In the beginning (1988), two friends Ogyog and William "Tex" Mason (Bill), began collaborating on an electronic music project called ZEITGEIST in Ogyog's 4 track basement studio in Dain City, Ontario.

ZEITGEIST released a cassette tape of atmospheric trance instrumentals called ASTRONOMER which was well accepted by the local alternative music scene.

Billy "Tex" Mason was working with Ryszard Konik (aka Richard Konik aka toadfuss) on another project called THE ART EFFECTS  and released a tape of audio experimentation and soundscapes called OBSCURED BY CLOWNS. The title was finally re-released as INSECTS.

Realizing all three individuals were moving along similiar musical lines they began to collaborate together with guest musicians and friends creating mostly instrumental pieces.

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A new company was needed to help distribute these cassettes and give the project cohesion.  This is where ZOI was born. Originally it was a word that they believed to be meaningless but it was soon discovered that ZOI is the GREEK word for LIFE.

 

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As THE ART EFFECTS progressed DAIN CITY STUDIOS became know as a creative environment in which improvised music (in the sprit of German artists CAN) was being produced and distributed and enjoyed. Musicians from the local area and the Toronto music scene arrived for monthly weekend "lock downs" in the studio with Ogyog and crew.

These "lock downs" resulted in hours of recorded ambient sound and musical experimentation that is still fresh day, and its influences were more than those present in reality. Every conceiveable model of synthesier and sampler was utilized and destroyed conveying audio impulses that resulted in the recordings on this site.

Some even say that the bedrock below DAIN CITY STUDIOS has forever been effected by the strange and beautiful sonic impulses created above.

 

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With the addition of guest vocalists and voice loops THE ART EFFECTS sound grew. Never diverting from the experimental, vocalist JHAVE KLARK expanded the range of listenability of the "band" and his creative input was on even parr with the original three but pushed all parameters further to the edges of music / art / and poetry. There was never one preconcieved direction and as you listen throughout the musical library you will see a myriad of influences and mutations all which are uniquely affected by the art.

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Discovery of the "band" came mostly through word of mouth, local record stores and the university radio networks through air play, magazine and newspaper reviews and live interviews.

Aside from a few rare live performances with as many as 10 musicians on stage, THE ART EFFECTS remained a "studio" band.

 

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To date there are NINE diversely unique or uniquely diverse cassettes that have been available and then sold out due to limited quanitities, but all the releases are in the process of being remastered to CD and excerpts are to be found below. One compilation of local Niagara Experimental groups  RIVALS OF MEDUSA, was released and sold out but it cannot be re-released due to contractual restraints.

Scroll down the side bar to view the covers and see what is available to hear. Some covers were quite detailed and you can see more by mousing over them.

 

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In September 2005, a new compliation that will include newly recorded tracks will be released as the 10th CD.

The title is " Psycho-Clops " and will include spoken word by the late John Baran. John Baran was a unique individual and musical data base who was well loved in the Niagara arts and music scene. John past away in 2001 and he and Ogyog had planned a CD release which unfortunately was just under way at the time of his death.

Ogyog and John Baran, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and others will be releasing another CD in 2006 called " Creatures From The Grave ".

 

 

Over the years these fine musicians have contributed to THE ART EFFECTS' sound.

Dave Parrotta
John Doyle
Richard Wyman
Gay Stevenson
Dave Rout
DayV Watts

THE ART EFFECTS

REVIEWS

THE MUSIC
OF
THE ART EFFECTS

Click the links to hear the music.