So this is a project I began with Gregg Bielski back in '17. Gregg, a well-known Pittsburgh experimental noise/sound artist, sent me some soundscapes and asked me to put some spoken word on them, but we took it further. I used a series of poems I had using the definite article the in an incantatory way. The name ex->tension came about because on the first album The Kiss we collaborated with (at the time former) members of Ritual Tension (i.e. ex-Tensioneers), namely Andrew Nahem, Marc Sloan and Michael Shockley, on certain songs. Gregg and I, sometimes plus collaborators, did some shows in NYC, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to enthusiastic audiences, and this led to the re-formation of Ritual Tension. 

 
 
 

So, shit, what the fuck does it all mean? No, wait. Back to the matter at hand. Last year we released an album entitled Crawling Through Grass by Ivan Nahem + ex->tension. Now, to be honest, the pieces on The Kiss are mostly sound collages. And this album featured some collage work but also eruptions of tuneful song. Collaborators include Gregg Bielski [Easy Bake Oven], Andrew Nahem [Ritual Tension], Jon Fried [The Cucumbers], Norman Westberg [Swans], Jadwiga Taba [Nac/Hut Report], and Mark C [Live Skull]. Some of it was mixed and recorded at Deepsea studio in Hoboken with Mark C. Artwork by Jane Baumann, photography by Richard Dweck. In late ‘22 we did a couple of shows, one in Philly and one in NYC.

Also, Meditation Records in Japan, which belongs to Ichiro Tsuji of Dissecting Table, re-issued The Kiss in 2021, in a unique CD format.

 
 

Link to both editions of The Kiss by ex->tension, on bandcamp.

Link to a short film I made in 2021, using music from both The Kiss and Crawling Through Grass and based on a performance of a song from The Kiss called the Renunciations at the late great Sidewalk Cafe.

NOTE: You will be sent a confirmation email. Plus you get at least one free photo of Queens Boulevard each edition.