audio & video

Mission Creep

Multi-instrumentalist/multi-media collaboration between several Boston based musicians and artists blending mid-sixties soul-jazz, punk-funk, noise, and rock and layering live instruments over samples and electronic grooves. The semi-improvised music was a stepping off point for semi-improvised video projections and live visuals that accompanied each performance. Building off of work done in the 1990s with Imploding Empire Entertainments, we were able to adapt full video saturation techniques to the unpredictable environments of nightclubs and alternative spaces. Featuring the stellar musicianship of Yuri Zbitnoff, Tony Savarino, PEK, Steve Norton, and, many others.

In addition to live performance, the group released one LP and several singles on Wire Recordings.

See more Mission Creep here.

Path-O-Gen

Art that is colorless, odorless, cannot be seen, heard or touched.

Path-O-Gen is a project creating compositions in the audio spectrum below the range of human hearing (20hz and below) and is commonly referred to as Infrasound – the language of earthquakes, storms, and bombs.

As the final audio tracks are essentially invisible to the naked ear (via conventional playback systems), the content is verified through the use of spectrum analyzers and genuine playback can only be accomplished with special equipment (low frequency subwoofers at high amplitudes). Note that some of these frequencies at high Sound Pressure Levels may have unexpected and unpleasant results.

Visual feedback via the use of frequency analyzers play a major role in the composition process and much of the audio content is the result of manipulating visual readouts in a manner akin to “drawing” the spectral waveforms.

All links will open in YouTube

The Red Folder
Strong tones at 10hz, 4hz, and 2hz. Interesting notch at 12.5hz.
Available as NFT on Rarible.and Open Sea
Journey of a Demon
Built around tones at 18hz; plosives at 14hz.
How A Monk Saved His Mother From Hell
Built around tones at 5, 18, and 20hz.
Better Than A Thousand Meaningless Phrases, Is One Meaningful Word
Strong movement between 11 and 15hz.
I dreamt of a spider and when I awoke he was gone. Did I dream him or is he dreaming me!
Activity in the 5hz-10hz range. 5hz striations from 15hz-38hz towards fade out.
Available as NFT on Raribleand Open Sea.


Radio show & Podcast. Damien Gregory & DJ Muttnick play teen-beat, surf, garage, psych, go-go jazz, easy-listening, b-movies, vintage ads, and more from the Cold War era. The show mixes music, news, and cultural commentary on the lifestyle and times of the Cold War years using vintage audio and contemporary review.

Live on air: 107.7 fm (Brattleboro, VT area), Saturdays 10pm-midnight (rebroadcast Tuesdays 1pm-3pm)
Live streaming; WVEW http://www.wvew.org
Playlists & downloads of past shows: http://younglarva.tumblr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloYoungLarva
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelloYoungLarva

And Safely Back To Earth

“…And Safely Back To Earth” is a non-narrative four-part video by Gregory Damien Grinnell with a semi-improvisational score by Mission Creep, sourced entirely from archival NASA footage, tracing the arc of space exploration from it’s early days to the present and beyond.

Source film + live audio above is from “No Telemetry” @ The Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain MA, 04.26.17. A night of film and live music accompaniment featuring several Boston area artists, filmmakers and composers observing Yuri’s Night—a global celebration of space exploration occurring each April—in commemoration of April 12, the date of Yuri Gargarin’s first manned spaceflight (1961) and the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle (1981).

Gregory Damien Grinnell: electronics, trumpet, bass, keys; Yuri Zbitnoff: drums; Tony Savarino: guitars; PEK: reeds; Tamara Gooding: electronic percussion

Bring Us Your Women

Live video mixing and projections for Bring Us Your Women, an international collaborative film anthology & live multi-media music and dance performance dedicated to women and the pursuit of divinity and freedom. Conceived, authored and directed by multi-disciplinary artist Catherine Capozzi and with a cast of over 20 musicians, 13 filmmakers and a dozen dancers, the project seeks to tell existing and re-imagined stories of historic and mythical individuals, each presenting a message of humanity that transcends gender and religion. The production has had numerous performances since 2018 spanning large, full ensemble productions at the American Repertory Theater’s Oberon Theater, the Somerville Theater and “sample-sized” mini-productions in various New England clubs and art venues.

Video for performance involved both improvising video mixing techniques in concert with live musicians and dancers and synching timecode and metronome parameters of existing video assets for orchestra.

Teledubgnosis

Teledubgnosis is and modern dub project featuring the powerhouse drumming of Ted Parsons (Prong, Godflesh, Swans, Killing Joke) and the electronic wizardry of multi-instrumentalists Jason Wolford and Gregory Damien Grinnell. The group uses mid-seventies dub as a stepping off point for futuristic excisions featuring collaborations from alt-luminaries such as Norman Westburg (Swans), David Wm. Sims (Jesus Lizard), PJ Harvey, Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu), Joel Hamilton (Sparklehorse), Leigh Marble and many others. Teledubgnosis has released two albums: Magnetic Learning Center and Teledubgnosis vs. N.I.C. as well as appearing on numerous compilations and singles.

 

Imploding Empire Entertainments/Dissolving Astronaut

Imploding Empire Entertainments (1990-1996)/Dissolving Astronaut (2011-2019) sought to blend the temporal “gig” sensibility of a rock performance with the visuals and aesthetics of art installation. Performing alone or partnering with musical acts, IEE brought an array of projections, slides, and visual effects to art galleries and rock clubs alike. As a temporary “set up and play” attitude was the focus, performances were often short, improvisational, and subject to the vagaries of the venue du jour. Equipment was sourced and retrofit with rough handling and short set-up times in mind. Few performances were allowed the luxury of lead installation time and technical rehearsal so much of the focus of the performances was the temporal nature of the event and overcoming the associated technical and logistical challenges therein.

On the rare occasion that an installation was slated to be permanent or semi-permanent, the group could adapt to a more leisurely schedule and a more planned set-up and presentation.

Shows included UMASS Harbor Gallery, Hynes Auditorium (Boston), Max Fish (NYC), and touring productions with musical acts Inner Beauty, PRONG (Sony Music), Teledubgnosis and Mission Creep.

 

New York, New York

Writer/performer with several downtown NYC bands during the 1980’s spanning the early post-punk/No Wave scene through hardcore, ska and hip-hop.

Unity 2 (1989-1990)
Guitarist and songwriter with Warner Bros. hip-hop reggae artists and Toasters offshoot. U.S. tours and MTV appearances.
The Fleshtones (1987)
Touring member with punk garage-rock originators during “Fleshtones vs. Reality” era. Tours with James Brown, The Lyres, others.
Swans (1986)
Trumpet on Holy Money LP.

The Toasters (1985-1989)
One of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, and toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and beyond. Trumpet, bass, songwriter.
Ten Hail Marys (1983-1985)
Early 80’s downtown NYC punk/art/noise/hardcore outfit featuring drummer Ted Parsons (Prong, Swans, Killing Joke, Jesu) and the songwriting of GD Grinnell. Cast members included guitarist Dave Welker and bassists Dave Cheever, Billy Pilgrim, and Algis Kizyz (Swans, Lydia Lunch).
DUSTdevils (1985)
Noise rock band based in New York City and Leeds, England. The band was active from the 1984 to the mid 1990s, and was among the first artists to be signed to Matador Records. Members included bassists Mark Ibold (Pavement, Sonic Youth), Gerard Cosloy (Homestead, Matador), Keith Gregory (The Wedding Present), and rock critic Sasha Frere-Jones on guitar. Early demos circa 1985: Jaqui Delaney, gtr, vox; Michael Duane, gtr, b vox; Dave Reid, drums; Gregory Damien Grinnell, bass).

Crazy Hearts (1981-1983)
Seminal East Village No Wave band active in early ‘80s. Shared stages with The Fall, Elliot Sharp, Christian Marclay, many others. Victoria Vesna: vocals; Byron Ralston: guitar & synth; David Cheever: bass; Ted Parsons: drums; Gregory Damien Grinnell: gtr & electronics.
Group Of Trees (1980-1982)
Minimalist punk funk trio. Performances at Ann Magnuson’s Club 57. Julie Jigsaw: vox; Ted Parsons: drums; Gregory Damien Grinnell: gtr, bass, electronics.