tactical media

[voidtactical]

[rhusopensource]

Hey folks guess what #voidtacticalmedia #tshirts #comingsoon

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The final chapter in Key’s Murmuration has been released!  

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Poster artwork for Key’s ‘The Gift’.  Murmuration #2. https://murmuration.bandcamp.com/merch/ii-the-gift

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Void News November

Digital releases with physical media - we want to keep something that sticks around in both contexts, continue the discussion with media as physical, move concepts with media as data.  There is no priority to given form, but to convey the open intention as clearly as possible.  This is an age of signal overdrive; concrete the message as you find it.

Delien - Identify Annex - DI001 / void 015

https://voidtacticalmedia.bandcamp.com/album/identity-annex-void015-di001

This time we wrote to cassette tape.  Not because of nostalgia or an arcane belief that this is a perfect format, but to you the chance to load up on a boom box and unplug for a moment.  This one kicks off the new Detroit Industrial cassette label in fact, so given the low cost of tape you can expect a stream of industrial folklore updates as the next year unfolds.  Kirill (Delien, Fluxion A/D) has been emerging some video clips in support.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0hZ7q19910 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47tx5b5jt_Q * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lGLpq2YWvs

Digital audio comes along for the ride on all of these for open access. Here’s a refresh: A rigorous creed of human-machine interface and collective expression has always guided Detroit’s Delien. With over ten years of activity, this two man duo haunts our memories as a cyborg presence at otherwise bearded noise shows while today they churn the long game basis for the Detroit Industrial crew. What we have here is an annex, an additional entry in the assembly of an identify demarcating an unbroken timeline. Raw industrial, take in an earful.

Key - Murmuration II - The Gift

* https://murmuration.bandcamp.com/merch/ii-the-gift

Undulating ocean eco-quakes lead extreme spiritual territories.  This second installation of Key’s Murmuration triptych begins deep after the coastal waters of Murmuration I.  We find ourselves connecting the outsides, away from complex society at the more fundamental realities of austere environments.  Emerging from depth, sonics climb to supernal mountaintop transmissions, emanating an ancient electromagnetism across space and time.

This one writes to paper as well as digital.  Each of the Murmurations aligns a unique image of Key’s own creation.  You might take a peek:

* https://f1.bcbits.com/img/0005893180_10.jpg

For further future reference: Key is an electronic representation of ideas and emotions. It is about opening doors and unlocking deepness within ourselves. A reverence for nature as the path we all walk. Questions of time and dimensionality.

[voidtactical]

Void News Sept 2015

The library extends for miles, under the ground.

Key : Murmuration 1 - Dismantle  - Now Available - Digital/Physical Audio/Poster

Key hits the sonic zone hard this fall with the first installation of her three parter ‘Murmuration’.  Dismantle, the entry point for this series of long form 20 minute works, winds a vocal surf under tonal modulations the kindred of nascent lifeforms.  This is a sonic journey, demanding to be heeded and explored, rather than merely auditioned.  A metaphysical space forming endeavor in the audio domain, this Murmuration comes easy as adigital file, but also stakes its claim to the material through a limited edition printed artwork poster.   Each in the series will do the same.  Experience the opening movement now, and intake the unfolding of a stellar release series from this rising artist.

http://thewinding.net/murmuration/

Delien : Identity Annex - Coming Soon - Cassette Tape - DI001/void015

A rigorous creed of human-machine interface and collective expression has always guided Detroit’s Delien.  With over ten years of activity, this two man duo haunts our memories as a cyborg presence at otherwise bearded noise shows while today they churn the long game basis for the Detroit Industrial crew.  What we have here is an annex, an additional entry in the assembly of an identify, 4 tracks rendered to tape, demarcating an unbroken timeline.  Raw industrial, take in an earful:

http://industrialdetroit.com

[voidtactical]

Tactical Media May 23rd Detroit

Void Tactical Media returns to Detroit on May 23rd with a full scale event featuring a packed broken bass lineup and transformed space.  

Intoner - Oakland, CA

A globe trotting sonic destroyer who knows exactly what you need to hear before you do. DJ Intoner cut his teeth in the SF Bay in the early 2000s, assaulted ears at Machinenfest and Forms of Hands, and continued on to Berlin, Leipzig, Rotterdam and everywhere in-between. Now brooding in Oakland CA,  he’s contributed to noise / techno / breakcore by throwing parties with Winterkalte, Pneumatic Detach, Somatic Responses, Xanopticon, and of course Void Tactical Media.  The real deal.

Disheveled - Pittsburgh, PA

Mastermind-level producer VanEck brings exactly the driving beat we’ve been hungering for.  You’ll recognize these modular synths from Prometheus Burning and Four Pie Movement, but in Disheveled we find a honed version of what came before. Melodic and gritty, texture distilled to hard broken bass.  It’s just badass.  A badass statement of existence.

Split Horizon

Pummeling our ears with driving baselines and soaring melodies, he is at the helm. The bottom line at Void Tactical.

Additiv - Los Angeles, CA

When Additiv hits the scene, you expect mayhem.  This individual was classically trained on the cello, but somehow ended up a broken bass producer, not to mention new media artist and software engineer.  His sound toes the line between electro crunch and static interference, letting you dance to the latest cool beat but reminding you that there’s a bit more you need to be paying attention to.  Then afterwards get him started on current political events - now you’re sunk.

Fluxion A/D - Detroit, MI

The industrial heart and soul Detroit forgot it had.  They’ve been here, this whole time, rhythmically working in lofts and hidden spaces, getting to this area’s own desert walking music.  Speaking from the place and its reflection with technology has always been the message; Fluxion A/D makes that ephemera tactile.  When we say industrial we don’t mean some shitty Skinny Puppy wanna be with an arpeggiated synth and flanged vocals.  We mean networked hardware and a relationship with it - a conversation about technology, and then dance floor mayhem.

Key

Rock solid underpinning of Void Tactical, winding sonic texture and unsettling tones into meta-deconstructive vortices.  It’s probably not what you were expecting, but it’s what just happened, so time to up your aural intelligence.  Recently featured on Mantis Radio UK, she is an audio constructivist interrogating time and dimensionality.

Watabou - Ann Arbor, MI

A hyper emotive convergence of hard hitting beeps and screams. The jagged edges of our periphery.

Owlynn Arachnopus - Hamtramck, MI

Mangled vocals with noisy sub-beats . . . what?

Void Tactical Media began circa 2006 in Detroit’s Eastern Market when empty warehouses were still the norm.  Initial inspiration sprung from critical relationship to media and the desire to transform society.  A deep thinking label, no doubt, but we never forgot about the party.  Void Tactical cultivates distorted sound, bass rhythms, and transformed space to subvert social brainwash and create space where people can relate.  

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(via https://soundcloud.com/voidtacticalmedia/sets/tactical-media-detroit-may?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

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== Void News for May 2013 ==

Ready for the next round, taking time to navigate the topology of media projects and new explorations, welcoming the coming summer with a full rack of new music and directions.  Heads up long time allies - pushing forward for 2013!

Vectors:

* Void Tactical Media 003 Vinyl Previews are Online!

* Form and Structure 012 - Fluxion - Radiation Dance - Out Now!

* New Void Tactical Media website is up.

* Void Tactical Media open source !?!??!

* Next up on Void : Adjust - Omerta

>>>Void Tactical Media 003 Vinyl Previews are Online! <<<

Void Tactical Media 003 splits midwest industrial breakcore legend Bombardier against Los Angeles scene crusher WMX. 4 tracks of industrial broken bass.  Check the links for your first listen - going to cut now.

First up, Bombardiers plate - totally decimating dark groove earthquake.

https://soundcloud.com/voidtacticalmedia/sets/vtcl003-preview-bombardier-side

And in close step, WMX's side of VTCL003 shifts and moves, with techno influenced broken beat dancefloor shakers. Sonic substance - read between the lines.

https://soundcloud.com/voidtacticalmedia/sets/vtcl003-preview-wmx-side

  >>> Form and Structure 012 - Fluxion - Radiation Dance - Out Now! <<<

Born in the warehouses of Detroit, long time instigators of the Eastern Market broken beat breakcore underground, Fluxion A/D captures the Detroit Industrial deep current like no other possibly could. This EP's title track is an extended distortion bathed alien vocal industrial groove that makes you wanna play it on endless. On the flip we get the harsher side of Fluxion as Simple Math pounds intense noise frequency against broken bass drum pattern. In the old days we remember God and His Bitches, and even before that Delien and Disect, when this crew where both allies and sparring partners to Void Tactical. And then to boot, M.Kadath from Parvulus Infectus steps in on Simple Math. Fluxion A/D is the next manifestation of an industrial network core collective, manifesting yet again. Get the grit of history and a dose of the present tense - up Detroit Industrial.

Full quality purchase comes with Detroit Industrial patch, designed by Fluxion. Album artwork designed by Dimentia.

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/voidtacticalmedia/sets/fs012-fluxion-radiation-dance

Full Quality: http://voidtacticalmedia.bandcamp.com/album/radiation-dance

  >>> New Void Tactical Media website is up. <<<

So we've been quiet about it just because there is so much content to input, and we still haven't gotten it all in.. but the new Void Tact. site has been up for almost 2 months - it's time we let on about it!  http://voidtacticalmedia.org/  Designed and implemented by Key, what we have here is a very much improved presentation of our media and ideas.  New things to check out include all VTCL and Form and Structure releases for listening (Void releases coming soon), much of the design that has been contributed over the years finally archived, and a page that archives our texts and essays.   We still have a ways to go in building this out, so please excuse the dust, but also please do browse through!

>>> Void Tactical Media open source !?!??! <<<

As part of our website build out process, we decided to explore a new direction for Void Tactical Media - open source software.  Open source is so important, and when writing the software that runs our website we realized that it could be useful to anyone else wanting to build a custom record label website and go independent in the world of facebook, bandcamp, and web tool identity models.  So we are releasing the full source (minus Void Tactical content) of the site as an open source project.  More open source efforts will follow, check our github at https://github.com/voidtactical if you want to use or contribute to the project!

>>> Next up on Void : Adjust - Omerta <<<

Now here's a hidden taste that you won't see posted, for those that read all the way down.  A long time coming, our full length cd and digital release for Adjust, purveyor of Low Res Records in Detroit, is finally reaching completion.  A live performance of all his best tracks backed by Bonus Live mix - expect this one within the next month.  Here's a visual taste: http://voidtacticalmedia.org/files/aaaaaaa.png

[voidtactical]

Datacide Hits! (Catch up...)

Once again we experience some lag between reality and this blog...  Things unfold here and Europe and it's only later that we can find the time and focus to post a solid writeup on our adventures.  So here goes on a wrap up on the Datacide conference and party in Berlin on October 20th!  The event was wholly at an space in Berlin known as Subversiv, one of Berlin's many ex-squat community resource projects.  A really great project, and ideal for this event.

The night started out with a series of talks upstairs.  First we heard from Cedric who spoke about his research on experimental music from areas normally left out of the formal discourse on the topic, for instance Africa and Asia ( http://syrphe.com/african&asian_database.htm ).  Then we heard from the OKK Team who spoke on their cultural interventions in Germany.  Split Horizon then rounded out the talks by presenting 'Control and Freedom in Geographic Information Systems' - both a primer and extension to his article for Datacide 12.  Slides from the talk can ben downloaded here: http://www.voidtacticalmedia.org/control-and-freedom-in-geographic-information-syst.html  The talk  went well, with many people finding a new interest in 21st century cartography and lively interactions with new faces continued throughout the night and indeed now for a few weeks since.  It was a pleasure to present these concepts to a new audience.  Additionally, as simultaneously a tongue in cheek action and serious invitation Key set up http://www.communitywalk.com/20_years_of_breakcore, a suggestion of mapping the international activities of the broken-beat-breakcore underground.

Of course, after the talks it was time for music!  As Nemeton had promised, the soundsystem left nothing to be desired.  Of course with Xanopticon playing the party as well, Heather in spirited form, and Liz driving the dance, this event was the Berlin meetup for our circle.   Key opened the party with ambience and industrial beats: http://soundcloud.com/ioekey/key-at-datacide-20-10-2012  ;  Dimentia mixed it up for a hard sound leading to some quick step deep intensity http://soundcloud.com/dimentia/dimentia-live-datacide ; This night as Split Horizon I took an experimental feedback techno approach through to a funky noise finale, for which I give this excerpt:  http://soundcloud.com/splithorizon/split-horizon-datacide-excerpt . By this hour it was time for Xanopticon to stake his claim, and the people were clearly ready for a long awaited return to Berlin from this splinterbeat sculpter, giving the party its peak intensity.   Without a doubt we also thank Amboss, LFO Demon, and H-Kon for sonic support on this excellent night with the Datacide crew.

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Datacide is Next! 20.10.2012

http://vimeo.com/51092202

Our next event drops in a week and half, with the Void Tactical tour joining forces with Xanoption, LFO Demon, Amboss, and H-Kon to rock the release party for Datacide 12, the magazine for Noise and Politics!  The night begins at 6pm with a short round of talks about current issues in radical media, and then moves onto the dance party from there.  Check the amazing promo video above, created by Sansculotte, for details or read below for the full spread.  Split Horizon will be giving a talk about control and freedom in geospatial information systems, a supplement to his writing for this release of Datacide, at this event as well!

Talks start at 6 pm, party at 11 pm

at subversiv e.v. / Brunnenstrasse 7, Berlin-Mitte

Xanopticon - Live - Zhark / Peace Off – San Francisco - xanopticon.com Split Horizon - Live – Void Tactical Media – Oakland - soundcloud.com/splithorizon Dimentia - Live - Void Tactical Media – Oakland - soundcloud.com/dimentia Key - Live – Void Tactical Media – Oakland - soundcloud.com/ioekey LFO Demon - Sprengstoff - soundcloud.com/lfodemon Amboss - Sub/Version - soundcloud.com/amboss H-Kon - Clash of the Titans - soundcloud.com/h-kon

visuals: Sansculotte - vimeo.com/sansculotte - (upstairs)

Talks start at 6pm:

“Electronic and experimental music in Asia and Africa” by Cedrik Fermont The official history of experimental and electronic music is mostly centered on developments in the “West” from the end of the 19th century through the 1960s, and yet, in 1944, the first known piece of African so-called “experimental music” was recorded by Halim El-Dabh in Cairo. This talk addresses the fact that electronic, experimental music, and by extension noise music, cannot been seen as a typically “Western” kind of music. The origins of the very notion of noise music do not entirely belong to “Western” culture, but most probably stem from technology, modernization, and often urbanism. What about non-Western composers of experimental, electronic and noise music, who have been written out of histories? Which culture(s) and which non-Western nations are they influenced by? Are they still maintained under a post-colonial cultural yoke?

“2012 IS THE SEASON FOR TREASON: An Assault on Establishment Culture in Germany” by the OKK Team Chus Martinez, Francisco José Avestruz & Otto Karl Kamal Extending the assault on capitalist society through a radical take on Berlin Biennale 7, dOCUMENTA (13) and similar propaganda tools, the OKK Team will present their analysis of and strategies for countering these bourgeois gentrification festivals and their “activist” participants who are often sporting either extreme naivety or some “brown” (i.e. fascist) ideology. For more info go to:2012istheseasonfortreason.wordpress.com/

“On the Map – Control and Freedom in Geographic Information Systems” by Split Horizon The merger of cartography, statistical analysis and database technology threatens our privacy and autonomy, while simultaneously pluralizing our consensus of what exists, or has existed, at a place. Digital map making is now a crucial form of communication, and a newly contested media that begs exploration. This talk addresses the most severe technological consequences of location tracking, while presenting creative directions, détournements, and strategies that free and open source GIS/GPS technologies now make available to the general public.

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Promo video for Datacide 12 Release party!

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Harder/Faster/Vienna

Our trip to Vienna was nothing short of fantastic.  A remarkable city, where centuries of high culture collides in a total commercial zone, we were honored to play the the EKH squat, a community space like no other.  The Ernst-Kirchweger-Haus is a giant autonomous space, a former school, in operation since 1990.  The building contains multiple show spaces and gathering rooms, a welding studio, and much more that we didn't have time to explore.  What's more, our new friend Dominic organized the party in true underground fashion, no mention on Facebook was ever made, with the main promotion being a network of friends and a swell of SMS on the day of the party.  And yes, this strategy delivered in true form.

The night kicked off with an epic dj set spanning many genres as we waited for the people to arrive and get the party going.  Things really got rolling as 1am approached; it would be a night of true improv for all three of us.  After a short harsh noise set was delivered, Split Horizon was up, warming things up for Dimentia this time around.  He responded with a noise filtered incarnation of the set he's been flexing across the tour, bringing mixer feedback to bear to move the crowd [ http://soundcloud.com/splithorizon/split-horizon-live-in-vienna ].  Then Dimentia stepped up for maybe the only breakcore set we've ever heard from him.  As the crowd got frantic, they asked 'faster, faster!'.  So he turned it up.. to 230bpm.  Tune in around 24:43 for total madness, and then skip to 49:01 for a real surprise [http://soundcloud.com/dimentia/dimentia-live-ekh-vienna].  The Hecate joined the fray, keeping the party pumping with a harsh breakcore dj delivery that still won't let you down, and Key followed up with probably her farthest stretch out of the tour, cranking up the beats per minute herself as well to complete in a shimmering wall of synth.   After this point none of us can remember much more…

[voidtactical]

Solid Sets and Spaces in Bratislava

A few days of downtime to rest up, and it was time to get down to Bratislava for our show on September 29th.  None of use really knew what to expect.  We drove from Berlin, through the Czech Republic, into Slovakia where we found a city shaking of the imposed transformations of the communist era, making a start to rebuild it's own identity.  This was not to disappoint.  The space for the party was solid - FUGA, it's called.  A large, well kept underground show space with installed sound run by Hargi, our host, and others.  The scene in Bratislava is not large, but the hard work behind this space is memorable.  They bring a variety of acts from all over to share interesting underground sound with their city - a good deal of raging grindcore, but not daunted in the slightest by multipiece jazz groups or our own broken bass.   Hospitality was excellent and the other performers quite talented.  Aftershock 7 was our party.

The evening warmed up with an eclectic set of great selections, and we met Hybrid Systems, a New Hampshire expat to Vienna who came out to Bratislava to perform.  Amazing, and unexpected, realtime constructed projections by Vitazek [http://vitazek.com/] accompanied all the sets, with facial recognition transforming the audience into dancing interactive abstractions during Dimentia's set and fractured weather wirescapes during Split Horizon.   Dimentia once again served up the goods with the next round of new songs from the fountain of new material this tour has generated [ http://soundcloud.com/dimentia/dimentia-live-fuga-bratislava ].  Then Split Horizon took his set in a new direction - inspired by a shot of Borovička beforehand, he rode with some glitches and pumped some newer, more techno material through the system [http://soundcloud.com/splithorizon/split-horizon-live-in].  Key also found a spot the next night, throwing down alongside some local grindcore and Brasilian metal.  We also learned later that the sounds of Maraki, very similar to our own, were slotted to end the night but that the man behind the group had fallen fast asleep by the time his set time rolled around (well it was late)!  We rated his the best set that never happened…

In Berlin I randomly found myself around a table with 2 other performers traveling to Bratislava in coming months.  'Bratislava is a thing then' we joked.  It's because of the hard work of FUGA, I realized when I played there.  

[voidtactical]

Berlin 1

Readers have probably noticed we've falled behind in updates - what can we say, touring Europe is a busy time!  Right now we are getting ready for our show tonight in Vienna, but we'll take this moment to bring our reports up to date through our first round through Berlin (we head back there for round 2 in the next few.)

Right after Madrid we played  NoiseAngriff #15 at the Laushangriff bar, a scene handout night for breakcore and noise nights.  Split Horizon and Dimentia both pulled out some alternate tunes for this eve, taking the opportunity of the low key atmosphere to experiment a bit.  Both T3kamin, Electric Kettle, and CF all threw down some records to make for an enjoyable night and first meeting with some of the Berlin crowd.

A few days later it was time for our first real Berlin party.  Starting in true Berlin style with doors at 12:00am and sound starting at 1, we had a great time hearing Electric Kettle live,playing alongside both Darkam and GRR, who were responsible for the party, and Nemeton who's been our main base in the city.   The venue is an underground location where like many such places in Berlin has several underground clubs next door.  When we arrive it took a while to figure out where to go, walking into other parties that were just getting started and wondering where ours was.  Dimentia's set from this night (and also NoiseAngriff) are already posted at http://soundcloud.com/dimentia/tracks.  Split Horizon tweaked out his set so much to get real bass that he's a bit sheepish to post the recording, but he will.

After meeting some new friends and getting the feel of Berlin, it was nice to have some time off to relax in the city.  Checking out the Botanical Gardens, numerous parks, cheap pastries, and chill cafes as the seasons change in Berlin was the priority for over a week as we recharged, got ready to travel to Slovakia and Austria, and also confirmed a leg of the tour heading to Prague and Krakow.  

Now we head out to the EKH in Vienna to play, and will update before long with further adventures, as well as a return to new releases on our digital sublabel, Form and Structure.  Can't thank enough, with every post really, to all those that have helped make the tour happen and build Void Tactical over the last few years.  Getting out here and playing is both a culmination and an opening of new doors for the whole crew.

[voidtactical]

An excellent visit to Madrid.

What can we say, Madrid was amazing.  The Spanish know a good way to live!  Our party was very well attended, the hospitality was excellent, and the weather was beautiful. Not even to mention that we got to play alongside Shorai and Dr Chi at a very special space in Vaiador34, which reminds us a bit of From the Gut and the Foundation back in Detroit.   It's wonderful to see people making the party for the right reasons, and to greet so many new faces.  

We also had to the opportunity to learn a bit the history of Spain from our new friends, view the fantastic painting of Goya and Heronoismous Bosch, and of course enjoy the many open city squares and parks of Madrid.  With FTG old schoolers Hong and Michelle joining us in Madrid for the party, there was nothing more we could have asked.  For all of us it was our first visit to Spain, and we all must return for more one day. . .

Key, Dimentia, and Split Horizon all had excellent sets, and we have recordings of each to post to our soundclouds soon.  We cannot give enough thanks to Fuco, Chicha, Roamin (Roosta), '''Hwen''', and many others for all their excellent effort and good vibes.

[voidtactical]

Madrid esta Noche!!!

And yes, in getting the blog in sync with our travels we must admit that tonight is our party in Madrid!  From our arrival on Monday to now, Spain has been very nice to us - with excellent hospitality, a laid back attitude, and just about the most pleasant evening air temperature that you can imagine.  We've taken a long walk in the Prado, enjoying Goya and Bosch to an unparalleled level, and enjoyed much food and wine.  Our host, Fuco, currently lives in a nice house where we have room to work on music, repair gear, relax, and talk.

For tonights party we play alongside Shorai, which is very exciting as we have heard his music years and has had some influence on our path.  Also we met Dr. Chi a few days ago, who makes a breakcore from chicken noises which should be very silly, along with koreoke, which as you can imagine is a way to sing popular songs through a destruction of effects.   Fuco himself has excellent taste in selections, as we have been listing to many records at his house, so it's looking to be a true and various breakcore broken beat underground event this evening.  

Escucha el latido subterráneo!!!