William A. Davison
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william a. davison - guitar, invented instruments, amplified objects, voice, percussion, electronics, etcetera
active in "experimental music" (?) since early 80's (punk, industrial, psychedelic, outsider pop, ambient, electronic, musique concrete, soundtracks, audio art, improvised music, cut-up, drone, psych-folk, harsh noise, and uncategorizable experiments and hybrids)
history: born in Nova Scotia, 1962 +++ began experimenting with sound and recording at an early age +++ founded, co-founded, fronted, and/or played in various punk-inspired garage bands and weird sound projects throughout 80's (wrote lyrics and music, played guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, sang lead and background vocals, etc.) +++ has maintained a home-recording studio since the early 80's +++ explored numerous experimental music approaches, began developing noise guitar techniques throughout 80's +++ studied fine art at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design +++ studied electronic music composition with Prof. Steve Tittle at Dalhousie University +++ composed soundtracks for numerous underground films (mostly W.A.Davison films) +++ moved to Toronto with partner S. Higgins in 1989 +++ began Songs of the New Erotics experimental music and performance art project, 1991 +++ prominent member of industrial band Phycus throughout 90's (Canadian and international gigs, appears on numerous recordings, mostly working under Bill Satan pseudonym) +++ toured extensively with performance artist Istvan Kantor/Monty Cantsin throughout 90's (as performer and as sound technician, also mostly as Bill Satan) +++ production credits on various audio and video projects including arrangements on Istvan Kantor "Heap of Ruins" CD +++ began building unusual musical instruments for use in recordings and performances, early 90's +++ awarded composers grant from Toronto Arts Council 1995 +++ awarded grants for S.O.T.N.E. project from Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council, 2000, 2003, and 2005 +++ has created commissioned works for radio and live performances +++ has provided live ambient soundscapes for numerous visual art, dance, and performance art events +++ has done creative live sound engineering for performances by Linda Montano, Diane Landry, Monty Cantsin, and others +++ formed Urban Refuse Group in 1996 (anarchic free-improv sound collective using instruments constructed from junk, 1996 - 2000) +++ formed Six Heads free-improv surrealist sound collage group (J. Bailey, W. Davison, L. Feesey, S. Higgins, C. Hinz, P. Mosher. Ongoing since 2000) +++ has appeared on numerous Canadian and international experimental music compilations (CD, LP, cassette, video) +++ has run various small "record" labels (mostly cassettes and CD-Rs) since mid 80's (releasing v.a. compilations and full-length albums by S.O.T.N.E., Six Heads, and others) +++ toured Ontario and Quebec with spoken word artist Marc LeMyre +++ produced collaborative performance with Six Heads and Su-En Butoh Co., 2000 +++ mini-tour of various venues, London, U.K., with Swedish improvisor/instrument-builder Johannes Bergmark, Summer 2003 +++ produced (with S.Higgins) S.O.T.N.E./irr.app.(ext.) performance event, Summer 2005, collaborating with members of irr.app.(ext.), Gastric Female Reflex, and Nurse With Wound +++ collaborated with Nurse With Wound in live performances, San Francisco, June 2006 +++ Six Heads "Ether" cassette included in "Leaderless - Underground Cassette Culture Now" exhibition at Printed Matter in New York, 2007 +++ performed in Whitney Biennial 2008, New York (collaboration with S.Higgins, T.Carnacki) as well as at Dictaphonia Fest, Gainesville FL (solo) in 2009, and Electric Eclectics Festival, Meaford ON (with Six Heads) 2010
current activities: performs and records in Six Heads +++ operates Disembraining Songs label +++ performs and records as Songs of the New Erotics (mostly solo) +++ performs and records in Conspiracy Of Familiar Objects +++ performs and records in Sen/Son (Arnd Jurgensen, William Davison) +++ performs and records as Th W rbl r (solo) +++ performs and records as M.Stactor (mostly solo) +++ performs and records in Green-Faced Spirit (S.Higgins, W.Davison) +++ Third-Eye Tractor recording project (solo, since mid-80s) +++ occasional member of irr.app.(ext.) +++ Nurse With Wound collaborator +++ occasional solo performances (noise guitar, sound collage, etc.) +++ collaborates on experimental sound recordings with local and international artists +++ frequent performances in various ad hoc ensembles in Toronto's improvised music scene +++ occasional member of Orchestre Royal Odradek +++ member of Quincunx free-improv quintet (Tomasz Krakowiak, Paul Dutton, Eugene Martynec, William Davison, and ever-changing fifth member.) +++ builds homemade instruments for use in S.O.T.N.E., Six Heads, Quincunx, etc.
past activities: ran Anathema cassette label (early to mid 90's) +++ ran Rembrandt X-Ray cassette label (with G.C.Denton, mid-80's) +++ former member of Gastric Female Reflex and Sounds Of North American Adult Bookstores +++ former member of Phycus (defunct) +++ former member of Puppet Government (defunct) +++ various collaborations (performances, recordings, etc.) with Istvan Kantor/Monty Cantsin +++ founder/former member of Urban Refuse Group (defunct. 1996 - 2000) +++ founder/former member of Thumping Puppets (mid 80's. defunct) +++ founder/former member of The Subterraneans (mid 80's. defunct) +++ former member of Hydrogen Jukebox (mid 80's. defunct) +++ founder/former member of Ex Oblivione (S.Higgins, S.MacDonald, W.Davison. Late 80's/early 90's. defunct) +++ performed and recorded as Wax (mid 90's) +++ founder/former member of Wax Infant (collaborative project with Jim DeJong/Infant Cycle, mid to late 90's. defunct) +++ occassional collaborator with ATM+Guy +++ former member of Brutt Luddite (Mike Hansen/William Davison duo) +++ also has appeared in recorded form as the tiled room, Wicker Men, Cabin Fever (with G.C.Denton), NoKturne (with G.C.Denton), Ugly Trout (with G.C.Denton), Angel Gang, Slow Twitch, Exquisite Corpse, A Skeleton (with G.C.Denton, J.Hatfield), Clots (with G.C.Denton), HDH (with M.Hamilton, S.Hamilton), Unwanted Limbs and Sotto Voce
