Z'EV
Z'EV (born Stefan Weisser, at 7:58 a.m. on February 8, 1951 in Los Angeles) is a text-sound artist who is perhaps best known for his work as a catacoustic (reflected sound-based) percussionist.
z'ev requests that people note that either Z'EV or z'ev are acceptable typographies for his "brand name" (context depending), but that Z'ev most emphatically is not.
History
After studying at CalArts with Concrete poet Emmett Williams, he produced works using the name S. Weisser, primarily concentrating on visual and sound poetries. In 1969, he was included in the "Second Generation" show at the Museum of Conceptual Art in San Francisco.
Beginning in the early 1970s, he developed a personal technique utilizing self-developed instruments formed from industrial materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and PVC plastics. Initially these instruments were assemblages of these materials with a movement-based performance style that was a form of marionette (although with the performer visible). It was at this time that he began performing using the name Z'EV.
In 1981, 'Shake Rattle & Roll', a VHS video documenting his first performance on the East coast (produced by video artist John Childs), was released by Fetish Records in the UK and was the first ‘music’ / art video to be commercially released.
Since 1984, he has been concentrating on performing in a more traditional mallet-percussion style.
Both performance modes have been described as cacophonous when considered in Western terms, because of the dense elemental acoustic phenomena these instruments produce. In point of fact, Z'EV doesn't actually consider the results as "music" per se, but more as orchestrations of highly rhythmic acoustic phenomena.
His work with both text and sound has been influenced by the middle eastern mystical system best known as kaballah (although not of the Jewish variety), as well as - but not limited to - African, Afro-Caribbean and Indonesian rhythms, musics and cultures. He has studied Ewe (Ghana) music and Balinese gamelan, and Indian tala.
His recordings have been released by labels such as CIP, Cold Spring, Die Stadt, Soleilmoon, Subterranean and Touch Records.
He can be contacted at: rhythmajik@yahoo.com