[Culture] GATE TO MOONBASE ALPHA @ the rotunda

[Benseraglio2]

Fri. Feb. 18, 8pm SHARP Gate to Moonbase Alpha (GTMBA) ambient/experimental series for music and performance Every 3rd Friday Featured this month: The Ministry of Inside Things ( http://www.starsend.org/moit ) Near The Caution Curves ( http://www.thecautioncurves.com ) The Great Quentini (2 sets; http://www.gaian-mind.com/quentini.htm ) VJ Large Marge (http://www.familyofshame.org/inner-family/rich/index.shtml ) A vegetarian snack buffet will be provided for all. THE MINISTRY OF INSIDE THINGS, consisting of electronic musician Chuck van Zyl and electric guitarist Art Cohen, are considered among the most innovative of US synthesists today. Influenced by the early music of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Ash Ra Tempel, their spacemusic has been described as linear, leading the listener across many sonic terrains. Based on improvisation, The Ministry Of Inside Things creates electronic realizations that flow from theme to theme, with the experience often lasting up to two hours. Through use of textures and atmospheres as well as harmony, rhythm and melody, the group transports the audience on an internal sonic excursion. Chuck van Zyl has been recording electronic music and performing live for over 15 years, but is perhaps best known for hosting one of the country's most successful radio shows of electronic music, STARS' END, for the past 20 years. van Zyl has released two CDs of spacemusic on the Centaur label, Celestial Mechanics and The Relic, plus The Sound Museum (with Gulch + Rath) out on the Groove label. His collaborative effort with Peter Gulch, Regeneration Mode, was released on their own Synkronos label. Art Cohen has been pushing the limits of the electric guitar in the studio and in live performance for well over 15 years. NEAR: Solo artist Sean Moore aka Neear 1977 aka Mikenear blends a range of electronic, Middle Eastern, Latin, African, and North American styles to hardcore, throttling beats, and chest thumping bass. THE CAUTION CURVES: a Washington DC-based experimental trio who employ laptop drone, percussion, guitar, and vocalizations somewhat akin to Joan LaBarbara or Yoko Ono. The Caution Curves is composed of Rebecca Mills: Laptop & odds, Tristana Fiscella: Vocals, Guitar & ends, Amanda Huron: Percussion, Vocals Odds AND ends THE GREAT QUENTINI: Born in an obscure corner of Pennsylvania. Abducted by space aliens for cross cloning with Yeti. Twelve year residency at Dr Zorg's secret underground space station. Five year unexplained gap. Thirteen years in Philadelphia recovering from wounds received while fighting Gondar. In the words of an 8-year-old critic: "Don't be afraid Mom, he's just a Sacred Clown." VJ LARGE MARGE: This VJ-about-town will provide experimental projections, using video projections, color filters, mirrors, and plastic to create new images.