Recently I have begun a compostitional collaboration with MJ Heat of X+X. Our compostion/collaboration is a "game piece" titled 'Shock Tactics'. Heat and I collaborate with an ever-changing lineup of Quad Citites jazz, punk, noise and rock musicians, collectively known as the Shock Tactics Ensemble.
"Game piece is a concept of experimenatl music having its roots with composers Christian Wolff and John Zorn. Game pieces may be considered controlled improvistaion. An essential characteristic is that there is no pre-arranged sequence of events. They unfold freely according to certain rules, like in a sports game. Therefore, game pieces have elements of improvisation. A number of methods can be used to determine the direction and evolution of the music, including hand gestures and shuffled cards, as in his file-card compositions. Zorn's game piece "Cobra", which has been recorded several times for various labels, uses a combination of cards and gestures and can be performed by an ensemble of any size and composition. Zorn's game pieces, written in the late 1970s and mid-1980's, include Cobra, Hockey, Lacrosse, and Xu Feng. His file-card compositions include Spillane and Godard".
