noise guitarists

[stactor]

Would love to hear people's suggestions for noise guitarists worth checking out. Noise rock, free improvisation, jazz, avant garde, etc. Basically any experimental use of guitar, regardless of genre. I've researched this online but always feel like I could be missing some good players. Don't be afraid to mention the "obvious" names, I'd like to compile as complete a list as possible. Thanks!

[Happiness, forever]

I’ll start. Since we’ve been talking of them:

Solmania - Originally the solo member was Masahiko Ohno. Eventually, Katsumi Sugahara made it a duo. and they still are active.

Mason Jones: involved in the discussion abt Solmania, has a number of releases of his noise gtr stylings. International Incident (1998) is a great CD with a stellar cast of Japanese collaborators. His 2021 LP, Permanence, Perseverance, Persistence is GREAT but isn’t straight gtr tracks, a lot of processing etc.

Also for sake of conversating and nominating: myself: William Rage. My main instrument was guitar throughout all of Blue Sabbath Black Cheer. If you can’t identify that sound, it was prolly me on me gtr. But also only in BSBC, I’ve not played gtr elsewhere of any real sort.

[stactor]

I’ll start. Since we’ve been talking of them:

Solmania - Originally the solo member was Masahiko Ohno. Eventually, Katsumi Sugahara made it a duo. and they still are active.

Mason Jones: involved in the discussion abt Solmania, has a number of releases of his noise gtr stylings. International Incident (1998) is a great CD with a stellar cast of Japanese collaborators. His 2021 LP, Permanence, Perseverance, Persistence is GREAT but isn’t straight gtr tracks, a lot of processing etc.

Also for sake of conversating and nominating: myself: William Rage. My main instrument was guitar throughout all of Blue Sabbath Black Cheer. If you can’t identify that sound, it was prolly me on me gtr. But also only in BSBC, I’ve not played gtr elsewhere of any real sort.

Thanks William! Good start to the list. Yeah, I've been using guitar myself ("using" not "playing") for decades, including in Canadian industrial outfit Phycus through most of the 90s.

[Happiness, forever]

Keiji Haino…!!!!!!!!

K.K. Null…!!!

Aaron Dilloway played gtr in Wolf Eyes but only WE’s it seems. Or did he play gtr in Couch? Was he in Couch?

Eric Ostrowski played some gtr in Noggin but i think he’s more known for his violin work.

Bill Orcutt was a monster in Harry Pussy. I have not followed his career after, tho I see his name.

Steven Stapleton has been playing prepared gtr with Nurse With Wound live, I’ve seen here there.

Nathan Holiday in Tunnel Canary…!!!!!

[Scream & Writhe]

F.M. Einheit & Caspar Brötzmann – Merry Christmas (1994)

[Scream & Writhe]

I was thinking about the guitar as sound source in noise this morning while listening to the aforementioned Brotzmann/Einheit album. I'm always wary about "guitar noise". When it's disguised or utilized to create unique sounds I'm all for it, but when it can be recognized as the source instrument I have a hard time hearing anything beyond wankery (perhaps on account of being a guitarist myself, and actually why I don't like a lot of electric guitar-based jazz).

[oppositional]

Brian Ruryk! https://brianrruryk.bandcamp.com/

Rudolph Grey is the king - check 'Mask of Light' or anything with The Blue Humans -- Clear to Higher Time is a personal fave.

Diesel Guitar
M.N.S./Naoaki Miyamoto
Ascension and/or Stefan Jaworzyn
Gate
Dean Roberts/White Winged Moth
Pork Queen - Strang is an excellent and thoroughly overlooked prepared guitar album
Nels Cline, especially the collaborative albums with Thurston Moore and Devin Sarno

[Happiness, forever]

Watching Nels Cline perform live is a treat. He rlly is a master of his craft.

[murmur]

Annette Krebs’s “Guitar” is a favourite of mine.

https://youtu.be/9kaxKTGAgA8?feature=shared

[holy ghost]

I'm a big appreciator of "weird" guitar but it can be hit of miss.

I think one of the most interesting "guitar" based records is Derek Bailey & Dave Holland "Improvisations for Cello and Guitar" on ECM. I'm very partial to this one. I don't always love Bailey's albums but he's undoubtedly the most interesting guy around when it comes to this stuff.

Same with Bill Orcutt - I really enjoy his work with Harry Pussy and some of his collabs with Chris Corsano but sometimes it's not my jam.

Stephen O'Malley made some REALLY interesting records under the moniker St. Francis Duo with drummer Steve Noble. There's 3 LPs floating around and they're all great. Even if Sunn O))) is not your jam these records are very different and very great.

I will think on this a little more and post some more later on. It's time for dinner.

[stactor]

Thanks everyone! Some good names to add to my list. I'll add a few more names that have not been mentioned yet...not strictly noise, but all interesting, experimental, unique, etc.

Keith Rowe
Fred Frith
Thurston Moore
Robert Fripp
Arto Lindsay
Andy Gill
Loren Connors
Henry Kaiser
Alan Licht
Lee Renaldo
Marc Ribot
Bill Frisell
Jim O'Rourke
Jandek
Glen Branca
René Lussier
Oren Ambarchi
Kevin Drumm
Richard Bishop
Buckethead
Bill Harkleroad (a.k.a. Zoot Horn Rollo)
Michael Karoli
Sonny Sharrock
Eugene Chadbourne
Davey Williams

[holy ghost]

But wait I'm back! We're obviously not mentioning Hijokaidan because that's so obvious and they have there own thread.

Kevin Drumm "S/T" CD/DLP - you can buy this for a pittance. It's great. My favourite KD.

Body/Head - want the Sonic Youth without the Thurston, Lee and Steve? Well it's Kim Gordon & Bill Nace with two guitars, some amps and some sparse Kim Singing. Every record they did was pretty darn good. They were awesome live too. While we're talking about Sonic Youth there's some really great "noise guitar" playing on those SYR Sonic Youth albums. Did you ever watch that "Show Us Your Junk" series on youtube? Lee Ranaldo says there's an entire album of SY jamming with Nels Cline. I for one would really like to hear that.

Okkyung Lee - Ghil - it's a cello not a guitar but lets pretend were talking about all stringed instruments. This records is her noisiest that I've heard, recorded in Norway by Lasse Marhaug. It's great.

Anthony Braxton, Nils Cline, Taylor Ho Bynum & Greg Saunier - Quartet (New Haven) 2014 4xCD - Anthony Braxton teaming up with Nels Cline is just a wild proposition. This set doesn't disappoint.

Let's not forget Borbetomagus! All of it gosh darn it.

Shameless plug time: I made a noise record exclusively using bass guitar and effects in 2019 and had big plans and then the pandemic hit and I haven't felt the urge to release anything since. The tapes showed up 3 months into the global shutdown and I basically gave them away to friends, I think I still have half of them in my basement. They were really nice pro dubbed etc. Anyway you can hear it [url]here: https://perpetualcycle.bandcamp.com/album/ii[/url]

I feel like there's tons of other stuff I'm forgetting. Maybe I'll be back again?

[Vast Field Magnetism]

MATTHEW BOWER

[stactor]

Thanks everyone! Some good names to add to my list. I'll add a few more names that have not been mentioned yet...not strictly noise, but all interesting, experimental, unique, etc.

Keith Rowe
Fred Frith
Thurston Moore
Robert Fripp
Arto Lindsay
Andy Gill
Loren Connors
Henry Kaiser
Alan Licht
Lee Renaldo
Marc Ribot
Bill Frisell
Jim O'Rourke
Jandek
Glen Branca
René Lussier
Oren Ambarchi
Kevin Drumm
Richard Bishop
Buckethead
Bill Harkleroad (a.k.a. Zoot Horn Rollo)
Michael Karoli
Sonny Sharrock
Eugene Chadbourne
Davey Williams

Note that these names are from a list I started 10 years ago. Just found it today digging around on my hard drive.

[Bubble-Congeries]

It might be a bit of a stretch to call him a "noise" guitarist, but some of Hans Reichel's guitar work is remarkably strange and at times hauntingly beautiful.

I've always thought "Mr. and Mrs. Alcohol" would make a great name for a noise/improv duo!

[stactor]

A few more names for the list (some of whom I've played with):

Bill Horist
Weasel Walter
Ava Mendoza
Sandy Ewen
Janet Feder
Tim Olive
Zev Asher
Aidan Baker

[stactor]

It might be a bit of a stretch to call him a "noise" guitarist, but some of Hans Reichel's guitar work is remarkably strange and at times hauntingly beautiful.

I've always thought "Mr. and Mrs. Alcohol" would make a great name for a noise/improv duo!

Reichel's a fine addition to the list. I am looking for "noise guitarists", yes, but also any experimental approaches to guitar.

Thanks!

[moth1334]

a bunch here plus lots of awesome pics

http://preparedguitar.blogspot.com/?m=1

[adult human]

Schakalens Bror
Nina Garcia
Masayuki Takayanagi
Anything you like in the Dead C universe
Carnivorous Plants
Nicholas Kauffmann of Family Underground
Mortal Vision
Cosey’s playing of bass/guitar in TG remains kind of untouchable

[Der.Bluteimer]

Elliot Sharp / Carbon...

[stactor]

a bunch here plus lots of awesome pics

http://preparedguitar.blogspot.com/?m=1

Thanks! I was following that blog for a while but forgot about it. Will have another look at it.

[Tribe Tapes]

Hachiman Mae! Japanese act crossing noise rock, industrial, and avant-garde folk music. Also known for collaborations with Napalmed and Sor Zor Sya.



Of the previously mentioned artists here, I have a strong affinity for Elliott Sharp (check out I/S/M “R” for insane, proto-angular math rock), Matthew Bower, and especially Sonny Sharrock (my favorite!!!)

[stactor]

Elliot Sharp / Carbon...

Oh, that reminds me...I was quite impressed with the guitar work of Chris Cochrane from Curlew. Both he and Elliot Sharp played at the Davey Williams Memorial at Roulette earlier this year.

[stactor]

Some experimental guitarists I've played with (somewhat Toronto-centric, as that is where I live), all worthy of this list:

Ken Aldcroft
Bryan W. Bray (Gates/Cetacea)
Arthur Bull
Jared Burrows
Dave Carey (Woodchoppers Association)
Ryan Clark
Matt Dunn
Colin Fisher (Not The Wind Not The Flag)
Mark Gane (Martha and the Muffins)
Arnd Jurgensen
Michael Keith
Patrick O'Reilly
Nilan Perera
Eldritch Priest
Ayal Senior
Sam Shalabi
Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound)
Brian Abbott
Chris Petkus
John Clement (Nihilist Spasm Band)
Murray Favro (Nihilist Spasm Band)

+ some names already mentioned: Ava Mendoza, Sandy Ewen, Janet Feder, Tim Olive, Zev Asher, Aidan Baker, Brian Ruryk

[stactor]

a bunch here plus lots of awesome pics

http://preparedguitar.blogspot.com/?m=1

Thanks! I was following that blog for a while but forgot about it. Will have another look at it.

Whoops, no, I was thinking of another blog called Guitar Moderne (https://www.guitarmoderne.com/). Anyway, I'll check out the prepared guitar blog (although it looks like it hasn't been updated in a few years).