telephone: (215) 573-3340
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Using synthesizers, guitar, outboard processing gear and an array of exotic instruments, the duo of Ma Ja Le creates an extended musical journey through rhythms, soundworlds and sonic atmospheres. |
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Based in Milwaukee, Ma Ja Le consists of Chris Short (synths, effects, flutes and Guitartronics) and Paul Vnuk Jr (synths, voice and percussion). Thus far they have released two full length CDs: "Dreams In The Orchards Of Saturn" and (teamed with ambient groove wizard Vir Unis and produced by Steve Roach) "Imaginarium". | 
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Pursuing the course laid down by the recent music of Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana and Robert Rich, Ma Ja Le is making significant contributions to the emerging genre of Tribal Ambient. They have carefully examined the genre and produce music with contrast, subtlety and originality. Drawing on their influences and their own inspiration, Ma Ja Le offers clear, crafted timbres, driving pulse percussion, swirling clouds of harmonics and floating dream textures. |
Ma Ja Le's Gathering performance will be their first ever on the east coast of the USA and will reflect their interest in soundscapes, texture and rhythm.
Anyone interested in hearing how contemporary music can challange and reflect the shape of things to come will find the music at The Gathering Concert Series an ideal resource.
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Based in the Indianapolis area, Pearce is well known to the Spacemusic community for his unique approach to playing guitar. The tones Pearce produces do not betray their origin as they are processed, delayed, distorted and looped to create complex harmonies and timbres not usually associated with an ordinary electric guitar. Pearce's triumph does not lie merely in the technical but in the emotional aspect of his playing. His music is compelling and moody, and displays a talent for traversing the Space, Ambient, Experimental and New Age genres. |
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With four full length CDs to his credit and represented on several prestigeous anthologies, Pearce "mines the terrain where Ambient, Space and Minimalism converge...". His music ranges from deep, dark, lengthy soundworlds to bright, elegant, focused compositions. Performing live infrequently, Pearce's appearence in Philadelphia at the Star's End Gathering is unique. |  |
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Jeff Pearce creates uniquely smooth and beautiful ambient textures using processed and looped electric guitars. His second and third CDs, "The Hidden Rift" and "Vestiges," respectively, established Pearce as the master of "ambient guitar" music. But between those two landmark releases, in the period from 1993-95, Jeff Pearce recorded another set of
never-before-released tracks. Now, re-mastered by Mike Griffin for Hypnos, this material has the same smooth feel pioneered on "The Hidden Rift," and gave a hint as to where Pearce would travel on "Vestiges."
Early in 1998, Jeff Pearce released his third solo CD "Vestiges," appeared on the Hypnos compilation "The Other World," and the Lektronic compilation "Soundscape Gallery 2" (note: also appears on "Echoes Living Room Concerts v.2" [1996] and "The Ambient Eclipse" [1997]). His guitar work also appears on the 1998 Vidna Obmana release "Crossing the Trail". Jeff also recently completed work on a full-length collaboration with Vidna Obmana to be entitled "True Stories," which will be released in mid-1999.
One of the unique and truly noteworthy artists in today's ambient/space music scene, Jeff Pearce has produced yet another masterpiece of guitar atmospherics. Some of the most beautiful, smooth, slow-moving textures you will ever encounter, here on "Daylight Slowly."
--David Hodgson, of Playing By Ear January 14, 1999 |
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Jeff Pearce is a solo guitarist, but that tag doesn't quite cover it. He runs his instrument through transformative delays, loops, and other signal processing to emerge with a deeply layered, highly textured, often hauntingly melodic sound. "Daylight Slowly" consists of compositions he's recorded from 1993 through '95, but they are of a piece with his more recent work on the "Vestiges" and "The Hidden Rift" albums. Pearce's music can be seductively slow and elegiac. His arpeggio pieces, such as "Spirals," "Quiet And Clear," and "11/11," seem to unfold like a dark-hued flower, shimmering in the tremulous daylight of the artist's echoes. But Pearce is also a trawler of the drone zone, casting a slow-motion net of glissando sustains and overtones. Most of the works are shortform, but the album concludes with the 20-minute "Passage To Home," an ambient epic for the hardcore.
--BILLBOARD magazine Critics Choice January 9th, 1999 | 
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Before The Gathering WXPN MemberCard holders are welcome to attend a free Spacemusic workshop/discussion moderated by Star's End host Chuck van Zyl. van Zyl will lead a discussion pertaining to the technology behind the music, and Gathering artist Jeff Pearce will be on hand with his guitar and effects processors to demonstrate the process and craft by which he realizes his sound.
The WXPN Members Only Spacemusic workshop will run from 7-7:30pm on March 6th, 1999 at St. Mary's Church. Just show your current WXPN MemberCard at the door and you'll be admitted free to the workshop. |
Saturday Nights/Sunday Mornings
1:00am to 6:00am on
88.5fm WXPN Philadelphia, PA
88.1fm WXPH Harrisburg, PA
90.5fm WKHS Worton/Baltimore, MD
104.5fm Allentown, PA
