This playlist is a series of noise and sound improvisations by Running With Scissors, an ensemble spontaneously named by one of the members, comprised of Michael Grodsky and his studio recording students at Citrus College, Glendora, CA. Sessions date from 1998 to 2003. Recordings took place initially at Citrus College, then moved Fullerton College in Fullerton, CA, where Michael also taught studio recording.

Performances are based upon the idea of creating layers of sound, listening and responding to the group, and avoiding preconceived notions of melody and harmony. However, musical elements may be used as source material for the construction of a layer, even going so far as to comment upon the *idea* of melody and harmony. In fact, there are many sections where a specific musical gesture unfolds, develops and then disappears.

Any type of sound-making thing could be used, including brooms swishing, turntables turning, trumpets soothing, electric guitars rambling, samples spewing, pianos conversing, percussion instruments tumbling, hands and sticks probing, voices exalting. 

We listened to each other and shared sounds in a delightful spirit of harmonious collaboration, an altogether messy human and spiritual experience. Close your eyes and imagine you are with us now in the big room surrounded by unfolding sonic love.

running with scissors playlist

Los Angeles-based rock band Dynamo Hum performed its original music 1994-2002. Fallopian is their 2nd full-length release. It is a follow-up collection to its previous two recordings, the three-song cassette, Hey, Asshole (December 1997), and the self-titled debut CD (November 1994). 

Dynamo Hum blends modern art music with rock-and-roll to create a sensual and captivating original sound, an experiment in pop music that ranges from the noisy and abstract to the tranquilizing and melodic.

Three classically trained guitarists, with a graduate degrees in music–lead guitarist Michael Grodsky, Scott Zeidel on rhythm guitar, and bass guitarist Jeff Jones–envisioned Dynamo Hum in 1993 and began writing their first collection of music. Vocalist Jennifer Hung and drummer Doug Metzgar joined soon after.

A coyly powerful vocalist, Hung fronts Dynamo Hum and gives the band spontaneity with her range of vocal styles and on-your-sleeve emotion. Versatile drummer Metzgar is a veteran of the Orange County's rock scene, playing behind the kit for Ball and Chain and Dean Martin's Liver..

Vocalist Martin Rogers, a longtime friend of the band and  former lead singer in Orange County's Slam & Tub joined Dynamo Hum in 1998. 

Jen Hung, lead vocals
Martin Rogers, vocals
Scott Zeidel, guitar
Jeff Jones, bass
Michael Grodsky, guitar
Doug Metzgar, drums/percussion

At streaming apps the song titles are incorrect, as CD Baby put the title of the last track (I Want You) into the 2nd track (Daddy Had an OK Death), offsetting the track names from the 2nd track onward. The tracks are in correct order as on the CD, with titles offset by one.

fallopian (Dynamo Hum)

PERFORMERS
Bob Quinteros: keyboard
Abhi Taranath: guitar
Eric Herzog: guitar
Woody Woodruff: turntables
Roy Zimpel: attitude and bongos
Michael Grodsky: guitar

running with scissors 11-18-1998

PERFORMERS
Bob Garza: guitar, bongos
Bob Quinteros: synth
DJ Wood: turntables
Roy Zimpel: piano/2nd engineer
Ronda: 1st engineer
Abhi Taranath: guitar
Eric Herzog: guitar
Lee: synth
Michael Grodsky: guitar

running with scissors 11-24-1998

running with scissors 12-02-1998 session 2

running with scissors 12-02-1998 session 1

PERFORMERS
lineup not available - see description of RWS in playlist.

running with scissors 02-12-1999

3 There Once Was A Girl Named Fallopian

4 Mexican Tunes

5 Mary's Holy Ghost

2 Daddy Had An OK Death

1 Letters To Everyone

PERFORMERS
Roy Zimpel
Lee Nolette
Jose
Eric Herzog
Bob Quinteros
Martin
Scott Peck
Rowenna
Michael Grodsky

running with scissors 02-19-1999

PERFORMERS
Lineup for this recording date is not available - see playlist description for more info.


running with scissors 03-08-2000

PERFORMERS
Lineup for this recording date is not available - see playlist description for more info.

running with scissors 05-10-2000

Released 1995
Jen Hung, lead vocals
Martin Rogers, voice
Scott Zeidel, guitar
Jeff Jones, bass
Michael Grodsky, guitar
Doug Metzgar, drums/percussion


Emptiness

Michael-Jim-Brooks part5 2023-09-21

Michael-Jim-Brooks part4 2023-09-21

Michael-Jim-Brooks part3 2023-09-21

Michael-Jim-Brooks part2 2023-09-21

Michael-Jim-Brooks part2 2023-08-25

Michael-Jim-Brooks part1 2023-08-25

Michael & Brooks part3 2023-08-18

Michael & Brooks part2 2023-08-18

Michael & Brooks part1 2023-08-18

Michael & Brooks 2023-08-11

Chatter North performance: Ray Johnson (poetry) & Michael (sounds) 2023-09-09

Chatter North: Ray Johnson (poetry) & Michael (sounds) 2023-09-09

Michael Grodsky & Jeff Hawley sound improv via zoom 2020-10-02

Grodsky-Hawley jam (via Zoom) 2020-10-02

I write and play music, and know some stuff about recording. I performed in all the tracks. Many recordings include additional players; for details and credits see the notes in each track.

Many tracks are improvisations using sounds as layers, sometimes called 'noise' improvisations. Also two CD releases by our band Dynamo Hum. We wrote & performed our music from 1996 to about 2002.

These tracks are years old; I haven't stopped playing, but I haven't recorded new stuff in a while. My music activities in recent years include non-recorded sound improvisations. In 2020 I've written solo guitar pieces and continue to work on cantata-ish work based on an ancient Egyptian folk tale.  I'd like to arrange it for string quartet and two voices. Maybe I'll record something soon, or maybe I'll just keep watching ants in the arroyo and carefully plot my path forward.

grodzilla

Pinned to spotlight

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