wmmberger (Curator)

I would never dream of imposing my will upon any of the great musicians I've had on the air over the years (except to say, "uh, play now"), but I really wanted to title this session "Suite: Castle Blue Eyes." Why? Bad rock joke? Not necessarily, as Towering Heroic Dudes sit firmly on the wooden front porch of improvised noise; they're friendly, approachable guys, whose "organic" nature is plainly evident in their creations, which are basically lurching, giant paramecium in search of constant sonic nourishment. (Hell, I have no doubt THD have a lot more to offer socially than CS&N at their peak! Those guys were probably dicks! And why aren't THD playing the big, outdoor stage at the Sonoma Jazz Festival?)

I've been listening to this session over and over, and I continue to hear new layers of communication and activity each time I do. Gentle piano gives way to violence, metallic scrabbling accompanies vocal murmurs, and sheets of digital noise drive past like suspicious white vans. Enjoy!

THD have CDrs out on Obsolete Units and Phase! Records, and a tape on Cryptic Carousel.

What sets Anthony Saunders' sonic creations apart from the hundreds of other performers using a table of pedals and mic'd-up metal accoutrements? For one, an intense performer's energy (which almost burst when I tried to make a few gig announcements—sorry, man, I still feel terrible about that!) Add to this a lifelong obsession with brutal sounds (including being one-half of Dataclast), combined with a true musician's meticulousness and finesse. The tentative, delicate passages in Explosive Improvised Device make the crashes and clusters that much more arresting. Power electronics to be sure, but informed by Bayle, Parmegiani and Varèse.

EID's My Castle of Quiet session will likely be released on tape or vinyl in the near future, but with Anthony's obsessive cutting, layering and EQing, there's almost no chance of the final release sounding quite like it does here ---

Thanks to Glenn L for making it all sound extra-purty for the airwaves.

Thanks to Tracy for making my crap photo of Anthony look like a still from Begotten.

EID's performance on WFMU-FM's My Castle of Quiet is shared by way of a creative commons attribution-non commercial-no derivatives license.