Artist description Three or four guys with too much amplification illustrating the dangers of easy access to contemporary industrial audio technology.

Music Style Noise/Experimental

Musical Influences Feedback, ground hum, irritainment, Fluxism, absurdism, sound, etc...

Similar Artists Haters vs. Earth vs. Bardo Pond with less talent and crappier equipment.

Artist History 1991, Four electro-acoustic composition undergrads at San Jose State University form The San Jose State Electro-Acoustic Ensemble and start performing early quasi-freeform electronic compositions from the 60's and 70's (Cage, Brown, Ashley, Duckworth, Reich), and improvisation. Soon improvisation becomes the focus of the group and The Gas Chamber Orchestra is born. We do a bunch of shows in San Jose, mostly at the university, through 1992-1994, including a few all-night concerts, a few shows which combine noise, sound, feedback, video, cooking, text, audience interaction, beer, performance art, ice cream, computers, turntables, tools, cars, sledge hammers, saran wrap, and whetever else we could get our hands on. Time passes and four undergrads become four graduate students with even less time than before. The gigs are fewer and further between, but always offer something unique. On March 2nd, 1996...well, Gary put it best when he said: "the most talented, admirable, intelligent, and uniquely nicest individual that I have ever known in my life, Michael Andrade, passed away (right in front of me) and left the three remaining members of GCO with the daunting task of stirring up the soup for an extra person. Now there's only three of us left to embarrass you and all your friends." All I can add is that Mike's death remains the most shattering event in my life. We all graduate from San Jose State University with MA degrees in '97 or '98. Mark Grey does sound design and sound work for the likes of John Adams, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Kronos Quartet, travels the world, marries a wonderful Finnish pianist, and continues composing. Gary Singh becomes a cultural icon of San Jose, sharing irritainment with the club crowd each week. Ryan H. Torchia dumps his job at Apple and moves to Buffalo, NY to persue a Ph.D. in computer music composition. The Gas Chamber Orchestra still performs two or three times a year, when the planets align and Gary, Mark and Ryan somehow end up in the same place at the same time. Though they've still only managed to start one audience riot. So far.

Group Members Mark Grey, Gary Singh, Ryan H. Torchia, and the late Michael Andrade.

Instruments Usually.

Location San Jose, CA - USA

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