Amps for Christ
Encyclopedia
Amps For Christ is the current music project of Man is the Bastard
and Bastard Noise
veteran and metal/noise pioneer Henry Barnes. The project is based out of Claremont, California
.
with his love for traditional folk music, classical composition, and jazz. Barnes and his friend and fellow Man is the Bastard
veteran Joel Connell started Two Ambiguous Figures, in which Barnes played the sitar
and Connell played the tabla
. Fiddling with the traditional India
n instruments led to the creation of Amps for Christ, which is known for its esoteric and geographically diverse instrumentation.
Barnes also wanted to add an element of technical sound making to the project. Barnes and his collaborators often modify or create their own musical instruments in order to get specific sounds for their tracks. Some examples of these instrument and sound creations include stringed instruments, pre-amps
, amplifiers, and other acoustic instruments. Barnes is reportedly fascinated with waveform
manipulation, another theme that is prominent throughout Amps for Christ.
stemmed from his mother, a traditional ballad singer and folk music enthusiast. Barnes' father, an avid John Cage
enthusiast, jazz
singer/songwriter, and washboardist, also had a large effect on the project that would become Amps for Christ. Barnes also credits his grandmother, a church organist, with great effect on his music. The music's political component derives in part from the left wing ideals of Man is the Bastard
.
, peace
, problems with modern capitalism
, and Barnes' relationship with God
(Branches).
with poetry.
Barnes friends make guest appearances in tracks, notably Marz of Pyramids On Mars, members of Scam (band), VomitToxin, Barnes' brother R. Barnes, and Barnes' dad R.G. Barnes.
Erika M Anderson, of GOWNS, also appears sometimes, playing guitar notably on "Empire". Source : http://www.pukekos.org/2009/08/amps-for-christ.html
Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
and Bastard Noise
Bastard Noise
-History:The Bastard Noise was founded in 1991 by Henry Barnes, W. T. Nelson and Eric Wood, initially as a side project of powerviolence band Man Is The Bastard.-Project personnel and past contributors:...
veteran and metal/noise pioneer Henry Barnes. The project is based out of Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
.
Concept
Conceptually, Amps for Christ originated in 1996, when Barnes met recording enthusiast and The Dull bandmember Enid Snarb. Barnes decided that he wanted to combine his experience with experimental noise and extreme metalExtreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
with his love for traditional folk music, classical composition, and jazz. Barnes and his friend and fellow Man is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
veteran Joel Connell started Two Ambiguous Figures, in which Barnes played the sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
and Connell played the tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
. Fiddling with the traditional India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n instruments led to the creation of Amps for Christ, which is known for its esoteric and geographically diverse instrumentation.
Barnes also wanted to add an element of technical sound making to the project. Barnes and his collaborators often modify or create their own musical instruments in order to get specific sounds for their tracks. Some examples of these instrument and sound creations include stringed instruments, pre-amps
Preamplifier
A preamplifier is an electronic amplifier that prepares a small electrical signal for further amplification or processing. A preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main...
, amplifiers, and other acoustic instruments. Barnes is reportedly fascinated with waveform
Waveform
Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a physical medium or an abstract representation.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph...
manipulation, another theme that is prominent throughout Amps for Christ.
Influences
Barnes, well-known in the experimental music scene, attributes his desire to experiment with sound to his eclectic childhood tastes in music. Barnes' interest in folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
stemmed from his mother, a traditional ballad singer and folk music enthusiast. Barnes' father, an avid John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
enthusiast, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer/songwriter, and washboardist, also had a large effect on the project that would become Amps for Christ. Barnes also credits his grandmother, a church organist, with great effect on his music. The music's political component derives in part from the left wing ideals of Man is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
.
Works
Amps for Christ strives for diversity among its musical creations, which, perhaps intentionally, makes the project hard to define. The tracks put out by Amps for Christ are experimental sound ventures that attempt a fluid and organic union with folk poetry and structured acoustic music. Some are mostly noise (Imitation) whereas other tracks refer to the European folk tradition (Enid's Rant). Many are also reminiscent of early 70's American folk-rock (Flowers And Leaves). The project emphasizes multicultured, multilayered, and multi-genred composition as well as broadly ranged themes. Many tracks treat loveLove
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, problems with modern capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, and Barnes' relationship with God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(Branches).
Other members and guest appearances
Amps for Christ projects often include Enid Snarb on electronics, Tara Tikki Tavi on Chinese instruments/vocals and Charlie WhiteCharlie White
Charlie White is a Los Angeles-based artist.White received his BFA in 1994 from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and received his MFA from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, in 1998...
with poetry.
Barnes friends make guest appearances in tracks, notably Marz of Pyramids On Mars, members of Scam (band), VomitToxin, Barnes' brother R. Barnes, and Barnes' dad R.G. Barnes.
Erika M Anderson, of GOWNS, also appears sometimes, playing guitar notably on "Empire". Source : http://www.pukekos.org/2009/08/amps-for-christ.html
Discography
- The Plains of Alluvial, tape (1995, Shrimper)
- The Secret of the Almost Straight Line, 7" (1996, Westside Audio Labs)
- Beggars Garden, CD (1997, Shrimper)
- Thorny Path, LP/CD (1997, Vermiform)
- Songs from Mt. Ion, CD (1998, Total Annihilation)
- Circuits, CD (1999, Vermiform)
- "AFC/Jalopaz split", 7" (1999, Manufracture)
- Electrosphere, CD (2000, Shrimper)
- The Oak in the Ashes, CD (2001, Shrimper)
- "AFC/1-Eyed Cyclops split", 7" (2001, Empty Chairs)
- The People at Large, CD (2004, 5RC)
- AFC/Bastard Noise, CD (2005, Helicopter)
- Every Eleven Seconds, CD (2006, 5RC)
External links
- Amps for Christ Official Site
- The People at Large Review
- Every Eleven Seconds Review
- Man is the Bastard Discography
- Vermiform Records Official site