Anti-Social Music
Encyclopedia
Anti-Social Music is a composer/performer collective
founded in New York City
in 2001. The group started as a one-off concert organized by Franz Nicolay
of world premieres of works by William Brittelle, Jason Freeman, Dan Lasaga, Franz Nicolay, and John Wriggle at Columbia University's Philosophy Hall on March 25, 2001.
ASM performs two concerts of all world premieres annually. World Premieres Shows have been held in various New York venues including the Pantheon Theater, The Flea Theater, CAMI Hall, Greenwich House Music School, Merkin Hall, and La Tea and are noted for their informality and tongue-in-cheek attitude.
ASM's first recording, "ASM Sings the Great American Songbook" was released on Peacock Recordings and features world premiere recordings of works by William Brittelle, Peter Hess, Andrea La Rose, Dan Lasaga, Pat Muchmore, Franz Nicolay, Ken Thomson, and John Wriggle and was funded by the Cary Trust. This recording was listed in Magnet Magazine's "Top Ten Recordings You Didn't Hear" for 2005.
ASM produced the hit indie opera The Nitrate Hymnal, a multimedia one hour work in four acts by writer Bob Massey and filmmaker David Wilson. The Nitrate Hymnal had its world premiere at the Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia on January 23, 2003. The performance featured a hybrid orchestra of post punk and classically trained musicians, and told the story of a couple who obsessively filmed their lives. In 2005, ASM partnered with Bob Massey and The Gena Rowlands Band to re-orchestrate and record songs from The Nitrate Hymnal, which was released on Lujo Records in 2006 and funded by the Copland Fund for Recording.
Inspired by the success of the Nitrate Hymnal, ASM has partnered with innovative composers working outside the classical and jazz traditions in a new DIY commissioning program called "ASM Sleeps Around." The first partnership was with experimental hip hop group Dälek
; the second was with Warn Defever from His Name Is Alive
.
ASM's fourth studio recording "...is the Future of Everything" was released by Peacock Recordings in April 2011.
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
founded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2001. The group started as a one-off concert organized by Franz Nicolay
Franz Nicolay
Franz Nicolay is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010...
of world premieres of works by William Brittelle, Jason Freeman, Dan Lasaga, Franz Nicolay, and John Wriggle at Columbia University's Philosophy Hall on March 25, 2001.
ASM performs two concerts of all world premieres annually. World Premieres Shows have been held in various New York venues including the Pantheon Theater, The Flea Theater, CAMI Hall, Greenwich House Music School, Merkin Hall, and La Tea and are noted for their informality and tongue-in-cheek attitude.
ASM's first recording, "ASM Sings the Great American Songbook" was released on Peacock Recordings and features world premiere recordings of works by William Brittelle, Peter Hess, Andrea La Rose, Dan Lasaga, Pat Muchmore, Franz Nicolay, Ken Thomson, and John Wriggle and was funded by the Cary Trust. This recording was listed in Magnet Magazine's "Top Ten Recordings You Didn't Hear" for 2005.
ASM produced the hit indie opera The Nitrate Hymnal, a multimedia one hour work in four acts by writer Bob Massey and filmmaker David Wilson. The Nitrate Hymnal had its world premiere at the Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia on January 23, 2003. The performance featured a hybrid orchestra of post punk and classically trained musicians, and told the story of a couple who obsessively filmed their lives. In 2005, ASM partnered with Bob Massey and The Gena Rowlands Band to re-orchestrate and record songs from The Nitrate Hymnal, which was released on Lujo Records in 2006 and funded by the Copland Fund for Recording.
Inspired by the success of the Nitrate Hymnal, ASM has partnered with innovative composers working outside the classical and jazz traditions in a new DIY commissioning program called "ASM Sleeps Around." The first partnership was with experimental hip hop group Dälek
Dälek
dälek is an American experimental hip hop duo from Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of MC dälek and the Oktopus...
; the second was with Warn Defever from His Name Is Alive
His Name Is Alive
His Name Is Alive is an experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label...
.
ASM's fourth studio recording "...is the Future of Everything" was released by Peacock Recordings in April 2011.
Members
ASM's principal members include:- William Brittelle (The Blondes)
- Hubert Chen
- Jean Cook (IdaIda (band)Ida is an indie rock band from New York City. They are known for their three part harmonies, sparse, minimal, often quiet arrangements, and for their three singer-songwriters...
, Beauty PillBeauty PillBeauty Pill is a shapeshifting post-rock band from Washington, DC based around the songs and ideas of singer/guitarist/producer Chad Clark.Beauty Pill's music is characterized by cinematic arrangements, sinuous melodies, and electronic textures and treatments. This detailed, atmospheric aesthetic...
, Jon LangfordJon LangfordJon Langford born October 11, 1957, Newport, Monmouthshire is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is presently based in Chicago. He is the younger brother of science-fiction author and critic David Langford...
, Gena Rowlands Band) - David Durst (Poor But Sexy, The Gena Rowlands Band)
- Joe Exley (Tubajoe)
- Peter Hess (Balkan Beat BoxBalkan Beat BoxBalkan Beat Box is an Israeli musical group founded by Tamir Muskat, Ori Kaplan of Firewater and Big Lazy, and Tomer Yosef . As a musical project they often cooperate with a host of other musicians both in the studio as well as live...
, The World/Inferno Friendship SocietyThe World/Inferno Friendship SocietyThe World/Inferno Friendship Society is a band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merges punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership features horns, piano and guitar. The ensemble has over 30 members, including a former member of Dexys Midnight Runners. About nine or ten members...
) - Bradley Kemp
- Andrea La Rose
- Dan Lasaga
- Pat Muchmore
- Franz NicolayFranz NicolayFranz Nicolay is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010...
(The Hold SteadyThe Hold SteadyThe Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
, World/Inferno Friendship Society, Guignol) - Kamala Sankaram
- Maria Sonevytsky (Main Squeeze Orchestra, The Debutante HourThe Debutante HourThe Debutante Hour are a trio, based in New York City, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Susan Hwang, Mia Pixley, and Maria Sonevytsky. Typically, Sonevytsky and Hwang trade off accordion and primary vocal duties, and Pixley plays cello, as well as providing additional vocals...
) - Ken Thomson (gutbucket, World/Inferno Friendship Society)
- John Wriggle (Swing Repair, Ex Caminos)
Discography
- Anti-Social Music Sings the Great American Songbook (Peacock 007)
- Anti-Social Music + Gena Rowlands Band: The Nitrate Hymnal (Lujo RecordsLujo RecordsLujo Records is a United States independent record label that was founded in 2001 by Erik Aucoin who was a student at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana at the time. In 2004, Lujo Records relocated to Washington, DC, and Jocelyn Toews bought 50% of the label. In 2006 Aucoin and...
038) - Fracture: The Music of Pat Muchmore (Innova Recordings 760)
- Anti-Social Music is the Future of Everything (Peacock 015)