Wednesday, December 28, 2016

My trip to the Circus, or trippin' on the circus...

The Get-Up, Silver Hat & Gloves, Lester Bowie influenced Lab Coat,    
The Work Station

























There is a great thing in Joshua Tree, it is the Zircon & Wish Circus! I was honored to be part of the Ted Quinn Ensemble that closed the show on 12-26-16. Other performers in the Quinn ensemble were, Jeff Boaz, Leslie Mariah Andrews, Kip Powell, Lisa Mednick Powell and Sage Quinn-Blair.
We performed three of Ted's songs and Little Drummer Boy featuring Sage on drums.

The hosts of the event were the Aerial performing artists  Jim Zircon Oliver and Wish PoolOxte. They ended the second set of aerial performances with an amazing duet!  

Aydra and Emvy Performed as BELLSTARR. Aydra singing while spinning in the air hanging from a hula-hoop shaped trapeze.

BELLSTARR, Dishing up healthy servings of Electro-pop. Literally, raising the bar for vocal performance.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

On to the Circus!

I can barely contain the excitement I have for this gig! In the world of "life-events" playing at the circus looms large in my mind! I have the honor of performing with Ted Quinn on the day after Christmas (12-26-16).

If you need an excuse for a desert holiday to Joshua Tree on the day after Christmas, this may be all the push you need. Those awkward days between Xmas and New Years Eve.....what to do....what to do?

Come to Joshua Tree! The Circus, The Park, The Desert. More fun than loitering around the house watching TV! Come on down!

Sunday, December 18, 2016

The thing I love about the Santa Ana Noise Fest are the surprises!

Travis from X-Eyes posing with his siren!
 The thing I love about the Santa Ana Noise Fest are the surprises!

Travis brought a siren that started its life on a police motorcycle and traveled through the band LOCUST and ended up with X-Eyes. The original plan was for the motor cycle cop to tilt the siren to rub on the tire of the motor cycle to cause it to operate.....Low Tech Style....

The festival was amazing this year. A great crowd and great performers! I was a fine and noisy time for all.

A big thanks to Astral Violet and Monks for the video. The little TVs across the front of the stage were cute!

Friday, December 9, 2016

Santa Ana Noise Fest, Joining the Circus, phog masheeen goes to NAMM...









Coming Dec. 17th, RSVP now and get in FREE! https://www.facebook.com/events/311026862584993/



















Phog masheeen joining the circus with Ted Quinn on 12-26-16! The Dream of a lifetime!

Phog masheeen will be attending the NAMM show in Anaheim in January. If you are headed down to the event, hit me up and we will hang out!



 

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Noisefest 2016 set WITH Video!


Here is the full audio of the 2016 Norcal Noisefest Set with William Almas stellar video titled "Cowboys and Juggalo's." See the tense stand-off, The final gun battle and the Oh-So-Sloppy behavior of the Juggalo's in this battle of values.  
Super-saturated in Almas' retina-burning colorThese color values are off the chart!

Dig it Full-Screen Daddy-O...

Monday, October 10, 2016

NFXX recap, Western Theme and unreleased Video...


Phog masheeen debuted a western theme at Norcal Noisefest this year and we produced a video to go with the track, "My Horse Kalenchoe." Originally this video was only available on the pirate box private server at the festival. But now you can see it here! More western theme to come...

Norcal Noisefest is always an amazing event and a wonderful fall destination and meeting of the tribes. It is a great way to see what new things people are up to. One stand out set for me was Medicine Cabinet. The way the real instrument sounds were used to make the harsh noise harsher. It was an excellent set!

The sets will be on Bandcamp eventually and you will see a link to it here when it does.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Instant interview with East Coast Guitar Legend Tim Mungenast....


Tim Mungenast Photo by Glenn Kulbako.
Here is an instant interview with Tim Mungenast, an experimental guitarist currently residing in Albany, New York.

Today 9-15-2016

2:57pm
Tim Mungenast ...and HELLO again! :D

2:58pm
Mark A. Soden Jr. Interviews: that sounds like fun what are you up to right now

3:02pm
Tim M about to eat dinner but that's not a big obstacle. we can do this. wheee!

3:05pm
Mark S OK will make this short and sweet. I will ask three questions, what is the most important musical piece to you? what are your musical plans? What is the most fun you have had playing music?

3:06pm
Tim M typing with my mouth full is not nearly as rude as speaking that way, yes?

3:06pm
Mark S We can do this with typing that way you can eat freely and it won't sound like anything.

3:06pm
Tim M I will put a chunk of dry ice on my keyboard...
Okay, question 1...
do you mean one of my tunes or someone else's
i'll assume someone else's music, in which case, my choice is...
at this moment in time? i'd say "freedom" by jimi hendrix

3:09pm
Mark S It can't be either yours or someone else's

3:09pm
Tim M okay, then! we can put a checkmark next to #1

3:09pm
Mark S What about freedom hooked you?

3:09pm
Tim M question #2... my plans?
ah, "freedom" had maybe the most propulsive hook ever created
...and a very positive message of human potential

3:10pm
Mark S Hooks are a great thing. It speaks to the lizard brain.

3:10pm
Tim M...killer solos, and vocals, too
for sure, the lizard brain isn't all bad. :D
it gets a bad rap.

3:11pm
Mark S I would say in general people spend more time using the lizard brain then they would like to admit

3:11pm
Tim M hahahaha! I'd put money on it, yes.

3:11pm
Mark S Especially when they're operating heavy equipment like cars

3:12pm
Tim M Yeah, you need ALL your brain for that, at least if you want to do it right and not drive like a New Englander.
...or a denizen of NYC and environs.

3:13pmMark S Well, you guys have weather. Bad drivers in Los Angeles have no excuse...

3:13pm
Tim M hahahahaha! Agreed.
3:14pm
Mark S So back to plans what have you got going?

3:16pm
Tim M Last summer I recorded an album as guest axeman for my friends' band Astro Al (a husband/wife band specializing in weird poetry soundscapes), and a week or so ago we recorded the followup, which is so far sounding even better and more fun.
...and I am on 6 of 18 songs on Eric Dahlman's "Glacier" album.

3:17pm
Mark S Outstanding! Is that on Bandcamp or sound cloud where can one get to this?

3:17pm

Tim M let me check my emails 
i have the URL somewhere

3:18pm
Mark S Eric Dahlman is brilliant he turned a great set at wonder Valley experimental last year.

3:19pm
Tim M Yes, he is a great friend and collaborator, an excellent musician with a very strong sense of melody

3:19pm
Tim M   https://ericdahlman1.bandcamp.com/album/glacier

3:19pm
Mark S Most definitely the sense of melody and his ability to like take a melody for a walk is amazing.

3:20pm
Tim M yessir! we also are planning a new album

3:20pm
Mark S Cool!

3:20pm
Tim M we recorded it 2 years ago in an abandoned railway tunnel in clinto, mass.
 clinton

3:20pm
Mark SAnd the ever popular topic of fun!

3:21pm
Tim M it sounds really good
ah, i saw whatcha did there

3:21pm
Mark S Our third and final question the most fun you've had musically?

3:21pm
Tim M we are very close to tying up all the loose ends. the acoustics in that tunnel were amazing!
oh, that's a good one!
 lemme cogitate a minute...

3:22pm
Mark S We might be able to do something like at that in a storm drain out here. What with the ongoing drought we don't have much use for them.

3:22pm
Tim M yes! good sound is truly where you find it.
most fun, eh?

3:22pmMark S Sometimes where you least expect it.

3:24pm
Tim M yes! regarding musical fun, a strong contender would be the aforementioned session in the train tunnel and the associated road trips (we went back a year later for the photo shoot)
Eric is great to work with partly because he is great to hang out with

3:24pm
Mark S How did you find this tunnel?

3:26pm
Tim M Eric and I are both railroad geeks as well as avanguardians... railroad sounds really feed into the idea of beautiful noise, accidental sonic beauty... and Eric knows his trivia as far as routes and tunnels and which train runs where, while I'm mostly about the locomotives and the associated lore.

3:26pm
Tim M It was Eric's idea and I instantly knew it was a good one. He'd recorded in there before.

3:26pm
Mark S Wow that's so cool.

3:27pm
Tim M Yeah!

3:27pmMark S Is there anything else you'd like to add?

3:27pm
Tim M (something resembling a thought skitters around Tim's brain, like subatomic particles in a cloud chamber.)
...processing...

3:29pm
Mark S I love those cloud chamber 16 mm films they used to show in science class.

3:29pm
Tim M for someone who loves to be interviewed, i'm sure coming up dry right now...

3:29pm
Mark S Then I guess were done…

3:29pm
Tim M oh yeah, anything related to olde-tyme school science education is great.

3:30pm
Mark S What I loved about those science films was there was no hint of insincerity or irony.

3:30pm
Tim M I have a lot of the fifties/sixties science books from grade school
they are cheap on ebay for those of us hell-bent on recapturing the great moments of our childhoods.
even the worst childhhod has SOME happy memories unless you grew up in a war zone (God protect those who do!)

3:31pm
Mark SAnd there are many of us who are hellbent on doing just that.

3:31pm
Tim M Final idea...
YES!
Not my idea, but I live by it: It's never too late to have a happy childhood.

3:32pm
Mark S Have a great evening I need to run along now.

3:32pm
Tim M Good evening to you too, Mark! Thanks! This was fun!

3:33pm
Mark S Fun and painless!











Thursday, August 25, 2016

Hyperion Tavern Video, Sitting in with Toaster Music and the road to Norcal...

Big thanks to Rich Polysorbate from Clowns and Fetuses for documenting the Phog masheeen set at Hyperion Tavern. Thanks to rock legend Don Bolles for booking said event and keeping the party rolling from the DJ/VJ booth.

Phog masheeen will be sitting in with Toaster Music at the Expo Design Center for the first Friday hoe-down in Bixby Knolls (aka Long Beach) on 9-2-16, Thanks to Sander and Sumako for the invite.

Later in September we start the northern migration to the Norcal Noisefest. The first stop is in San Francisco at the Luggage Store Gallery. The date for that is Thursday Sept. 29th at 8:00pm. The address for the Luggage Store Gallery is 1007 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94103. It would be lovely to see all our San Francisco friends there....

Friday we transit to Sacramento for the Skunk Puppet show at Luna's Cafe,

Saturday we enjoy the splendor that is Noisefest.

Sunday Phog masheeen performs around 7:30 PM at Cafe Colonial
3520 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, California 95820. All of Sunday will be broadcast on the internet. Details and lineup....Here!

Friday, August 19, 2016

See phog masheeen at Hyperion Tavern next Wednesday 8-24-16


Phog masheeen is coming to Hyperion Tavern Wednesday 8-24-16 for Don Bolles Hushe Club. We will be rolling out a new approach for this show. Come down and check it out!  Also on the bill, Justice Yeldham.

Next up is the San Francisco pre-show for the NorCal Noisefest at the Luggage Store in San Francisco!  This is Thursday Sept. 29th at 8:00 pm. The Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94103. We don't come to San Francisco often, come on down and check out the new setup!


Sunday, July 17, 2016

Thanks to eveyone who came to the OC Fair

Thanks to everyone that came to the OC Fair to see us! Thanks to the crew at the Plaza Pacifica Stage for making it so easy to sound so good! It was great fun. 

Friday, July 15, 2016

How to rehearse, or if to rehearse for improvised music....

Rehearsal, is it over rated?
 

 Tomorrow is our day at the OC Fair. To that end we got together and breezed through our set. Which begs the question, "Can you rehearse improvisation?" You can certainly rehearse setting up and getting the gear to work. Which is no small part of this endeavor. Relative levels are helpful as well. Our one rehearsal went swimmingly, We are ready for the Fair! See you there! 

PS Dr. K scored some soda caps from  our favorite mexican restaurant "Super Pollo." The caps will turbo-charge the sound of the Bundt pans!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

"We Are Phog Masheeen" Ad for the Orange County Fair!


Here is another helpful reminder that YOU need to mark your calendar to be at the OC Fair at 11:45 Saturday July 16th at the Plaza Pacifica Stage for the Phog Masheeen Brunch Set! Not to be missed!

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Just Johnny = unqualified success! On to the Orange County Fair!

Just Johnny presented with a live soundtrack was declared a success by all in attendance!
William Almas legendary visuals were brilliantly showcased that evening.
Further, $100.00 was raised for the Morongo Basin Coalition for Adult Literacy through the sales of CD's Popcorn and Sodas! Thanks Go to Space Cowboy Books for the opportunity to perform on the Sun Alley Stage!

Next on to The Orange County Fair! Phog masheeen is scheduled to perform at 11:45 AM on the Plaza Pacifica Stage, Saturday July 16th! We go on right after the National Anthem. What a great way to start your fair day!

Here is the link to the Facebook event page...
https://www.facebook.com/events/986013574845918/


Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Thursday, May 26, 2016

The flyer is up for the Just Johnny screening in Joshua Tree...

The great work thunders on as preparations are under way to bring our re-imagined William Gibson classic to the Sun Alley Shops Stage.

Phog Masheeen re-edits a sci-fi classic as a silent film and performs the soundtrack live. YOU can experience this at the Sun Alley Shops stage, For FREE on Friday June 17th at 8:00 PM.
There will also be a reading by Mari Collier and Zara Kand at 7:00 pm.
The address is 61871 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Also Phog Masheeen CDs will be available with a $5.00 donation to The Morongo Basin Coalition for Adult Literacy.


Here is the public Facebook Event link....please spread it around...

https://www.facebook.com/events/793463724086782/

Saturday, May 14, 2016

The Silent movie remake of a Sci-Fi epic, The OC Fair!



Upcoming for phog masheeen is a video/live performance event in Joshua Tree promoted by Space Cowboy Books. www.spacecowboybooks.com
For those of you who know my facebook rants, you are undoubtedly aware of a certain movie that I have watched repeatedly over a number of years. Think Howard Hughes and Ice Station Zebra...
The film in question was not a blockbuster or a cult film and these days has settled into light rotation on Spanish language channels.
What I saw in the film was what could have been an experimental film, was instead a poorly cut bloated event that featured all the bankable stars from the early '90's.
What if, that film was re-cut to one hour, moved like lightning and returned to its edgy experimental roots....as a silent film....with phog masheeen providing the soundtrack.

YOU can experience this at the Sun Alley Shops stage, For FREE on Friday June 17th at 8:00 PM.
There will also be a reading by Mari Collier at 7:00 pm.
The address is 61871 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA 92252

Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/495445393974743/

Here is the short map link:
https://goo.gl/maps/GBha5EhEATs



Don't forget! Phog Masheeen is coming to the OC Fair Saturday July 16th at 11:45 AM on the Plaza Pacifica Stage! Mark your calendar and come on down!

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Video of Jawbone Canyon show is up, Phog Masheeen to perform at the OC Fair!

Thank You William Almas for this astounding video to accompany the phog masheeen set at Jawbone Canyon for the 2016 Dung Mummy. Here is the direct link: https://youtu.be/Oh4Bx45dqHo

Thanks again Kirk and Glenn and all the wonderful people and performers that make these such special events!

On a different note....Phog Masheeen is confirmed for performing at the OC Fair Saturday July 16 at 11:45 AM at the Plaza Pacifica! Mark your Calendar and join us for the fun!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Phog masheeen at Jawbone Canyon 4-29-16, New Skunk Puppet video from WVE8

Phog masheeen returns to Jawbone Canyon for the Dung Mummy this Friday 4-29-16!
It is a splendid line up that we are proud to be a part of.
If you are attending this event, I would respectfully suggest that you arrive during daylight. It will make it easier to find the event. Many have learned this the hard way.

Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/105001849893668/

Also William Almas has produced a new video from Skunk Puppet's live set at Wonder Valley Experimental 8.
You can check that out here:
Here is the link:
https://youtu.be/CChH3_XrPg0

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

WVE8 recap, phog masheeen audio and video links...

A Big THANK YOU to all the performers, helpers and the the Sibleys at WVE8! Here is a phog masheeen moment from the event for your amusement and perusal.

WVE9 will be on april fools day 2017! Number Nine! Number Nine! Mark your calendar!

 

Here is the video link:
https://youtu.be/GUWnQD_yPLc

Here is the audio only link for the .mp3 of the board recording:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52431498/WVE8-Phog_Masheeen.mp3

Friday, March 18, 2016

Trailer for WVE8...Warning...Clowns!


A NEW fabulous trailer for Wonder Valley Experimental 8 from Wm. Almas. Dig it if you have a minute and can tolerate Clowns!


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Phog masheeen Article in the OC Weekly....



I am well aware of the shameless self promotion of placing this here, however I am going to do it anyway. It is a fun read and a great pic. Enjoy it if you have time.

Thanks to Lisa Black for the Great article and to Shane Lopes for the photo!

Here is the link:
http://www.ocweekly.com/music/mark-soden-jr-and-his-phog-masheeen-promote-ocs-noise-scene-7045541

 

Friday, March 11, 2016

PAAJ added to Line-up, Fresh Flyer!


We are proud to add the esteemed Joshua Tree performance art ensemble PAAJ to our line-up.
We are into the countdown to the event. Make plans and attend this FREE event!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

WVE8 Poster and lineup announced!

Thank You Bill Almas for the fabulous new poster for WVE8. We have an incredible line up this year check it out! Mark your calendar and come on down. Free camping the night of the event...Bring a tent or an RV. All Fun and all FREE!

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Snippet from NYC dance with phog masheeen track...


I didn't make it to New York for the Colby dance performance. But I did get this snippet of the event. Check it out, it wont take long.

From "The Eternal Battle of Heat and Cold." https://youtu.be/04YWzsYvx1k




Sunday, January 24, 2016

"Glaciers Know The Score" to be used in New York City dance production...

This is interesting... I got an email regarding the use of a track from "The Eternal Battle of Heat and Cold" for a dance production. It is happening next weekend (Jan. 29-30) in New York City. Here is this link for more info: https://www.colby.edu/news/2016/01/18/colby-on-tour-jan-29-30/ 
Here is the ticket link: http://www.danspaceproject.org/calendar/annie-kloppenberg/ 
If you aren't in the mood to pay, we are offering free tickets with the code "Mules," which we are spreading liberally.

If you know someone in New York that needs something to do for free...Please share this info with them.