Gas Chamber Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Gas Chamber Orchestra is a noise music
ensemble consisting of Michael Andrade, Mark Grey
, Gary Singh, and Ryan Torchia, which was formed in 1991 at San José State University
in San Jose, California
while the four were electroacoustic music
composition
students. From 1992-1995, they performed many Free improvisation music concerts with surrealist
, fluxist
and dada
ist overtones, incorporating such absurd elements to performances such as cooking on stage with amplified
utensils, destroying a car with sledgehammers, performing in unusual spaces like bathrooms and workshop
s, overnight, or to empty concert halls. They performed throughout California and in Las Vegas, and on KFJC
radio. The also composed the soundtrack for Do What Do, a performance art piece created by the CADRE Laboratory for New Media
.
The Gas Chamber Orchestra stopped performing regularly in 1996, after its members completed their MA
s. Andrade died from undetermined natural causes on 2 March, 1996. Mark Grey
is composer-in-residence at the Phoenix Symphony
. Gary Singh writes for the San Jose Metro. Ryan Torchia completed a Ph.D.
in Music Composition from the University at Buffalo
in 2005, and now works in Daly City, California
as a tester for Digidesign
.
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...
ensemble consisting of Michael Andrade, Mark Grey
Mark Grey
Mark Grey is an American Classical music composer and sound engineer. He is the composer-in-residence for the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for the 2007–2008 season...
, Gary Singh, and Ryan Torchia, which was formed in 1991 at San José State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
while the four were electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
students. From 1992-1995, they performed many Free improvisation music concerts with surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, fluxist
Fluxus
Fluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
and dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
ist overtones, incorporating such absurd elements to performances such as cooking on stage with amplified
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
utensils, destroying a car with sledgehammers, performing in unusual spaces like bathrooms and workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s, overnight, or to empty concert halls. They performed throughout California and in Las Vegas, and on KFJC
KFJC
KFJC is a non-commercial college radio station in Los Altos Hills, California at Foothill College, using an Variety radio format that features a broad spectrum of music styles and public affairs programming. KFJC's broadcast is 24/7 in the San Francisco Bay Area...
radio. The also composed the soundtrack for Do What Do, a performance art piece created by the CADRE Laboratory for New Media
CADRE Laboratory for New Media
The CADRE Laboratory for New Media was founded in 1985 at San José State University. Joel Slayton has been Director since 1991.CADRE offers BFA and MFA degrees in Digital Media Art...
.
The Gas Chamber Orchestra stopped performing regularly in 1996, after its members completed their MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
s. Andrade died from undetermined natural causes on 2 March, 1996. Mark Grey
Mark Grey
Mark Grey is an American Classical music composer and sound engineer. He is the composer-in-residence for the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for the 2007–2008 season...
is composer-in-residence at the Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Symphony
The Phoenix Symphony is a major United States symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona.Founded in 1947 when Phoenix had a population of less than 100,000, the orchestra began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year...
. Gary Singh writes for the San Jose Metro. Ryan Torchia completed a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Music Composition from the University at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
in 2005, and now works in Daly City, California
Daly City, California
Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
as a tester for Digidesign
Digidesign
Avid Audio is an American digital audio technology company. It was founded in 1984 by Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooks. The company began as a project to raise money for the founders' band, selling EPROM chips for drum machines. It is a subsidiary of Avid Technology, and during 2010 the Digidesign...
.
External links
- The Gas Chamber Orchestra, on My Space.
- Mock-Speed Recital, Metroactive, 14 May 1998