronic percussion, and an innovative dual output 6 string half-fretted/half-fretless bass built my Rick Turner that allows John to play bass and guitar parts simultaneously. While John’s solo show uses the latest looping technology, his performances always focus on his award-winning songs and his personal, storytelling singer-songwriter presentation.

www.johnlestermusic.com

 

John Lester

Per Boysen

Y2K23 Artists

The Stick is like a space instrument from the future! In my instrumental solo Stick concerts I’m blending Scandinavian ethnic music from past centuries with original compositions and space age interactive electronics. I design my own performance system as a “meta-instrument” that allows me to instantly compose and arrange on the spot.

Per Boysen has performed many shows around Asia, Europe and the US – both as a solo performer, in duets and with ensembles. Appearances in general public areas as well as at world famous institutions like the Swedish Norberg Festival, Présences Électronique in Paris and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. He is also active as a media music composer, having produced recordings of surround music, mixed records for bands and creative remixing for special record label releases.

Christer Fredriksen

Y2K18 Artist, Y2K23 Artists

Norwegian guitarist Christer Fredriksen is an ambient solo jazz guitarist filled with wonderful space and melody.  After years of session work Christer has mainly focused on his solo-project, resulting in four self titled albums.

Utilising loops, ambience and the jazz idiom as an anchor, Christer creates a vast improvisational soundscape.

liveclip: https://youtu.be/g9NZzvQO728?si=kWu3qtOmqIK5H68K
web: https://www.christerfredriksen.no/
latest album: https://ramblerecords.bandcamp.com/album/mauve

 

The Daisy-Chain Repetitive Project

Artist, Y2K23 Artists

The Daisy-Chain Repetitive Project is all about surviving on stage using some unsophisticated set up and random instruments to deliberately maximize the number of failed parameters. Because, well, let’s face it gearheads, functionality is no longer a safe bet when reality is heading towards complete chaos and you’re not even sure you’ve got electricity. Better to anticipate to preserve grace and fun.

By the way, does anyone have a gramophon and a few 78-rpm I could borrow saturday evening?

Thanks, Manu.

John Connell

Y2K23 Artists

Festival Headliner. John Connell AKA Future Cassette is an electronic/experimental/live looping musician from Santa Cruz, CA. John infuses his modular synth & iOS sound design with many influences, including the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, early industrial music, and UK Bass. John has performed at the Y2K International Live Looping Festival in Santa Cruz since 2008, and has has been fortunate to have toured Mexico, France, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, & Germany w/ many great friends, sharing his music.

MANDOMAN

Y2K23 Artists

Hideki Nakanishi (aka MANDOMAN) is a live looping electric mandolin player/luthier from Osaka, Japan. Hideki uses most of him time in his Sol Anemo workshop building special order handcrafted stringed instruments for superior musicians with fine touch, and when that touch comes to music he creates with many looping pedals and one electric mandolin to spend the rest of his time on, you will hear the Nature,Life and Mountains in Nara where he grew up.

Greg Bryant

Y2K23 Artists
Greg Bryant is a multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles interested most generally in improvisation both in the context of groups, as well as through solo live looping. He has been playing, composing, and recording music for over 30 years influenced by a range of styles including punk/indie/noise rock, experimental soundscapes, musique concrete, psychedelic rock and folk, cool jazz, traditional African music, among others. Greg recently released an album available on all streaming platforms as well as on vinyl.

https://gbryant.bandzoogle.com/home
https://gbryant.bandcamp.com/
https://gbryant.hearnow.com/

Mikko Biffle

Y2K23 Artists

The nine-year-old son of a rabble rousing, ukelele playing Mother, I had begged for a drum set for months, having fallen in love with Sandy Nelson’s song, “Let There Be Drums”. That very same year, I joyously discovered a set of drums on Christmas day and proceeded to drIve my Mother absolutely mad the following weeks; at which point, the drums vanished and magicallly, a little baby Gibson guitar appeared. 
 
Fast forward Sixty-One years and I find myself deeply engaged with all manner of freely-improvised music and have found friendship and adventure with others taking the compelling and angsty dive into the world of free-improv and never really knowing what will transpire next.  
 
Spending decades with The Lunar Asylum Collective and my own Ben Wa Band, among many other projects, I now run amok with The Battered Ornaments and my friend, Mister Sound Wheels himself, R Duck. Secretly assuming the alter-ego OKKIM, I also busk and gig as a singer-songwriter with deep folk roots and an abiding love for solo acoustic guitar and a regular practice of writing prose, lyrics and stories. 
 
I still play guitar daily and give thanks for the comfort of having an enduring, lifelong passion, but alas! I also pursue downhill skateboard events around the nation with my love for speed and adrenaline and I’m forever conflicted whether music, or speed will be my partner on any given day. The muse is forever deep however and that’s a very welcome fact . . . I can be found at https://grimley-music.bandcamp.com/. Please come by for a listen!

The Winkler (Clay Bowman)

Y2K23 Artists

Clay Bowman is a guitarist and electronic musician from Houston, Texas. Growing up on the Gulf Coast in the 1960’s, Clay brings regional influences to his sound. His musical career began in the 1980s with post-punk and new wave bands. He has since performed in dive bars, art galleries, performance halls, and on the Avenue of Art at the Burning Man Festival. After participating in Loopfests in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, Clay formed the Houston Loopers Collective in 2016. The Collective has hosted performances by musicians from Houston and around the United States. His musical interests currently include both instrumental and song-based material featuring live looping. He recently performed at the Y2K18 Live Looping Festival in Mexico City. He also performs ambient music with long-time collaborator Harry Leverette as TheWinklerAndTheHare.

Cindy Sawprano

Festival Headliner

Cindy Webster is a Board Certified Music Therapist/Therapeutic Musician working in the San Francisco East Bay. She also plays the musical saw, amplified egg beaters and other gadgets. An admirer of avant-garde music, she creates soundscapes using found objects, found sound and effects. She has appeared in San Francisco, Dublin, Zootown and Grass Valley Fringe Festivals; Y2K Loop Festivals in Providence, Santa Cruz and Mexico; Musical Saw Festivals in Austria, New York and California; trees, phone booths, rooftops, film, and recordings. Cindy has been described as, “She can do more with her voice and saw than you can do with anything.”

Philippe Ollivier

Artist, Y2k22 Artist

Philippe Ollivier has had a diverse musical career, from traditional music to contemporary circus. A genuinely iconoclastic bandoneon player who mixes acoustic technique with electronics, this self-taught musician and programmer creates original compositions for films, theater, contemporary circus or installations.

In association with Christophe Baratay, he invented Logelloop, a looper software that’s essential to his most recent compositions.

With the support of Jazz & New Music, a program of the FACE Foundation and the Villa Albertine.