tell me about los angeles free music society/le forte four/doo-dooettes

In a way, the LAFMS bridged the years between the appearance of Meet the Residents in '74 and 1/2 Japanese's first EP in '77; linking the Euro-rooted sophistication of early '70s American experimentation to the insanely intuitive noise gushing that came about after punk unlocked the undergrounds id. The sound of Smegma was the exact kind of thing that every isolated suburban Beefheart fan imagined himself or herself producing in the company of true peers. The same could be said of Le Forte Four, the Doo-Dooettes, Airway, and most of the other units that the LAFMS extruded. These bastards all glued together choice, disparate elements of musical-fringe-culture like the dedicated, all-American scientific-hobbyists they were.

Improvisation, concrete assemblage, kraut-moosh, tinkling, noise, and weirdness for the sake of weirdness were all perceived as hallmarks of the LAFMS ethos. In a year as dull as 1975, the wee-est taste of meat that strong could be enough to separate your head from your body. Forever. Again. For those who were brave enough to send away for LAFMS records or tapes, its name will gawp forever as a wide portal to a parallel cosmos that could only be suspected in the years before the "cassette revolution" (so called). And since almost no one has ever heard all the material that makes up this voluminous compendium, it is guaranteed to be its own set of trap doors to a very special void.

You are there. Now. Lucky. -

--Byron Coley, Northampton, MA. 1994

hmm, is there anyone at forced exposure i could trade with? i will probably never have a hundred dollars to spend for many many years.

LAFMS is pretty spotty stuff. They've been very good at mythologizing themselves. Some of it's wondrously good.

But yeah, I immediately thought of JC. He da LAFMS man.

LAFMS had a "float" in the Pasadena Doo Dah parade about 25 years ago that consisted of some metal poles forming a big cube over which they had stretched black plastic. They walked inside the cube, playing some instruments (horns, maybe a drum and guitar).

maybe rrr will spot me a copy. when and if, etc...

http://www.volcanictongue.com/artist.php?art=Airway

I liked it well enough on first listen though I should go back! I've finally been digging into all the LAFMS a bit after knowing about 'em for years and all.

I'd probably write a bit more but I'm off to work.

*Artist: DUCK, DENNIS
Title: Dennis Duck Goes Disco
Format: Double LP
Label: Poobah
Country: USA
Price: $24.00
"A first-time widely available issue of this 1977 cassette-only release
from LAFMS member and SMEGMA cofounder DENNIS DUCK, and an early
example of turntable manipulation. Dennis Duck Goes Disco was made
entirely with a phonograph and records, utilizing skipping and pitch
changes for most of the effects. Originally released in an edition of
20 copies. Packaged with artwork by TOM RECCHION-vinyl in a gatefold
sleeve." - Poobah. "DDGD is probably the LAFMS release I listened to
the most."-Ace Farren Ford.

Some of those omissions were rectified by the LP+7" series but not enough for me.

btw, any news on Gary Todd?

Second of the PooBah LAFMS reissues is out--Acnode One.
One LP is the first Dr. Id tape (+ guests) and the second LP is the first Ju Sukreet Meet tape (+ guests). Awesome stuff. Free playing, tape loops, junk noises, sound collage, tinkling bells, weirdo moaning. Awesome awesome stuff. I like it more than the Dennis Duck set, I think, by virtue of its diversity. Also, both LPs have outtakes from the sessions that were not originally issued on the tapes. Get it get it get it.

This stuff is circa 76/77 I believe.

I have a few Recchion cassettes down in storage that got a ton of my eartime in the 80s. I really should dig those out.

-- libcrypt, Thursday, March 1, 2007 7:14 AM (9 months ago) Bookmark Link

^^ you should sell them to ME.

tell me more about Dennis Duck. i have heard good things and have been looking out for that release of 10 months ago.

We keep that Dennis Duck Goes Disco action in stock at almost all time, mike. It's a lot of loops and turntable manipulation. Whacked out, wrong speed, no anti-skate control.. needle just kinda sits in a groove for a while and shifts over whenever it feels like it. I enjoy it a lot.

I've only heard the Dennis Duck track from the 10 CD box set. One o' Clock Jump, I think it's called. Really cool track, like a hyper-edited Chip 'n' Dale megamix. Is each track a different kind of experiment though? I'm guessing there's much more direct manipulation involved...

Mr. Ellison is correct. Dennis Duck Does Disco is fantastic. Then again, seeing Smegma too many times live has retarded my ability to appreciate them as much as the straight up LAFMSers. Also, Mike Lastra's Northwest Passage doc kinda sucks, but then again, so did the Portland scene with a few exceptions.

Heads up:

Brian Turner doing a 3 hr. special on the Los Angeles Free Music Society right now - Tune in: http://wfmu.org/wfmu.pls

Three day LAFMS retrospective going on in London at the end of the month

http://www.dangerousminds.net/images/uploads/LAFMS_A3_PosterAW.jpg

OMG I will JUST miss this!!

in a classical piece of procrastination, i umm'd and ah'd about whether to buy a 3 day pass and now it's all but sold out. 1 day tickets remaining for Friday only. so badly wanted to see Saturday's show. fuck it!!

>:[

Ah shit I was also dithering about going on Saturday. I can't really afford it, got Swans next week, Membranes/Wolfhounds the week after and Wire the week after that, so probably just as well.

oh hey.... thanks for reminding me about Swans. hopefully that hasn't sold out too.

It hasn't - I only just bought my ticket.

Would be curious to know the tracklisting for the 2CDR that jack made hstencil

Noise fest next weekend at The Box Gallery in the Arts District. No word of it on The Box's site though.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lafms/

Juan Gomez parts with his music collection.

http://www.amoeba.com/blog/2016/10/amoeba-music/avant-garde-music-collection-arrives-at-amoeba-hollywood-october-22.html

I was looking for this thread yesterday! They have another insane box set, new stuff:

https://www.strandedrecords.com/collections/upcoming/products/los-angeles-free-music-society-lafms-box-box-13xlp?mc_cid=a2c026fc30&mc_eid=339cebe4f6

They're also doing something at the Armory in Pasadena tomorrow that I will go to. Follow the link to their fb page I posted in July.

Los Angeles Free Music Society: the west coast's own Radiophonic Workshop

Another article.

https://frieze.com/article/rest-was-noise

Late notice, but Airway and more are playing at Zebulon tonight.

https://www.facebook.com/events/712621745898356/

Dennis Duck Goes Disco is fantastic.

― Tim Ellison, Thursday, March 1, 2007 12:00 AM (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

it's true. and the reissue 2xLP is available on the secondhand market for under ten dollars !

LAFMS is pretty spotty stuff. They've been very good at mythologizing themselves. Some of it's wondrously good.

although i'm far from hearing their entire recorded output, this is pretty much the impression i have, especially listening to the "blorp essette" 4xCD comp just now. some of it is really good, some of it is fine.

byron coley blurb upthread kinda makes me want to barf

kinda related, but this single from 82 by the band Stillife is amazing – great Can rip a-side (Rubrica)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsOtHTpbeP8

and a great Glass/Reich-lite piece on the b-side (sounds eerily like Keith Fullerton Whitman circa Multiples)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veryZdGhfec

Tom Recchion and Dennis Duck play on it

I'm seeing on the LAFMS facebook page that Ace Farren Ford of the Los Angeles Free Music Society scene has passed away.