ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS:
Sailing the experimental seas
Normanite Gabe Wingfield's micro-label Maritime Fist Glee Club is helping bring "difficult" music to Oklahoma audiences.
by Preston Jones
If anyone needed proof that offbeat, eclectic music is thriving in Oklahoma, they need look no further than Norman's Gabe Wingfield.
Proprietor of the CD-R micro-label Maritime Fist Glee Club (its motto: "What you hear is only partially our fault"), member of Anvil Salute and one half of the "on a really long hiatus" hagerman-wingfield duo, he conceived of the label as a way to introduce "typically 'difficult,' out, experimental and unheard of musics from local musicians," Wingfield told the Gazette.
"The scene for such a thing here in Oklahoma is rather small, but there does seem to be a growing interest," Wingfield said. "Perhaps, it's just friends of friends and other musicians interested in hearing something different or new. Either way, the response, while small, seems rather appreciative."
According to the label's web site, maritimefist.com, Maritime Fist Glee Club was first formed as "an ill-conceived idea" sometime back in 1997. It would be two years before the first release, the hagerman-wingfield duo's "Boom Boxer Rebellion," would see the light of day and even after that initial release, the label was largely in name only. The sixth, and latest release, Spagirus's "Ever Now Those Before," was released earlier this year. As befits a micro-label, as few as 15 and as many as 150 CD-Rs are produced for any given Maritime Fist Glee Club release, Wingfield said.
Thursday at Opolis in Norman, the performance of the Private Collars and the Brothers Kolliopoulos will see another aspect of Wingfield's label come to life, "Third Thursday," a monthly experimental music night that stems from his desire of "not having to drive hours to see something that I like," Wingfield said.
The Private Collars are "Eric (Davison) and Brad (Fielder) from the Metered Spirits," Wingfield said. "Right now, they seem to be exploring tape loops and tape manipulation with spoken word and random samples ... at least that's what they were doing last time I checked in on them."
As for the Brothers Kolliopoulos, Wingfield said that "Basile and Miho have been staples in the Oklahoma scene for years having played in the Reverb Brothers and the Fortune Tellers. This project of theirs stems from their interest in 'out' music and improvisation."
Wingfield, who holds down a day job in the art department of Norman's Spectrum Manufacturing, credits his micro-label's unusual and memorable name to simple assumptions.
"Well, I'll have to admit it started because I couldn't be bothered to use a dictionary," Wingfield said. "I mean, I knew that 'maritime' related to the sea and navigation and shipping. Sort of like the merchant marines, but in my mind, I had associated the term with peace as well. ... Later I realized that maritime didn't necessarily carry that connotation, and by then I had grown accustomed to the name and rather liked it.
"Glee club, well, I used to doodle a lot. Making these stylized M's - sort of like fists - with floating balls above the humps, and they reminded me of heads. So when I would look at them, I would think of singing groups like barbershop quartets and glee clubs. So, I tacked that on at the end."
Starting Maritime Fist Glee Club as more or less "a hobby," Wingfield's desire to hear this oft-ignored genre of music performed live is part of what led to the creation of "First Thursday," now in its second incarnation as "Third Thursday," being as they fall on the third Thursday of every month, excepting the October event.
The "First Thursday" concept began late last year, according to Wingfield.
"I started a series of experimental music nights - once a month for six months - called 'First Thursday,'" Wingfield said. "The focus for each series is to promote local bands operating outside of the normal music scene - indie or otherwise - and to provide a look at the periphery of new music. My options have been somewhat limited, but I
have met and know enough people willing to explore new ideas and sounds to fill up the nights.
"Ultimately, I would like to see a larger sense of community develop among these artists and help create a sympathetic network of like-minded individuals committed to bringing about something of an underground - if slightly marginal and marginalized - musical and cultural renaissance."
In keeping with the night's experimental vibe, the music performed could be just about anything, Wingfield said.
"The music tends to change from show to show, and I don't really have any expectations from each band," Wingfield said. "It tends to be anything from improvised guitar to lowercase sound/glitchy electronic minimalism to space rock to music concréte to goth-folk stylings to free jazz to performance art (sic.) and avant garde modern composition. Anything and everything is pretty much fair game."
As for the future of the label, Wingfield sums it up best with Maritime Fist Glee Club's purpose statement: "The focus of the label is amorphous at best. I must admit that I'm drawn to the more esoteric strains of music, the 'out,' the experimental, and the improvised, and if I had my druthers, I would solely focus on that. Realistically, I
simply like music in most of its forms and am willing to take a chance on just about anything. I'm looking for music that speaks to me, that holds my attention, and, perhaps, makes me feel something beyond the everyday world."
For all the CD-Rs and live shows, Wingfield feels that a revolution of sorts is taking place, albeit one that isn't new to Oklahoma.
"There have always been groups and bands even here in Oklahoma working outside of the norm and tugging at the boundaries of music - both good and bad," Wingfield said. "I also have to say that right now is an exciting time. I mean, this is really the first time in the last decade or so that I can see a larger interest in this sort of thing. And
you have people like Gianni (Santille) and Dustin (Wallace) at the Conservatory bringing in great noise/improv bands regularly and, of course, Andy (Nunez) and everyone else at Opolis have been incredibly supportive.
"The only thing I'd like to see is possibly more shows/happenings at galleries. Well, that, and more people at the shows."
(Originally appeared in the Oklahoma Gazette October 23, 2003. Reprinted here in its entirety not necessarily with permission.)
ASSORTED PRESS:
Articles:
Locust Avenue set to release 'The New Originals'
(from the April 1, 2005 POP supplemental of the Norman Transcript)
"Sailing The Experimental Seas"
(from the October 23, 2003 Oklahoma Gazette)
Reviews:
Anvil Salute New Crusaders of the Eleventh Commandment
Moment Trio Constructions One
Gown For You
Locust Avenue The New Originals
Spagirus Ever Now Those Before
Stephen J. Midwest in Mono
Dreamt Of By Armadillos Dreamt Of By Armadillos
Locust Avenue Songs For The Shortwave
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