Formed in NYC in 1993, the improvising collective No-Neck Blues Band (NNCK) favors anonymity, autonomy, and obfuscation. Alongside founding member Keith Connolly (2016 AIR), they return to open ISSUE’s Fall season at First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn.
ISSUE presents the first commission from Eden Girma (2026 AIR). Part dreamscape and part summoning circle, an intimate diasporic familial archive is pieced together through the eyes of a five-year-old child.
In partnership with Franklin Furnace as part of their 50th anniversary commemoration and November release of "Back to the Present: 50 Years of Free Expression with Franklin Furnace" ISSUE presents an evening of performance and conversation.
Incorporating elements of noise, trance and minimalism, Sergei Tcherepnin (2012 AIR) presents new work for Serge Modular synthesizer.
AMPLIFY 2015: Exploratory
Horn improvisor/composer Anne Guthrie and Austin-based composer/violist Vanessa Rossetto play their first collaboration. Tokyo-based composer Taku Unami performs with the object-oriented Devin DiSanto, also a first-time duo. Kevin Drumm and Jason Lescalleet combine their expansive sounds for a surely epic closing set.
AMPLIFY 2015: Exploratory
The second night of Amplify 2015 sees first time duo performances by Michael Pisaro with Ben Owen, and Graham Lambkin with Taku Unami. Olivia Block and Jason Lescalleet present a collaborative composition for inside grand piano, amplified objects and real-time processing.
AMPLIFY 2015: Exploratory
AMPLIFY 2015 opens with a night of three duos. Chicago-based composer Olivia Block and NYC turntablist Maria Chavez play for the first time together. Exploratory percussionist Sean Meehan and Tokyo's Taku Unami, as well as LA-based composer Michael Pisaro and sound artist Graham Lambkin reprise their collaborations.
Artist/filmmaker Madison Brookshire presents a piece for solo guitar featuring Che Chen, and a multimedia ensemble work. Francesco Gagliardi stages a series of acoustic performances for manipulated objects, handmade and found. Paula Matthusen crosses field recordings and improv featuring recorder player Terri Hron.
A series of new works investigate intersections of tape and live performance, and composition with improvisation. A “portrait” combines real-time performance and pre-arranged recordings as a subjective homage. Another piece is built from acoustic recordings of Columbia's electronically-defunct RCA Mark II Synthesizer.
Artists-In-Residence 2015
Lea Bertucci explores the sonic qualities of a decrepit alto sax uncovered from Bradley Eros' basement, with a live collage of 35mm slide and 16mm film projections by Eros. Anthony Saunders, of seminal harsh noise group Bastard Noise, performs with Bertucci on bass clarinet, celebrating the duo's first cassette.
Andrew Lampert presents a collection of new and recent pieces from his deep back catalog of films, videos, and performances. This evening is built around a number of new instruction-based performances, combining elements of predetermined structure and improvisation.
Malcolm Goldstein has extended the sonic boundaries of improvisatory practice and the violin since the early 1960s. Tonight, he presents a 4-part solo program dedicated to Ornette Coleman, including Coleman's 1986 composition "Trinity", a modular suite of solo pieces dedicated to the performer.