Biofeedback: Give Me Back My Lab and My Freedom of Speech!

A Benefit for Steve Kurtz and Critical Art Ensemble

Featuring Tony Conrad / HangedUp, Dj Olive / Toshio Kajiwara / Markus Miller / Dj North Guinea Hills, Tyondai Braxton, Services, New Humans, Dub Trio, Talibam, Martha Wilson

Thursday October 21, 8pm, $12 (two floors of music)

Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street (between Rivington and Delancy)

Contact: Dion Workman, 212-358-7501

The Benefit

"Biofeedback: Give Me Back My Lab and My Freedom of Speech!" is an energetic round-up of musicians, entertainers and visual artists who are creating loud and clear feedback in support of Steve Kurtz and Critical Art Ensemble (CAE). This benefit will help raise money for Kurtz's legal fees in a case of FBI harassment and silencing dissent. To date, the CAE Defense Fund has raised an impressive $30,000, but the total costs are estimated at $150,000. There is still hope that the court will realize the absurdity of the case and dismiss Kurtz of charges in December; if this does happen, the fund will be used to help others who may find themselves under similar political scrutiny.The Case

Last May, artist and SUNY Buffalo professor Steve Kurtz of CAE called the police when he awoke to find his wife, Hope, dead of cardiac arrest. When at Kurtz's home, the police found a mobile DNA-extraction laboratory that was part of a CAE project to test store-bought food for contamination by genetically modified grains and organisms. The police notified the Joint Terrorism Task Force who proceeded to cordon off the block, detain Kurtz and seize all materials related to the project. The New York State Commissioner of Public Health quickly determined, however, the biological agents in question posed no public-safety risk; they are, in fact, legal to obtain and are commonly used for scientific education and research in universities and high schools.

Despite this conclusion, Kurtz was arraigned and charged in Federal District Court in Buffalo on four counts of mail and wire fraud (United States Criminal Code, Title 18, UnitedStates Code, Sections 1341 and 1343), which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Kurtz was not charged with bioterrorism, as listed on the Joint Terrorism Task Force's original search warrant and subpoenas, but with a glorified version of "petty larceny," in the words of Kurtz attorney Paul Cambria. The laws under which the indictments were obtained are normally used against those defrauding others of money or property, as in telemarketing schemes. Historically, these laws have been used when the government could not prove other criminal charges.

The issues here are fundamental: freedom of speech, freedom of expression and academic freedom. Supporters of CAE are concerned that the case could set a dangerous precedent by silencing a group of artists whose work stimulates vital public discussion. Many feel that with this case and others, the government was wildly overreaching its mandate to protect the public from terrorism, and now is attempting to save face by continuing the case.

For more information about the case: www.caedefensefund.org

Critical Art Ensemble

CAE is a collective of internationally recognized artists who work in public, educational, academic and art contexts. For the past few years, their principal aim has been to help the general public to understand biotechnology. By making scientific research accessible to laypeople through participatory performance experiences, CAE aims to demystify what is safe and what is dangerous about today’s biotech industry. CAE always undertake their work in a safe and considered way. The materials they use are strictly non-hazardous, can be legally obtained by anyone, and are commonly found in undergraduate-level biology labs.

For more on CAE’s projects please visit: www.critical-art.net

Artists Performing at the BIOFEEDBACK Benefit

Tony Conrad

Known as a pioneer in the field of minimalist music and “underground” cinema, Tony Conrad has worked in music composition, video, film, and performance. During the last ten years Conrad has focused on music, performing recent works in new music venues, museums, and clubs in the US and internationally. He has composed more than a dozen works, primarily for solo amplified violin with amplified strings, using special tunings and scales — a practice that began with his early associations with LaMonte Young and the “Dream Syndicate” in the early 1960s.He has taught video production and analysis in the Department of Media Study of the State University of New York at Buffalo since 1976.

HangedUp

The duo HangedUp, comprised of drummer Eric Craven and violist Genevive Heistek, mixes punk, improv and European folk influences to form blistering instrumental music.
Craven is an incredibly inventive and kinetic drummer, beating out rhythms in the spirit of Dog Faced Hermans and The Ex. Heistek rigs up her viola with looping pedals and bi-amplification to create swirling layers of chugging rhythms and dense drones. Hangedup have released two albums on Constellation and have toured extensively, making a recent appearance at the K-RAA-K festival with Tony Conrad, where they were proclaimed by many to be the festival highlight.

Dj Olive

In the 1990's Dj Olive was an active member of the infamous Williamsburg scene producing ambient events throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 1999, he co-founded Phonomena Audio Arts & Multiples with Toshio Kajiwara, a record label and a weekly event that has continued to be a thriving platform for local DJ's and beatmakers to perform downtempo abstract electronic music with many international guests. After many years of collaboration with a diverse roster of musicians, Olive released his debut solo CD, "Bodega" in 2003.

Dj North Guinea Hills

Aaron Halley, aka Dj North Guinea Hills, started djing in Florida while in various noise/improv combos before emerging in the New York music scene through Dj Olive and Toshio Kajiwara's weekly event, Phonomena. His groups run the gamut from primitive dadaist hiphop to realizations of works by Bernard Parmegiani and Steve Reich to free psyche folk. He most recently performed in the New Sound New York Festival as part of Share's "anyware" at The Kitchen.

Tyondai Braxton

For nearly a decade, Tyondai Braxton has been actively performing, composing and developing his own artistic vision. His inimitable solo music consists of building “orchestrated loops” with voice, guitar and found objects in real time and manipulating them with guitar pedals. In addition to his solo ventures, Braxton is currently performing in the explosive avant-rock band Battles (formed by Ian Williams) and has worked with numerous musicians/composers, including Alan Sparhawk from Low, Glenn Branca and Wadada Leo Smith.

Dub Trio

By incorporating elements of electronic, rock, and jazz, Dub Trio — the joint effort of DP Holmes (guitar/ keyboards), Stu Brooks (bass/ keyboards), and Joe Tomino (drums/ melodica) — are simultaneously revolutionizing and paying homage to King Tubby’s original style dub. And like any great band, they make it sound so easy, using the simplicity of dub to explore a complex and unique musical fabric. Dub Trio's debut CD “Exploring the Dangers of” has just been released in the US by ROIR.

Services

Services is an electronic rock duo from Brooklyn who wield samplers, drum machines and one cymbal like machine guns and box cutters. Master of ceremonies Trztan, spews acid and leads the way with his rhythmic announcements and a crashing cymbal while!!!!!!! the backbone X-topher crushes your brains with authentic heavy metal samples and the BIG beat. Not too hi fi not too lo fi just enough to keep the threat of danger alive.

New Humans

New Humans' minimalist impulse is coupled with deconstructive tendencies that create raw and improbable compositions of disparate tones, noise and color. Their performances are characterized by graphic elements that nod to minimalist sculpture and Op-Art, as well as an unpredictable style that brought them much attention at the 2004 Armory show. New Humans are Bella Foster (Guitar), Mika Tajima (Bass), Howie Chen (Guitar/Keyboard) and Danny Barria (Drums/Guitar). Their CD, Color Séance, is available at Printed Matter.

Talibam

Talibam’s raucous output comes from synthesizer manipulations by Matt Mottel, bari sax trench work mechanics by Ed Bear, and further confused drumming by Kevin Shea (Storm and Stress). Talibam amalgamates, remixes and chews out sonic influences of groups like early Cecil Taylor Trio,MEV and the Arkestra. Guitarist Matthu Stull from Pittsburgh joins Talibam for this performance.

Martha Wilson

Performance artist Martha Wilson is Founding Director of Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc., a museum she established in her TriBeCa storefront loft in lower Manhattan which, since its inception in 1976, has presented and preserved temporal art: artists’ books and other multiples produced internationally after 1960; temporary installations; and performance art.
As an artist, she has performed in the guises of Alexander Haig, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Tipper Gore. Ms. Wilson lectures widely on the book as an art form, on performance art, and on “live art on the Internet.”