San Diego Reader

Maria la Cochina: Drums | Dylan Brown: Drums | Alia Jyawook: Guitar (electric)

Genre: Electro | DJ, Noise | Xprmntl

Sound description: Emotronic, experimental, big-beat, and bizarre.

RIYL: The Residents, The Smiths, Syd Barrett, Smog, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Saul Williams, Radiohead, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Talking Heads, Slowdive, Devine, Tom Waits, OutKast, Lush, Naked City, the Buzzcocks

Upcoming Local Shows

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Related Links

• Vaginals website

• "Vaginals Kill Radio" · Oct. 31, 2012

• Blurt: "Very Vaginal" · Jan. 7, 2009

Synoposis

Influences: Diamanda Galas, the Residents, Yma Sumac, Bongwater, Patti Smith, Joy Division, Nat King Cole, Throbbing Gristle, Renaldo and the Loaf, Smog, Mazzy Star, Frank Zappa, the Velvet Underground, Os Mutantes, Captain Beefheart, Björk, Mr. Bungle, Oingo Boingo, Portishead, John Zorn, Nina Hagen, They Might Be Giants, Laurie Anderson, Love, X

Background:

“I solely live on the proceeds of the instruments I’ve invented,” says Vaginals front man Bill Wesley, creator of the Array. The Array consists of MIDI controllers that record which buttons you press and relay the information to a computerized sound synthesizer that compiles the user’s chosen arrangements of musical notes.

“An instrument designed to have a complex user-generated harmonic Array system is inherently easier to play than conventional musical instruments, yet capable of doing far more. More control, less confusion.”

According to Wesley, “There was no official endorsement, no grant money, or any other official help...the patent process was arduous and extremely expensive. It took many tries because of legal problems. Obtaining the patent is more arduous than designing the actual invention!”