DAVID HENKE, Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 12:45 am

NORTHFIELD — If avant-garde music, pyrotechnics and power tools are your thing, then Savage Aural Hotbed is your sort of band.

The Twin Cities quartet fuses power tools and more traditional musical forms, like Japanese Taiko drumming with a uniquely visual spectacle during their performances. They perform as part of the ArtSwirl kick-off celebration on Thursday.

Drummer Mark Black answered our questions:

Q — Tell me a little bit about Savage Aural Hotbed? When and how did you decide to use found objects and why do such unconventional instruments hold an appeal for you?

A —We started in 1988 and added “found objects” right away. Previous bands we were in had experimented with them already. In our exploration of sound we do not limit ourselves to conventional instruments. The different sound textures and visual look we can get are more interesting to us and, we hope, the audience. It’s also freeing as composers; our inventions allow us to write music that is different than the pre-conceived conventions that normal instruments usually dictate. We all enjoy and get artistic satisfaction building these weird contraptions.

Q — Your band blends ethnic musical traditions into its sound. What musical traditions do you draw on, and what impact do they have on your music?

The dramatic arm movements and discipline of Taiko music is very important. Mark used to play drums for a belly dance troupe, so he has a repertoire of Arabic rhythms that have been incorporated. We’ve also been influenced by the industrial and electronic dance music sounds that came to prominence in the 1980s. Experimental classical music has had a profound influence on our thinking about compositional techniques.


Q —Your shows are part music and part spectacle; why is that important?

A —People like to watch the process of our music being made. Our music appeals to the audience on an almost primal level. This experience is enhanced by our choice of visuals, in particular, our use of fire and sparks and our intentional misuse of power tools.

Q —How important is musical exploration to you as a band?A — It’s very important, we aren’t a conventional band by most people’s definition. exploration and creation are what makes it satisfying, fun, for us all.

Q — What do you hope listeners will take away from your ArtSwirl performance?

A — The thrill one would get seeing a physics lecture at a monster truck rally and a mind more open.