Laguz

Michael Shannon is a sound/recording artist, musician, photographer, and performer of experimental media, based in Seattle. He began performing in the punk clubs of San Francisco in the late 1970’s evolving performance and sound designs through various venues and media, specializing in the use of a variety of string instruments from Asia, percussion, sound objects, and electronics. In San Francisco, he began Joy Street Studios, the name for all of his sound art productions and his studio in 1983, to the present. First releases of audio works in the form of cassettes began in 1987, followed by an LP ‘Laguz’ on Anomalous Records and CDs on various labels around the world. Presently a member of Seattle-based performing groups Gyre, Eye Music, Echore, Aono Jikken Ensemble, Animist Orchestra, Broken Mask (Bay Area). Past San Francisco bands: Appliances, Kahunas, KuKuKu, Earnerve, Joyo, Lethal Gospel
Laguz is a mixed bag, some delicate bells, field recordings (incl. what sounds like a weird preacher in action), drony string playing, hand clapping and all sorts of strange ethnic instruments. Mostly quite graceful but there are some slightly rougher parts also. Not really ambient or improv, something in between. A very nice listen, but doesn’t really form a cohesive whole