ScrapArtsMusic is a unique performance group that utilizes found objects to create amazing percussion instruments that are also works of art. Gregory Kozak, the inventor of this musical collective (along with co-creator Justine Murdy), who hails from Vancouver, British Columbia, brought the troupe to the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University for two shows that kick off their upcoming world tour, which will also find them playing at the Olympics this year. I attended an 11am performance that was part of the university's Ovations! For Young People Series with my wife and young son, and despite my little boy being a little under the weather, we all thoroughly enjoyed the show.
There wasn't a program for this show, but I believe a piece called "Conundrum" kicked off the festivities featuring Kozak on a peculiar looking drum kit of his own design. The shiny polished steel of his 'ziggurat' toms have a futuristic look to them, but the music is pure primal sound; part industrial and part tribal, and always engaging. Another number known as "Phonk" featured twin brothers Chao Gao and Yue Gao (percussionist Gregory Samek and Spencer Cole round out the rest of the band) striking oversized metal coils to produce a shimmering clang that would reverberate or not depending on whether they grasped the instrument or tossed it into the air.
Humor plays a part in this show as well, and "Annoyophonia" featured the musicians on balloons attached to tubing with bagpipe reeds at the end (the "annoyophone"). While not especially tuneful, this number was greatly amusing, and my little boy laughed heartily at the funny noises they produced. "Ribs" played out on a variety of interesting plates and curved stainless steel bars that the players struck with mallets. This piece was very close in style to Indonesian gamelan music with melodies arising out of the different pitches and tonal qualities of the instruments. Another number utilized lengths of tubing to produce various notes, and in effect, was a literal representation of a 'pipe organ'.
Kozak took time out to periodically explain the group's methodology, contributing a nice educational thread to this performance, which is a slightly truncated version of their full show. At one point he also sent the group out to recruit youngsters to take part in a group piece that featured a kind of controlled chaos as they pounded on "hourglass" drums and the "plankophone".
ScrapArtsMusic is fascinating stuff, conjuring up comparisons to Stomp, Blue Man Group and the legendary work of Harry Partch, while creating something altogether different. If this wonderful troupe comes to your town make sure you take the time to check them out, you won't be disappointed.
