West Oakland Sound Series

THE STINSON TRIO is the restless electric improvising union of drummer TIM BULKLEY, guitarist DAVID DVORIN, and reeds player RANDY MCKEAN. Using drum and cymbal, amps and effects, high and low saxes/clarinets, they fashion instant jigsaw superstructures from composite layers of sound and rhythm. The Stinson project came about after trombonist and fellow Flounder band member Cliff Childers’ unexpected […]

As a duo, JON ARKIN (drums, live processing) and BEN GOLDBERG (clarinet) bring together an unprecedented diversity of organic and synthetic elements, forming a truly unique musical amalgam. Arkin’s self-designed hybrid electro-acoustic setup acts as both a support and foil to Goldberg’s singular improvisational voice, within the contexts of traditional composition, spontaneous composition, and algorithmic […]

EDA ER and DANNIEL RIBEIRO debut their dynamic duo, blending vocals, electronics, electric guitar, and video. Their work incorporates transducers and extended techniques within a structured improvisation setting, highlighting their shared exploration of sound, collaboration, and multimedia expression. Eda Er is a composer, multimedia artist, and vocalist based in the Bay Area. Her work integrates […]

CHRIS BROWN (piano/electronics) and THEA FARHADIAN (violin/electronics) come together for their first time improvised duo performance. THEA FARHADIAN is a performer/composer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work extends across a wide range of disciplines, including solo violin and interactive electronics, acoustic improvisation, solo laptop, radio art, and scoring experimental video. Her solo […]

GIACOMO FIORE presents Lost Horse Wash Drone - a series of works composed after one week in residence at the Lou Harrison House in Joshua Tree, California, contemplating matters of tuning, improvisation, and our environment. The music is built on small just intonation modes, played on fretless electric and refretted resophonic guitar with live electronic […]

PHILIP GELB After a long absence from the music scene, Philip Gelb has returned to performing, marking his first ensemble performance since the Pauline Oliveros Memorial Festivals. During those festivals, Gelb emerged from self-imposed retirement to pay tribute to his mentor and dear friend. Previously, due to dental issues, he was forced to give up […]

Cracking the Surface: Featuring David Michalak (instruments of skatch), Scott Looney (piano, hyper-piano), and Thomas Dimuzio (Buchla 200E, processing). This performance celebrates their new release recorded at Fantasy Studios with Tom Nunn, marking his last recording.​ Chris Brown & Ben Davis: Celebrating the release of "Jongleurs," this duo explores free improvisation with influences from classical […]

LISA MEZZACAPPA 5(ISH) Bassist and composer LISA MEZZACAPPA (acoustic bass) brings her newest ensemble to the WEST OAKLAND SOUND SERIES in advance of its NYC debut at The Stone later this month. Mezzacappa's previous works have drawn inspiration from Dashiell Hammett and Paul Auster's lean noir crime novels and Italo Calvino's hilarious and poignant Cosmicomics stories. Now she's […]

ERNST KAREL: ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS ERNST KAREL presents his multichannel, ongoing iterative work, Atmospheric Rivers. This piece’s subject is a key component of the global water cycle: the enormous streams of concentrated water vapor which flow through the sky from the tropics towards the poles, releasing heavy rain in high wind, particularly in the western U.S, and […]

In the perfect environment for close listening, the two cellos and saxophone TRIO BEN DAVIS - FRED LONBERG-HOLM - LARRY OCHS invite you, the avid listeners, to join the musicians in enjoying their spontaneous but carefully sculpted music as it happens, in real time. Through repeated performances, musical discussions after shows and rehearsals, this music […]

THE SAN FRANCISCO TAPE MUSIC COLLECTIVE presents their summer east bay festival of fixed media works projected live over a 16-channel Meyer Sound System. Featuring a wide range of works by international composers and collective members.