Freedom Through Noise: A Workshop on Outsider Music
One of Linares’s customized equipment setups.
For about 20 years, Eric Linares has unleashed a rampage of harsh and transgressive experimental music on the Rio Grande Valley. Now, he will host a hands-on workshop titled “Freedom Through Noise”, to share his unconventional music techniques with aspiring DIY musicians.
Across three Mondays, Linares will demonstrate Power Electronincs music, ambient music, and instrument building, starting tomorrow at Kreative Grounds Cafe in McAllen. He was surprised when the cafe was not only welcoming, but was interested in his workshop idea. The venue has become a hub for the local creative community, where they’ve been offering their space to anyone wanting to teach their own craft. (Check out their busy calendar here)
Tomorrow, Linares will start with Power Electronics music, which is an atonal genre that emphasizes usually unwanted sound (such as distortion, clipping, and static) and is sonically, thematically, and visually extreme. “Power electronics, to me, is a protest,” Linares says. “It disregards all rules and structure of regular music. Taking a single tone or a piece of static and creating art with it.” Next Monday’s topic will be on ambient music, where he’ll be teaching tape looping, cutting a cassette tape and creating a small loop. He describes the ambient droning as beautiful, dreamy, and hypnotizing.
Linares live as Crust Fund. Photo by @ntapnoisegrind
The last workshop will be on building your own instruments. He will bring a variety of his own homemade instruments to demonstrate, as well as his equipment setup. A small amplifier, an array of effects pedals, and a sound mixer will be available for the hands-on portion of every workshop, so guests will not be required to bring their own equipment.
The inspiration to teach came when Linares was noticing a lack of genre diversity in the local music scene. The title “Freedom Through Noise” refers to his intention to introduce those with no music experience “the most freeing way to create sound art, which is through harsh noise/power electronics.” He’s been known for being the masked madman behind I Killed Techno!, Crust Fund, and countless side projects, but he will be appearing publicly without the provocative persona. “I think it’ll be a nice change to share the creative and tranquil person I am off stage that most people don’t know,” he says.
Linares hopes these workshops will shine a light on obscure genres and artists, and help build an experimental music community. While he has no other scheduled workshops, he’s open to the possibility. The first workshop is tomorrow from 5-7pm at Kreative Grounds Cafe, 609 N. 10th St in McAllen. The price is $5 for each day. See flier below.
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