Extra Life was formed in 2007 as my first bandleader/composer vehicle, went on hiatus in 2012, and was resurrected in 2022. In our initial run, Extra Life released three full-length albums, Secular Works (2008), Made Flesh (2010), and Dream Seeds (2012), as well as the Ripped Heart EP (2011), and toured the EU and U.S. extensively. After ten years away, we returned with Secular Works, Vol. 2 (2022), followed by The Sacred Vowel (2024), and touring in both US and EU.
photo by Jessica Hallock
Psalm Zero was formed in 2012 as a duo with guitarist Andrew Hock, blending industrial and black metal with the melodic side of post-punk. We released two albums, The Drain (2014), and Stranger to Violence (2016) on the Profound Lore label, and toured Europe and the U.S. several times. After adding Ron Varod on bass and various live drummers, and splitting with Hock, the third Psalm Zero album, Sparta, was released in 2020, on Last Things Records. The project is on indefinite hiatus, but who knows.
Nothing Human is my solo project focusing on electronics, sound design, and pop music. It has been active since 2019, releasing digital-only singles. There have been a small handful of NH live performances, but it is primarily a studio project. This is also the moniker I use for remixes.
I often have some kind of concert music project happening where I compose music for other ensembles, whether it's a commission or a self-started project. Some documented pieces are my orchestral song cycle, Simple Answers (2018) for singers and chamber orchestra, and Prayer to Mercury (2014) for two violas.
I periodically collaborate with people in an improvisation-based context. Some deep, ongoing relationships over the years have been with Mike Pride, Chuck Bettis, Jeremiah Cymerman, and Darius Jones, as well as work with William Parker, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Tony Malaby, and Trevor Dunn.
Last Things is the umbrella name that includes:
- The record label, under which I release my own music
- The YouTube channel, where I offer thoughts, criticism, and information relating to music, philosophy, and culture, and I host live stream conversations with various guests
- The podcast, where the YouTube live streams are available as audio
