Title : miRthkon: (format)
Year : 2012
Genre : Rock in Opposition, Avant Rock, Progressive Rock, New Music, Experimental Rock, Avant-Garde Metal
Artist : Wally Scharold (guitars, vocals, composition, sound design, conceptual design, text, video, producer), Travis Andrews (guitars), Matt Lebofsky (bass guitar, vocals), Carolyn Walter (piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet , alto saxophone, tenor saxophone), Jamison Smeltz (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, vocals), Matt Guggemos (drums and percussion), Jarred McAdams (video, text, conceptual collaborator)

Description:

June 23, 2012 - Oakland, CA - The prog world is buzzing with excitement about the forthcoming Blu-ray release by miRthkon; Oakland, CA based amplified chamber ensemble masquerading as a rock band. This illusion is well maintained by the fact that from time to time they do indeed rock. Maintaining a passionate aesthetic stance that they are (quite happily) 'beneath everything', their music - whether evoking the direct or indirect influence of progressive rock, contemporary classical abstraction, avant-garde jazz, catchy hook-laden pop, or thrash metal - is held to a simple but firm standard: Does it sound good? miRthkon's forthcoming live Blu-ray titled (Format) is a testament to the group's innovative approach to live performance and music in general.

"The Blu-ray was somewhat of an accident," explains band leader and guitarist Wally Scharold. "It was not planned. We had incorporated live and pre-recorded video projection in our shows since mid- 2008 . These were originally introduced as short interludes between songs to keep the audience engaged during long song breaks due to required technical changes to perform the next song. By the time we played CalProg in October 2010 , our multimedia approach was at its most ambitious, including nearly 30 of these videos. It was very well rehearsed and we performed it beautifully, all captured in a free 32 -track recording, provided by the festival. I had filmed our set from a single angle in the hall's light booth for archival purposes, which was hardly enough to justify a legit concert film. But after reaching out to the fans, we managed to track down a couple more angles - one very close to the stage - and suddenly we had the raw footage to cut together something. However, the lack of any real planning (and professional videographers) made for less than ideal footage, so we had to get really creative with the editing when we just didn't have the shot we wanted. One and half years later, it's finally done. "Unlike a standard concert film, (Format) integrates interviews, surrealistic documentary footage, and an underlying plot pointing to a vast conspiracy!

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Tracklist :
01 . Disclaimers
02 . A Reasonable Assumption
03 . Opening Credits
04 . Sassafras
05 . Sponsored By
06 . QXP- 13 Space Modulator
07 . Kharms Way
08 . Carolfornia
09 . History of California I
10 . Automation
11 . History of California II
12 . Trishna
13 . What is miRthkon?
14 . The Cascades
15 . History of California III
16 . What Does It All Mean, Man?
17 . An Intriguing Theory
18 . Bappsciliophuaega
19 . Coven of Coyotes
20 . Daddylonglegz
21 . Camelopardalis
22 . Honey Key Jamboree
23 . Why a DVD?
24 . Right, Right
25 . Who is MPEG?
26 . Nocturne op.33
27 . The Way of the Buben-Hanser
28 . Banana
29 . Dude, You Just Blew My Mind!
30 . Johnny Yen
31 . Why Music?
32 . Hapax Legomena
33 . We're All Bored Now
34 . Final Credits

Issued: USA | AltrOck Productions
Duration: 1:44:25