Mark Schlipper

Experimental / World / Trance

Seattle, WA

Billboard

There are several sides to the man who's passport says his name is Mark Schlipper. He's a multi-instrumentalist, programmer, composer, improviser, engineer, and sometimes more, just to clutter things. While in the past each of these personalities had their own web presence, we're clearing up some of that clutter by having them all here. So forgive any apparently schizoid evidence that you find.

* more music will be added shortly *

The many sides of Mark Schlipper -

Mark Schlipper - The eponymous project is currently the most productive of the lot. Primarily because it's the most accessible and can actually work live. It finds me with a guitar in hand, a looper at foot, and occasionally a table with a few antiques atop it. In the studio it's even messier. Its essentially an attempt to bring together the myriad of influences I've been gathering over the years. Creating a blend of ambient electronic, American roots music, free improv jazz, middle eastern folk, and 20th century avant-garde.

The most common name-checks are Loren Mazzacane Connors, John Fahey, Jim O'Rourke, Noel Akchote, Domenico Sciajno (though I seem to be the only one to mention him), Joelle Leandre, Derek Bailey, Keiji Haino, AMM, Eddie Prevost, Hamza El Din, John Cage, Terry Riley, Glenn Branca, Bukka White, etc.

A Red Tree In Grey Woods - A Red Tree In Grey Woods was named Duman for a long while. But the rising popularity of a Turkish band with that name lead to a change. The roots of this project lay in an attempt to create backing tracks for an earlier project. But too much fun was had. All the music here is programmed. But any loops were created note by note, nothing prefab. And most of the instrument sounds are actually my own samples of my own instruments. Sometimes ambient, sometimes with big, dirty beats. It's a way to give my non-western and electronic influences some breathing room cause they go well together.

Name checks here are: Transglobal Underground, Muslimgauze, Dub Gabriel, Dhol Foundation, Samsara Sound System, Qaballah Steppers, O Yuki Conjugate, Sheilah Chandra, Natacha Atlas, Jah Wobble, Tabla Beat Science, Talvin Singh, Badawi, Dum Dum Project, etc.

Model 563 - My oldest solo project, though it has shifted a bit in process. It started with a simple noise, and lots of processing (under the name ThisSkinMachine). Now its lots of sound sources, no processing. And of course looping. The trick is in the sources. I try and keep to obsolete sources that weren't designed for musical use. Oscillators, shortwave radio, signal devices, medical test equipment, etc. and the occasional field or old folk recording. Generally noisy, ambient, droney stuff. Though it's best REALLY loud. Trust me.

Names to check for the model are: Zoviet France, Dead Voices on Air, Otomo Yoshihide, Kato Hideki, Merzbow, Aube, Solmania, Kevin Drumm, Martin Tetreault, Christian Marclay, Lustmord, Robert Rich, Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana, Pauline Oliveros, Charlamagne Palestine, Paul Schutze, etc.