Tag: jim baker

kind words for “articular facet 5.3” by jim baker and sarah j. ritch!

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the kindness comes from the fine people at the

On this quiet album, Jim Baker on modular synth and Sarah Ritch on cello, guitar and electronics, create a sonic environment with minor changes from a long horizontally developing tonal texture. The effect is mesmerising at times, with repetitive loops and sudden ‘surprise skree’, one of the appropriate tag lines that Sarah Ritch gives to her music, together with ‘modern scratch, mechanical wood, tone bits, crushed fragments and atlantis shred’. Despite these names, the music is relatively accessible, and of a dark monotony.

pan y rosas release new albums from karris / price and baker / ritch!

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pan y rosas is beyond excited to release a series of albums that document the fifth cycle of articular facet. articular facet is a series of electro-acoustic compositions and structured improvisations. curated by julia miller, the series reflects the use of ancient, adapted, or hacked technology, invented instruments and performative objects, and the incorporation of the visual and physical into the sonic.

the fifth cycle took place over three sundays in october of 2013 and was a collaboration between pan y rosas and julia miller. the performances all took place at the empty bottle in chicago.

the second releases in the series come from karris / price duo and baker / ritch.

karris / price duo consists of reid karris and kg price. reid karris is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound experimentalist and improviser from chicago, illinois who primarily uses prepared guitar and drum kit sent through electronics. kg price is an improviser, composer, technician also based in chicago. this album is their first documentation as a duo!

baker / ritch is jim baker and sarah ritch. jim baker is an improviser who focuses on the keyboard arts – pianos, keyboards, synthesizers. sarah ritch is a composer and improviser who uses cello, electronics and guitar to explore her sound world. their new album documents the second time these two have conversed.

click on the art below to get the albums!

karrispricecover Baker Ritch cover

further info about articular facet here and here.

pan y rosas release live at the surplus of options by jim baker and sarah j ritch!

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BakerRitchAlbumArt

jim baker is an improviser based in chicago who focuses on the keyboard arts – pianos, keyboards, synthesizers. since the 80′s baker has played in numerous groups in chicago’s free improv scene. he has performed throughout the united states and europe and plays almost weekly with the group, extraordinary popular delusions. his activities as a writer / composer have been ongoing during the past twenty years, and some of his compositions have been recorded by steam and broken wire.

along with classical training in cello and piano, sarah ritch also played guitar and bass in several punk and metal bands between 1996 and 2003 in las vegas, nv. existing in two aesthetic worlds, sarah’s work ranges from improvisational noise to tonal notated music. she has been the composer-in-residence for chicago classical ensembles the millennium chamber players and anaphora, and regularly performs solo and with her free improv band, sound collision alliance.

this album documents the first meeting of these two chicago improvisers that went down on january 15th of 2013 at the surplus of options in chicago. sarah played electric guitar and cello and jim played electronic keyboards. the sound is: modem scratch. mechanical wood. tone bits. crushed fragments. surprise skree. atlantis shred.

get the album here!

pyr artists at articular facet 5.1-5.3!

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pan y rosas is stoked to be teaming up with articular facet for its fifth round of shows. this time the series will unfold over three sundays in october at empty bottle chicago. in celebration of their just released or soon to be released albums, the second and third shows will feature pan y rosas artists: reid karris, avreeayl ra, jim baker, sarah ritch, and renee’ baker.

the shows will start at 3pm, cost $5 and feature two 45 minute sets.

the full schedule is:
oct. 13 3pm
ryan dunn – solo live electronics improvisation
shawn decker/mark booth (grykes) – live electronics and acoustic instruments
event info

oct. 20 4pm
karris/price duo – prepared guitar and drums duo. improvised noise and rhythms.
avreeayl ra dream stuff – ecstatic, sonorous vibrations
event info

oct. 27 3pm
jim Baker/sarah ritch – improvisation involving cello/guitar/laptop & synthesizer.
renee baker’s chicago modern orchestra project AWAKENING – renegade ensemble from the ranks of chicago modern orchestra project composer/director/violinist renee’ baker’s tour de force of comprovisations and experimental creations. continuing the radical tradition of the aacm by celebrating open-ness,transparency and engaging all senses.
event info

about articular facet:
articular facet is a series of electro-acoustic compositions and structured improvisations. curated by julia miller, the series reflects the use of ancient, adapted, or hacked technology, invented instruments and performative objects, and the incorporation of the visual and physical into the sonic. articular facet seeks to expand on a strong foundation in the collaborative principals of the chicago scratch orchestra.