November 30th, 2024 7PM at The Fourtunehouse Art Center. A mute alien, who looks like an African American man, faces struggle when he is chased by two of his fellow aliens in order to bring him back to his planet.

Limited Seating Available

November 23rd, 2024 7PM at The Fourtunehouse Art Center. An interstellar traveler and musician lands on earth and duels with an evil overlord for the souls of people.

Curated by Norman W. Long, Myth/Science Dubcology is a tribute to Sun Ra on the 100th anniversary of his birth, and to Washington Park, reflecting on the creative and cultural space the composer and the park creates. Myth/Science Dubcology follows Norman W. Long's practice of gardening, collecting and creating as a way to connect people to history, space, ecology and community. This practice fulfills a need to understand ecology, history and sense of place through sound, and ultimately aims to improve our communities. Long will be improvising and processing recordings (including materials from the Sun Ra/El Saturn Collection in the Creative Audio Archive) with Avreeayl Ra (percussion), Dan Godston (trumpet, small instruments) and Angel Elmore (piano, clarinet).

Volcano Radar is a fusion of ecstatic improvisational energy and Apollonian intellect. A power quartet with dual free jazz/noise/avant guitarists Elbio Barilari and Julia A. Miller, legendary bassist Harrison Bankhead and incendiary drummer Avreeayl Ra, Volcano Radar moves fluently through a stylistic range from noise-funk improvisation to structured sonic forms. This special concert will feature drummer Avreeayl Ra, and highlight his work with sonic cosmonaut Sun Ra.

As part of our Sun Ra/El Saturn Commissions series, ESS asked Damon Locks (The Eternals) to create a new artwork responding to ESS’s extensive archive of Sun Ra recordings. In lieu of a solo work, he teamed up with writer/performer Terri Kapsalis, The Eternals’ Wayne Montana, and animator Rob Shaw to collaborate on an 18-minute video. Throughout the process, Locks has been working on a new series of related prints that will be on display in ESS’ Audible Gallery through April 4. At the opening of the exhibition of these prints on Saturday February 4th, the video—Noon Moons—will screen at 7:30 and 8:30pm.

Rather than using the Sun Ra/El Saturn Commission to comment on the life and work of Sun Ra, drummer Mike Reed decided to focus on one particular tape in the Archive (labeled "NY 1961"), more interested in using someone's discarded musical ideas as source material for entirely new music—regardless of whose ideas they happen to be.

We are excited to introduce SummerSonic: a series of three casual parties at ESS, featuring live music in the agarden by some of the most accomplished experimental bands in Chicago, and new video work by filmmaker James Fotopoulos projected in Studio A.

A live multi-channel composition based on sounds taken from the Sun Ra / El Saturn Collection of the Creative Audio Archive at Experimental Sound Studio.

Outer Ear is a program of the Experimental Sound Studio and is made possible by the generous funding of the Gaylord and Dorthy Donnelly Foundation.