Eddie The Rat

It started as a man alone in his room surrounded by contact mics, homemade-detuned-realigned instruments, a visiting rodent, and a lizard named Herb (RIP) who liked to sleep amongst the electrical cables. At 3am, the man hummed and squeaked along to intricate little rhythms and threw in microcassette field-recordings of anything or anyone that would speak into the recorder. The lizard poked its head up and would run pall-mall as if a predator bird were flying overhead. The rodent was nowhere to be seen. These were the ingredients of a recording, called Eddie the Rat, named after (who guessed it). The fine Negativland folks graciously released it, but the association gave the impression of a plunderphonics/sample-based approach (which it was not).

CUT!

Leaving the room and the the lizard at home, and the rat to a roommate's superior gluetrap, the man found other friends. With an arm full of scores and alot of heart, he conducted live-looping and on-the-fly cut & paste sessions with flesh and blood human beings. 12 to 15 friends had signed on, some musicians/ some voice people. Chanting, verbalizing, singing, playing, counting and giving a bonafide human reaction which was as real as the room you were in. For the next several years (and many other friends), Eddie the Rat - as they came to be called - played out some and recorded about 4 records, only one of which has been released. All are/were experiments in trying to get primal feeling and emotion into a form which is usually considered "head-music" and intellectual. (If you're interested in hearing these, contact us).

CUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Present day: Eddie the Rat are a 4-piece ensemble using the same polyphonic-polytempo ingredients. Peter Martin plays piano (and Balinese gangsa) with his hands and a drum with either foot (one kick drum and one cajon). Ronnie Camaro plays the underworldly bass. Dan Ake, the man of wood and wire, taps and swooshes coherently within. Molly Tascone plays recorder, percussion, and sings to the place right between your eyes and under your chest. (They miss Mr. Perrish but he is away on a business no one can say). More records in the can. Soon to be released. Hmmmmmm... Y'all remember MUSIC, don't ya?