Trockeneis

Trockensis is comprised of Catherine Pancake, Andy Hayleck, Dan Breen, Paul Neidhardt, and Audrey Chen. Playing non-conventional acoustic instruments: dry ice, bowed metal, musical saws, bowed cymbals, voice, and percussion; their music has been described as evocative, disturbing, dreamlike, and most of all - highly unique - even to audiences with a huge amount of exposure to noise, electronic, & experimental music.

Born quite impromptu during a live improv set performed for the Peabody Conservatory student body in spring 2004, the Baltimore quintet, Trockeneis, has since been generating excitement in the East Coast improv/experimental music scene. The group is comprised of a core group of Baltimore improvisers each who brings great passion and musical subtlety to create a truly unique sound/improv experience. A combination of highly idiosyncratic instrumentation, focused, mature musicianship and ego-free, risk-taking group dynamics promise to make this group known on a national level. The group has definite roots in lowercase improv, but grows rapidly beyond that creating complex, rich soundscapes rooted in a true spirit of experimentation.

Paul Neidhardt, percussion

Paul Neidhardt is a very accomplished rock, jazz, free jazz and experimental percussionist from the Baltimore MD area. He performs in a variety of musical projects. His ability to trade extremely tight traditional chops with very focused sound-oriented techniques such a doweling, bowing, suction etc has made him a favorite in improv circles.

Dan Breen, bowed metal

Dan Breen is an well-known multi-instrumentalist in Baltimore and other East Coast cities. His wandering, eccentric style of playing and living brings joy to the many who know and love him. He performs with a range of musical projects from the funk band, The Financial Group, to the un-categorizable and tasty electronics/drums group - Snacks. He also plays bass in the Baltimore Afro-Beat Society devoted to performing and preserving the music of Fela Kuti.

Andrew Hayleck, bowed metal

Andy Hayleck is quickly becoming a nationally known sound artist and musician. His extensive touring and field-recordings (ice, crabs etc) are well-known in experimental music scenes across the US. He has performed in local and national festivals and participated in radio broadcasts in the US and GB. Andy is also a professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Andy's field recording of natural ice formations was selected in Art Forums Top 10 art music records in 2004.

Catherine Pancake, dry ice

Catherine Pancake is a film-maker, musician, and cultural organizer based in Baltimore MD. Her films have been shown nationally at the Philadelphia International Film Festival, Millenium Theater - NYC, Contemporary Museum - Baltimore, Ohio State University, VA Tech, and more. As a musician she has traveled internationally in Asia (Shanghai Conservatory ROC, Taipei National School for the Arts, International House Tokyo) and Canada collaborating with Audrey Chen, Susan Alcorn, Le Quan Ninh, Oluyemi Thomas, and the group Trockeneis. She is a founding member of the RedRoom Collective, High Zero Foundation, Charm City Kitty Club (GLBT arts venue,) and the Transmodern Festival http://www.transmodernage.com.

Audrey Chen, voice

Using her trusty cello, self-styled vocal techniques and ever surprising content/concepts, Audrey Chen has emerged as one of the most vital experimental free-improvisers in the United States and beyond. She has toured extensively around the world bringing her sounds and intuition to Poland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, Japan, and the United States. Among musicians, she has worked with many great improvisers, including Phil Minton, Alessandro Bosetti, Mike Cooper, Mats Gustafsson, Sten Sandell, Mazen Kerbaj, Jaap Blonk, Michael Zerang, Tony Buck, Tatsuya Nakatani, Assif Tsahar, Scott Rosenberg, Le Quan Ninh, Joe Mcphee, Susan Alcorn, Michele Doneda, Paolo Angeli, and Gianni Gebbia. Some current projects include: duo projects with Tatsuya Nakatani (percussion) and Gianni Gebbia (saxophone) from Palermo, Sicily, Trockeneis (Baltimore‰Ûªs power quintet), and a new trio (SILO) with Nate Wooley and Leonel Kaplan (trumpets). Recent performances have included a duo tour with Nakatani through China and Japan celebrating the release of their new duo CD, LIMN. www.hhproduction.org. Also, Chen has just returned from touring solo and with Gebbia and SILO through Europe in February/March. Some upcoming engagements include, a USA tour with SILO and a tour through China, Japan and Taiwan with Bosetti later in 2006.

Catherine Pancake is an award-winning filmmaker and sound artist. Her work hasbeen presented nationally and internationally in a wide variety of venues, including the Museum of Modern Art, Royal Ontario Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Academy of Fine Arts Prague and Contemporary Museum Baltimore. Her awardsinclude the Paul Robeson Independent Media Award, Jack Spadaro DocumentaryAward, Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award and the Silver Chris. Her films have been broadcast in the U.S.A. and Great Britain and are distributed by Bullfrog Films and the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre.

Audrey Chen is a Chinese-American musician who was born into a family of material scientists, doctors and engineers, outside of Chicago in 1976. Using cello, voice and analog electronics, Chen's work delves deeply into her own version of narrative and non-linear storytelling. A large component of her music is improvised and her approach to this is extremely personal and visceral. Her playing explores the combination and layering of a homemade analog synthesizer, preparations and traditional and extended techniques in both the voice and cello. She works to join these elements into a singular ecstatic personal language. Chen has performed in Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and the USA. She has recently relocated to Berlin, Germany from Baltimore, MD and continues to maintain an active touring schedule throughout Europe.-->