Y2k25 Performers
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Jeff Kaiser – USA
Read more: Jeff Kaiser – USAAllAboutJazz.com describes a Jeff Kaiser live performance as a “manic, hallucinogenic joyride through time, space and tonal distortions. He took some of the extended techniques of Lester Bowie and Bill Dixon, and stretched them past the breaking point. He would bend a note, transpose it to an impossible octave, and then send it spinning around…
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James Sidlo
Read more: James SidloJames has been looping for approximately 25 years using various guitars (baritone, fretless, bass and 8 string/baritone double neck guitar to name a few and various processing. James has performed and/orrecorded with musical bands Crevice, Pseudo Buddha, DreamLand and Honey Barbara. Warren Rivera and James recorded in a Blue Star Art Complex silo. The subsequent release “Silo 10” exploited the natural reverb found that…
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Ireri Mejia Almonte
Read more: Ireri Mejia AlmonteIreri Almonte is an indie folk singer-songwriter, multidisciplinary artist, and multi-instrumentalist originally from Morelia, Michoacán. Her musical approach establishes a dialogue between the traditional and the contemporary, presenting an innovative live-looping show that maintains Latin American sonic roots while taking them to new experimental territories. With instruments such as the charango, guitar, cuatro, leona, and…
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R Duck – USA
Read more: R Duck – USAR Duck is a Northern California-based artist and radio host, known for his engaging performances and captivating radio programs in the Bay Area. When not on air, he roams the countryside, seeking out unique sound and vision sculptures while enjoying thoughtfully crafted, sensible meal plans. Like being the Walmart greeter for live improvised electronic music…
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Bill Walker – USA
Read more: Bill Walker – USABill 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…
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Rick Walker – USA
Read more: Rick Walker – USALive 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…
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Hideki Nakanishi – Japan
Read more: Hideki Nakanishi – JapanLive looping guitar ,mandolin, et al. Player, luthier Nara Japan Hideki uses most of him time in his Sol Anemo workshop building special order handcrafted stringed instruments for superior musicians with a fine touch. And when that touch comes to music, he creates compositions using multiple looping pedals and one electric instrument – mandolin or…
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Dominika Belanska – Slovakia
Read more: Dominika Belanska – SlovakiaI am a tree with diverse fruits: an artist, poetess, singer-songwriter, dancer and creative facilitator. I grew up in the middle of Europe and was trained as an architect, but what I build nowadays is rather relationShips. I reconnect people with themselves, their community and the place they inhabit. The power of art is that it…
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Luci Alter – Mexico
Read more: Luci Alter – MexicoLuci Alter, originally from Querétaro, Mexico, fuses sonic experimentation and creativity in real time. Using tools such as a synthesizer and a looper, and with the voice as the main instrument, she creates complex and immersive musical layers. The project is distinguished by its exploration of new forms of performance, where the voice plays a…
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George Demarest – USA
Read more: George Demarest – USAGeorge 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…
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MORTICAI – USA
Read more: MORTICAI – USAMorticai, the creative persona of sound designer and musician Jeddy Grant, immerses audiences in ambient soundscapes and ethereal rhythmic melodies that transcend genre. Making use of bass and baritone guitars along with an array of effect pedals, Morticai weaves intricate, nonlinear compositions that transport listeners to realms of introspection and empathy. Their latest album, “Please…
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Rejyna – USA
Read more: Rejyna – USAFestival 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…
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Juraj Trubac – Slovakia
Read more: Juraj Trubac – SlovakiaMottore (SK) / Juraj Trubač I listen to motifs of randomness I do not play prepared songs, no specific style, no script. I just capture the music which arises at the moment. Let my musicality be the only limit. The looper gives me the might to repeat the good moments which would otherwise vanish in…
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Bob Amstadt – USA
Read more: Bob Amstadt – USABass player, Looping inventor: drawn to bass guitar 30 years ago, and the new wave/punk/post-punk (now termed dark wave) musical styles before that, Bob was intrigued by what could be done with the early looping technologies. In 1994, he decided to create his own looping technology based on his own needs. This is now known…
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Mark Hamburg
Read more: Mark HamburgMark has been looping since 1986. Most often he’s played electric guitar though he does have a cassette somewhere of an extend improv on a cheap electric organ. He was a regular performer at the Santa Cruz Loopfest from 2002 through 2010 while also documenting several of those festivals photographically. He now lives in Seattle…
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Joey Fabian
Read more: Joey FabianJoey is a San Francisco Bay Area bassist/multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, composer, producer/engineer/editor and bass/guitar instructor. His performance credits include critically acclaimed fusion unit The Bartron Tyler Group, BMA nominated blues singer Paula Harris, pop star Alana Davis and guitar hero Will Ray of The Hellecasters. He currently tours with The Stinkfoot Orchestra; a 14 piece tribute to…
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POM-LYF
Read more: POM-LYFA Multi Instrument player/Percussionist Sound Designer who only knows Drums and Frequency as a second language. Sonic Journeys into the Realms Unknown or Tranquil Uplifting Downtempo to Keep it Mellow. POM-LYF will take you There!
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Bob Burnett
Read more: Bob Burnett7 string guitarist Bob Burnett has shared the stage with Google Co-founder Larry Page, Emeril, David Lindley, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis and was a regular on Kid’s Clubhouse KTEH TV. He is also featured in “Pele Voodoo Live!: A Rockumentary”, the Annie Steinhardt book based on life on the road with popular Santa Cruz…
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Give In – aka George Cochrane
Read more: Give In – aka George CochraneWriting music live is quite a magic trick, and one that George Cochrane (AKA Give In) is always evolving. After years of meticulous studio work, Give In was tired of spending 40+ hours on a song. As a long-term “live PA” artist in the Bay Area electronic music scene, his eyes soon turned to that…
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John Lester aka Bass Bureaucracy
Read more: John Lester aka Bass BureaucracyBassist/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…
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Third Wave
Read more: Third WaveRick Walker – Gary Regina – Bill Walker Rick Walker (who coined the term ‘Live Looping’), founded the group that had the first monthly live looping gig in world history in 1995 for a year long monthly tenure at Mobo Sushi in Santa Cruz, California. The festival celebrates it’s first official 25 year celebration next…
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Chatt3r aka John Connell – USA
Read more: Chatt3r aka John Connell – USAChatt3r aka John Connell 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…
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David Leikam – USA
Read more: David Leikam – USADavid Leikam, SFBA-based improv composer-performer and sonic architect. Being born with cerebral palsy has affected his body and speech, giving him a distinct view into his creative arts/music process and being largely a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Studied music composition-improv at CalArts primarily with Wadada Leo Smith (BFA 2001, MFA 2006). https://linktr.ee/davidleikam /
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Alison Hughey
Read more: Alison HugheyInteractive live looping influenced by music therapy, world music, and classical music featuring flute, strings, voice, and percussion Raised on Pink Floyd and old Baptist hymns, Alison Hughey has been surrounded by music all her life. Learning to play flute in middle school ‘hooked’ her into music, leading her to study flute performance at Converse…
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Eliud Ernandes – Mexico
Read more: Eliud Ernandes – MexicoFestival Headliner. Eliud Ernandes began his artistic training at the young age of four years old. He has received awards and recognition from institutions such as Yamaha in Mexico and Japan, the Consulate of Mexico in Houston, Texas, the office of Master Leo Brouwer in Havana, Cuba, and the Mayor’s Office of Santa Cruz, California.…
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Mikko Biffle – USA
Read more: Mikko Biffle – USAThe 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…
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David Tristram – Visuals
Read more: David Tristram – VisualsDavid Tristram is an experimental musician and visualist. David has provided visuals for the Y2K International Live Looping Festival for many years using custom software and instruments of his own design. His live improvisational electronic ambient music ensemble Autumnal Rune performs regularly, and he releases music as Ancient Sponge. David has worked internationally and with…
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Max Scott Bortnick – USA
Read more: Max Scott Bortnick – USAMax Scott Bortnick is a Santa Cruz-born multi-instrumentalist whose music reflects a deep connection to the diverse influences that shaped him. Growing up immersed in punk rock, Hip Hop and reggae, Max developed a love for guitar and drums, playing in bands and creating energetic, raw sounds. Over time, his musical journey evolved to include…
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Ryan Price – USA
Read more: Ryan Price – USARyan Price is a multi-instrumentalist out of Santa Cruz, CA who has melded an array of genres spanning from Funk, to R&B, to Jazz and on into a unique style of his own. He is known for looping bass, guitar, vocals, and percussion all on the spot in front of a live audience. www.facebook.com/RyanPriceGrooves Ryan…
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AL-EK
Read more: AL-EKAL-EK is an audiovisual collaboration creating visceral experiences through synchronized soundscapes, and eclectic-sourced visuals. The project features a dynamic foundation of synthesized electronic sound interwoven with live music. The soundscape fuels a varied background energy expressed through imagery and motion. AL-EK inspires curious dialogue through warped perceptions and sensory provocations. http://www.al-ek.com/ Instagram: @al_ek_com Longtime collaborator…
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Dave DeLeon
Read more: Dave DeLeonFor over a decade, Dave has been a dynamic presence in the Santa Cruz music and theater scene, performing with a variety of musical groups and local productions. Beyond the stage, he’s the creator and host of The Talking Drum, a popular podcast dedicated to the art of drumming. A passionate and ever-evolving creative spirit,…
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Oskar Elek – Visuals
Read more: Oskar Elek – VisualsOskar Elek is a cross-disciplinary scientist specializing in complex systems simulation, artificial life, data modeling and visualization, currently based at the University of California in Santa Cruz and the Open Source Program Office therein. His work has theoretical and applied aspects. On the theoretical side I explore novel algorithms for bio-inspired emergent network reconstruction and interactive 3D visualization of the resulting datasets. On the…
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Denise Gallant – Visuals
Read more: Denise Gallant – VisualsDenise was the first to do live visuals on the West Coast – LA in the 1980’s, SF in the late 1970s. She started editing at NBC LA in 1977. Here is a visual synopsis that explains it all:
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Tripform – USA
Read more: Tripform – USAFormed by Pablo Manzarek and Norm Reed in the year 2019. Tripform is based in Santa Barbara California. Tripform forged their far reaching musical style during their journey through the darkest of Covid lockdowns. Through it all, Tripform thrived! Composing by way of spontaneous, looping improvisation in real time, often videoing, or streaming live on Youtube, Instagram…
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Pirate Doctor Lazer Monkey – USA
Read more: Pirate Doctor Lazer Monkey – USAPirate Doctor Lazer Monkey was born when Devon Brockopp-Hammer and Keeva Yvester chained their personal RC-505’s together and began to stream their completely improvised two-person jams online, continually improving upon their approach and bringing new gear, techniques and ideas into the mix with each iteration of their 2+ hour sets. What’s developed since is a…
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Paul Scott – England
Read more: Paul Scott – EnglandOriginally hailing from Northumberland in North-East England, Paul Scott has been living and making music in the Santa Cruz area for over 15 years now. He plays out in a singer-songwriter style Project Shooting Coal, a Britpop / Indie Covers and Originals band Common People, and previously as a male & female vocal led acoustic…
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Matt Herman – USA
Read more: Matt Herman – USAOriginally from the East Coast, I’ve resided in CA for much of my adult life and have played guitar in experimental groups in San Francisco. I began looping sometime around 2000, creating a feedback loop on my 4-track with cascaded digital delays in the effects send, embracing the decreased fidelity of each subsequent repeat (due…
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Tim Thompson – Visuals
Read more: Tim Thompson – VisualsTim Thompson is a software engineer, musician, and interactive installation artist. His wide-ranging artistic work over four decades includes a programming language for MIDI, interactive installations at Burning Man and other festivals, musical performances with Playstation dance pads and QWERTY keyboards, and realtime video looping and processing with a handheld security camera. Recently, Tim has…
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Philipp Zuercher – | PHIL & ZOIA – Switzerland
Read more: Philipp Zuercher – | PHIL & ZOIA – SwitzerlandPHIL is Philipp Zuercher, a Swiss musician and music producer. Philipp plays original instrumental compositions and improvisations, juxtaposing progressive rock, modal jazz, modern classical and electronic music. In the late 1980s, he was one of the first electric guitarists in Switzerland to make live loops an integral part of his solo repertoire – inspired by…
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Martin Janíček
Read more: Martin JaníčekSoundartist, 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…
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Henry Kaiser – USA
Read more: Henry Kaiser – USAHenry Kaiser is an American guitarist and composer, known as an idiosyncratic soloist, a sideman, an ethnomusicologist, and a film score composer. Recording and performing prolifically in many styles of music, Kaiser is a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. http://www.henrykaiserguitar.com/
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The Daisy-Chain Repetitive Project
Read more: The Daisy-Chain Repetitive ProjectThe 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…
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Dan Robbins
Read more: Dan RobbinsDan 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…
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Philippe Ollivier
Read more: Philippe OllivierPhilippe 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…
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Los Hijos de Doña Loope – aka Marcos Garcia Fregoso (Mexico)
Read more: Los Hijos de Doña Loope – aka Marcos Garcia Fregoso (Mexico)Marcos García Fregoso is an experimental guitarist from Guadalajara Jalisco who likes to use music as a vehicle to explore the inner-self. He is well versed in traditional regional Mexican song traditions and creates a strong combination of modern live looping sensibilities and Mexican roots music. Marcos performs as “Los Hijos de Doña Loope” (The…
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The Rhythm Method 3.0 – USA
Read more: The Rhythm Method 3.0 – USAThe Rhythm Method 3.0 is a duo experimenting with a blend of western blues, rock and funk combined with African melodies and rhythmic improvisation. The Rhythm Method 3.0 are: Djidé “Mont-Kamerun” Koffa is a native of Cameroon, a country in Central Africa, that is also called Africa in miniature because Africa in terms of its…
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Daniel Lewis
Read more: Daniel LewisDaniel Vee Lewis is bassist from Santa Cruz California. A former MCA recording artist and local performer for over 35 years. Jaco Pastorius , Mick Karn , among many others Bass players have been inspirational in his development. “The first looping I ever saw/heard was Jaco , performing ‘Slang’ , so magical and inspiring !”
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EToOto (aka Yasushi Matsui)
Read more: EToOto (aka Yasushi Matsui)Painting with Sound EToOto is romanized Japanese, which means “Painting with Sound”. Yasushi Matsui aims to establish new and innovative techniques that fuse together painting with sound since technological developments have made possible the unity of a brush stroke with a sound. This project started the end of 2013, and got evolved with new technologies,…
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Giacomo Fiore
Read more: Giacomo FioreItalian-born guitarist and musicologist Giacomo Fiore has premiered more than two dozen new works for justly-tuned, electric, and classical guitars, and released several recordings for Populist, Cold Blue, Pinna, Spectropol, Paper Garden Records, and his own impressum. As a scholar his research focuses on U.S. experimental music, intonation, and performance; he has published articles in…
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Katja Šulc – Slovenia
Read more: Katja Šulc – SloveniaSinger, songwriter and musician from Slovenia, intertwining poetry, folk and traditional heritage drawing from songs and storytelling. After studying music at New School in New York (Jazz & Contemporary Music), Katja Šulc released five studio albums – Mila (2008), Twisted Delight (2013), Kamlisajlan – Homage to Rromani poetry (2016), Caricias (2021), West Wind Blow From Your Prairie Nest (2024) – and presented her music throughout…
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Grant Stoner – USA
Read more: Grant Stoner – USAI’ve been looping for at least 10 years. I enjoy how it enables a “one man band” person like me to bring that to a live situation. I grew up back east, but have resided in California for the last 25 years. I’ve always been into music. I’m primarily a guitarist, but I attempt to…
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Otros Cronopios
Read more: Otros CronopiosFrom Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. https://twitter.com/otroscronopios
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ANI – USA
Read more: ANI – USAANI (Amy Lee) is a multi-instrumentalist who makes DJ-style dance and funk music with wild synth solos and pumping beats. But this year, she is bringing a special guitar: a Rick Turner Model 1. Hear her latest half hour set that blends pop, R&B, and metal in a continuous mix looped on a BOSS RC-600 pedal.…