Experimental Audio Research

by Jason AnkenyExperimental Audio Research — E.A.R. for short — was a loosely affiliated assembly of performers primarily spearheaded by Spectrum frontman Sonic Boom; from time to time, the group also included, among others, My Bloody Valentines Kevin Shields, Gods Kevin Martin, and AMMs Eddie Prevost. As a revolving exercise in guitar-based noise, each E.A.R. release radically differed from the ones preceding it, spanning the divide between weightless ambience and dense sheets of feedback; the project was introduced via 1994s Mesmerised, and was followed a few months later by Pocket Symphony, released solely on 5 vinyl. (As befitting Sonic Booms own affection for record collecting, the releases that followed in 1995 — Hydroponic and an untitled effort — appeared only as a 10 and 8 picture-disc recording, respectively.) Although released in 1996, the Beyond the Pale LP was originally intended as the first Experimental Audio Research release, and was actually recorded in 1992; Phenomena 256 followed that August. Next up was 1997s The Köner Experiment, a nod to minimalist Thomas Köner, who also appeared on the disc; Millennium Music followed in 1998, with subsequent releases including Data Rape.