Animal Hospital is Kevin Micka's one-person musical

recording/performance entity. Formed at the tail-end of Micka's time

with Boston band The Common Cold, Animal Hospital slowly began to take

on a life of its own in 2004. A self-titled debut CD by Animal Hospital

was released on Boston's Mister Records that year and displayed Micka's

ability as a composer and engineer in communicating his creative

expression. Since then, Kevin has  toured the U.S. , U.K. , Asia, New Zealand & Australia.

Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark and Iceland. Within the last 5

years Micka has continued writing and releasing several additional

tracks on various compilations around the world. Animal Hospital has

won followers from all corners of the music world, earning himself

spots with bands as diverse as The Jesus Lizard, Beirut, No Age,

Neptune, Thrones, Dosh and The Great Redneck Hope (not to mention a

recurring role as bumper music on Boston's NPR station).

During performances, Micka buries himself in a pile of

electronics-shelves of effects, mixing consoles, amps and delay

units-while patiently constructing a layered nest of loops consisting

of live drum beats, guitar chords, scrapes, chucks, chimes, and

melodies resulting in anything from more conventional songs to

meticulously crafted ambient movements on to full on improvisation.

Long a hidden treasure in Boston recording circles as a freelance

recording engineer (for diverse projects such as Neptune, Helms, and

Harry and the Potters) and a trusted electronics fix-it man, Micka has

approached Animal Hospital over the last four years in the nooks and

crannies of his schedule. Over the past year and a half, Kevin has been

able to devote more time than ever to writing and recording and it has

yielded two new albums' worth of music - a digital release in January

2009 from the Chicago label - Mutable Sound titled Good or Plenty,

Streets and Avenues and a CD release in March 2009 from the New

York/Boston label - Barge Recordings titled Memory.

Both new albums were recorded in locations across the U.S. - starting

in the bay area, on to an abandoned bank in Wellsburg, WV and

concluding in various locations in the Boston Area and Cape Cod. All

the material was then mixed at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, RI

and The Blast Zone in Roxbury, MA and mastered in South Boston at Old

Colony. Each album moves at the knowing pace of an exploratory mind and

settles comfortably into strange habitats with a sure-footed traveler.

A self-taught musician with the love for creating and Ableton Live.

Sound's ability to change moods, position as sacred in ancient cultures, and streamlining translation from the spiritual realm as technology advances, are some of the more influential thought forms designing the sound of Steve Christmas.  First discovering electronica in pure creative form through Industrial programming via college radio in Seaton Hall, NJ circa 1996; his introduction was dark & ethereal. Underworld made it's way into the programming and Steve was drawn to a deeper and less distorted-metal influence & the sonic visualizations created by the giants of electronic composition. 

Less than 18 at the time, this radio portal into non-commercial electronic-oriented broadcasts led him to soon discover Solid State Radio, hosted 2 hours weekly by Liquid Todd out of New York's K-Rock studio & it covered a broad spectrum from David Holmes' pioneering acid-jazz, to Apollo 440, The Chemical Brothers & many other diverse mid-90's trail blazers into current genres. Exposure to NY techno such as Frankie Bones & breakbeat by DJ DB burned their way into his soul's database, as did the TB-303 so well executed by Hardfloor in that time.

A relocation to the Detroit, MI area in 1999 found Christmas 21 & venturing to venues such as the Shelter, Motor Lounge, Oslo, and of course many warehouse & DEMF experiences over the next 6 years.  Having minimal DJ experience in New Jersey, Christmas found Analogic Records in Ann Arbor, MI & began work selling & renting studio equipment, vinyl, & PA gear, setting up local shows & eventually DJ-ing regularly in many local nightclubs, & private parties at the burgeoning edge of minimal & tech house from the scene that gave us Matthew Dear, Dabrye, Ghostly International & Ectomorph.  During this time, Steve also maintained residencies in nearby Windsor, Ontario which opened his eyes to how a different culture's variance can bring new energies into it's parties.  These years more than any gave focus, expansion & direction to his career cementing a passion for the love & connection such events would generate.

In 2005 Steve moved again to Las Vegas, NV where he currently resides.   Finding a good bit of a local Las Vegas underground vibe in venues like ICE and Empire Ballroom in '05.  In 2006 Las Vegas seemed to trade it's eclectic culture in electronica for more mainstream mash-ups as a safe bet in a down economy & most surviving clubs moved onto casino property in a more corporate culture of operations.  At this point Steve stepped back, slowed down and began using more of his time designing & building out a studio space from which to operate rather than Dj-ing.  These last few years also produced a lot of personal introspection & spiritual development that would later resonate in his work. 

In 2009 a good friend refused to let him remain so inactively involved in music & convinced Steve to send a media kit to Winter Music Conference.  He was chosen to perform as a showcased artist at Conference that year, & this energy re-sparked his momentum. Upon returning to Las Vegas, Steve began actively searching out the artists & DJ's who were locally committed to a more underground sound & would occasionally involve himself in performing & co-producing events with this select group; a weekend long showcase headlining The Crystal Method at the House of Blues being one of the more memorable.  Reconnections with friends from this inner circle of talent who had moved away to more techno-centric cities such as Miami, plugged Steve in with the camp at Creator Entertainment who booked his closing for Infected Mushroom in Las Vegas & recognized and broadcast his sound across the globe & continue to move his talent into crowds eager for an evolving, selective tech-house flavor. 

Yvonne Silva is following