Fat Worm of Error
Encyclopedia
Fat Worm of Error is an Experimental
/Noise
/conceptual art
avant garde rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts. They are seen as staples of the underground noise and improvisation scene and helped to start what is known as a regional form of noise music called Western Mass Noise scene. They have been associated with the New Weird America
genre. They utilize traditional rock instruments as well as homemade electronics and other modified instruments. In their live performances, the singer engages in homemade pageantry with homemade surrealist costumes. The band has toured Europe and North America.
in Hadley, Ma.
Members have been in various bands and solo projects. Members Chris Cooper and Jess Goddard are former members of the band Deerhoof
, and pioneering conceptual noise rock band Caroliner
. Solo projects include Schurt Kwitters (Goddard), Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase (Cooper), Offal (Shaw), Bromb Treb (Young), and Rack Rash (Sheldon). Other projects include The BSC with Bhob Rainey, Greg Kelley, Howard Stelzer, James Coleman, Liz Tonne, Mike Bullock, Vic Rawlings and Chris Cooper; and the Goonies, a defining Central Massachusetts punk/hardcore/ska band of the mid-1990s.
In 2009, Fat Worm of Error took up residency in Rotterdam, Netherlands at the independent record label and art collective, De Player, where they produced an opera called Poor Sap. The entire set for the opera was handmade by the members during their residency. During their residency, they also produced 50 handmade 8" lathe-cut records of a piece from the opera as a part of the De Player 8" series. In 2010, at the request of Northwestern University, Fat Worm of Error created a soundtrack to 17 Arthur Ganson
Machines, which they performed at the Sonic Celluloid festival. The soundtrack was self-released in the later part of 2010. They were named #90 on Tiny Mix Tape's list of top 100 bands of 2000-2009.
writers for many of their songs. Their songs often have various discernable patterns for one or a few instruments layered over patterns prescribed to the other remaining instruments. Their music is deconstructionist and orchestrated destructionist, and often examine the restrictions and prescriptions of traditional music theories, like time signatures and harmony. Their version of noisy rock employs tightly controlled, distorted, and modified electronic reverberations and free jazz techniques of instrumental modifications. For example, their bass employs just two strings. The effect often sounds improvisational, and it is to an extent unknown to anyone but the 5 of them.
They have released a split cassette with Deerhoof on Deathbomb Arc and appear on a compilation mastered by Hans Grusel with Sun City Girls
, Caroliner
, Nautical Almanac, Metalux, Wolf Eyes, Mono Pause, Hans Grüsel's Krankenkabinet, Tarantism, Tom Recchion, Sixes, Bran(...)Pos, Masonic Youth, Pod Blotz, Smegma, Panicsville, and others on Resipiscent.
, 2010)
Ambivalence and the Beaker - CD (Resipiscent
, 2010)
Music for 17 Arthur Ganson Machines - Cassette (Self-released, 2010)
Poor Sap - Lathe, 8" (Drop Of Blood Records, 2009)
Double-headed Baby - 7" (Brazilian Wax, 2010)
Feted Corps - with Deerhoof
cassette split (Deathbomb Arc, 2007)
Pregnant Babies Pregnant with Pregnant Babies - LP and CD (Load Records
, 2006)
Numbers - 7" (Ultra Eczema, 2006)
Brickfaced - Cassette (Brazilian Wax, 2005)
String Of Artifacts - (Fish Pies, Resipiscent
, Compilation V/A, 2005)
NZZNZZZZNNZNZNNNN - CD (Yeay! Cassettes, 2004)
Summer Mixtape - Cassette (Self-released, 2003)
C C - Cassette (Yeay! Cassettes, 2003)
Feelin' Fine - 7" (No label, 2003)
Grx EP - CD (No label, 2003)
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
/Noise
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
/conceptual art
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
avant garde rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts. They are seen as staples of the underground noise and improvisation scene and helped to start what is known as a regional form of noise music called Western Mass Noise scene. They have been associated with the New Weird America
New Weird America
New Weird America describes a subgenre of psychedelic and indie music, often psych folk, of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.-Origin of the term:...
genre. They utilize traditional rock instruments as well as homemade electronics and other modified instruments. In their live performances, the singer engages in homemade pageantry with homemade surrealist costumes. The band has toured Europe and North America.
History
The band is composed of Jess Goddard (vocals), Tim Sheldon (guitar), Chris Cooper (guitar), Donny Shaw (bass), Neil "Neel" Young (drums). They formed in 2002 in Western Massachusetts, played their first show at The SchoolhouseThe Schoolhouse
The Schoolhouse is a mid-19th century public school building that was used as a performance space from 2001-2005, it is located at 30 West Street in the farming town of Hadley, Massachusetts in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The building was originally referred to as "Hadley District...
in Hadley, Ma.
Members have been in various bands and solo projects. Members Chris Cooper and Jess Goddard are former members of the band Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
, and pioneering conceptual noise rock band Caroliner
Caroliner
Caroliner, a group formed in 1983 in San Francisco, is an industrial bluegrass–experimental–Noise conceptual art band that utilizes instruments from bluegrass and rock traditions, as well as homemade electronics and other modified instruments...
. Solo projects include Schurt Kwitters (Goddard), Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase (Cooper), Offal (Shaw), Bromb Treb (Young), and Rack Rash (Sheldon). Other projects include The BSC with Bhob Rainey, Greg Kelley, Howard Stelzer, James Coleman, Liz Tonne, Mike Bullock, Vic Rawlings and Chris Cooper; and the Goonies, a defining Central Massachusetts punk/hardcore/ska band of the mid-1990s.
In 2009, Fat Worm of Error took up residency in Rotterdam, Netherlands at the independent record label and art collective, De Player, where they produced an opera called Poor Sap. The entire set for the opera was handmade by the members during their residency. During their residency, they also produced 50 handmade 8" lathe-cut records of a piece from the opera as a part of the De Player 8" series. In 2010, at the request of Northwestern University, Fat Worm of Error created a soundtrack to 17 Arthur Ganson
Arthur Ganson
Arthur Ganson is a renowned kinetic sculptor. Ganson makes mechanical art demonstrations and Rube Goldberg machines with existential themes. Ganson has held residencies in science museums, collaborated with the Studebaker Movement Theatre, and been featured in one-man shows at the MIT Museum,...
Machines, which they performed at the Sonic Celluloid festival. The soundtrack was self-released in the later part of 2010. They were named #90 on Tiny Mix Tape's list of top 100 bands of 2000-2009.
Music
Fat Worm of Error has been compared to the Dada art movement and invariably fit into the noise rock and free jazz genres. They often employ a constrained composing technique in the tradition of the OulipoOulipo
Oulipo is a loose gathering of French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques. It was founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François Le Lionnais...
writers for many of their songs. Their songs often have various discernable patterns for one or a few instruments layered over patterns prescribed to the other remaining instruments. Their music is deconstructionist and orchestrated destructionist, and often examine the restrictions and prescriptions of traditional music theories, like time signatures and harmony. Their version of noisy rock employs tightly controlled, distorted, and modified electronic reverberations and free jazz techniques of instrumental modifications. For example, their bass employs just two strings. The effect often sounds improvisational, and it is to an extent unknown to anyone but the 5 of them.
They have released a split cassette with Deerhoof on Deathbomb Arc and appear on a compilation mastered by Hans Grusel with Sun City Girls
Sun City Girls
The Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop , his brother Richard Bishop , and the late Charles Gocher . Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona, an Arizona retirement community...
, Caroliner
Caroliner
Caroliner, a group formed in 1983 in San Francisco, is an industrial bluegrass–experimental–Noise conceptual art band that utilizes instruments from bluegrass and rock traditions, as well as homemade electronics and other modified instruments...
, Nautical Almanac, Metalux, Wolf Eyes, Mono Pause, Hans Grüsel's Krankenkabinet, Tarantism, Tom Recchion, Sixes, Bran(...)Pos, Masonic Youth, Pod Blotz, Smegma, Panicsville, and others on Resipiscent.
Discography
Broods - LP (Ecstatic Peace/Open MouthEcstatic Peace
Ecstatic Peace! is a record label based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, founded in 1981 by Sonic Youth member Thurston Moore. The premiere release was a split cassette featuring spoken word performances from Michael Gira of Swans and Lydia Lunch...
, 2010)
Ambivalence and the Beaker - CD (Resipiscent
Resipiscent
Resipiscent is an independent record label based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2005 by James Decker and Thomas Day.The label publishes a wide range of experimental music and film. Most of its releases are extremely limited editions involving handcrafted package art...
, 2010)
Music for 17 Arthur Ganson Machines - Cassette (Self-released, 2010)
Poor Sap - Lathe, 8" (Drop Of Blood Records, 2009)
Double-headed Baby - 7" (Brazilian Wax, 2010)
Feted Corps - with Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
cassette split (Deathbomb Arc, 2007)
Pregnant Babies Pregnant with Pregnant Babies - LP and CD (Load Records
Load Records
Load Records is an American noise/experimental independent record label based out of Providence, Rhode Island. "Load Records might possibly be in possession of the world's most challenging record roster," writes Mark Hensch of Thrash Pit...
, 2006)
Numbers - 7" (Ultra Eczema, 2006)
Brickfaced - Cassette (Brazilian Wax, 2005)
String Of Artifacts - (Fish Pies, Resipiscent
Resipiscent
Resipiscent is an independent record label based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2005 by James Decker and Thomas Day.The label publishes a wide range of experimental music and film. Most of its releases are extremely limited editions involving handcrafted package art...
, Compilation V/A, 2005)
NZZNZZZZNNZNZNNNN - CD (Yeay! Cassettes, 2004)
Summer Mixtape - Cassette (Self-released, 2003)
C C - Cassette (Yeay! Cassettes, 2003)
Feelin' Fine - 7" (No label, 2003)
Grx EP - CD (No label, 2003)