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BY JEFF FUCCILLO
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Aural Fixation's second anniversary with Axiomatic, Jetfinger, Digital Gelatin Paris Theatre 6 SW 3rd Ave., 294-7138 8 pm Sunday, Dec. 13 $4 Blinding Us With Science: James Boring of Third Pyramid (with hammer)For two years, the Sunday-night Aural Fixation concert series has brought a wide array of experimental music and performance art to Portland audiences. The series made its debut at the now-defunct club Thee O and now calls the Paris Theatre home. Anyone who has seen an Aural Fixation evening must wonder if these people are crazy or just incredibly dedicated. Out-of-control disco lights splash across musicians laying down obscure improvisations--for as few as 10 audience members. This Sunday, Aural Fixation celebrates its accomplishments with a second-anniversary bash. Three local abstract electronic projects--Axiomatic (obscure drum'n'bass), Jetfinger (a reclusive scientist type who builds his own equipment) and Digital Gelatin (computer organized soundtracks for space travel)--perform. All three are examples of the excellent music this concert series has faithfully offered. The Aural Fixation crew is resolute in its drive to offer Portlanders a consistent and inexpensive forum for the out of the ordinary. "There's a lot of great experimental and electronic music going on here in Portland, and a lot of people aren't aware of it," says James Boring, the leader of the 3rd Pyramid collective that sponsors Aural Fixation. "People that go to Ozone and buy every John Zorn CD and show up en-mass for a Jim O'Rourke show don't realize that they've got neighbors making comparable, and just as great, music." The selection Aural Fixation has offered over the past two years is impressive. Featured highlights include The Chromatic Persuaders with improvised free jazz, Doug Theriault's finger-nimble avant-guitar and Mager's mission to create sonic booms with homemade machines. Who needs John Zorn, Fred Frith or Experimental Audio Research when we've got local acts like these? Aural Fixation evolved from the Hypnotica concert series that Boring and his collective conceived three years ago. While Hypnotica focused on electronic and techno performances, Ed Chang, another proponent of experimental music, promoted shows in Portland via his "Unsound Practices" shows, a series dedicated to presenting the jazz and improvisational side of avant-electronica. After Chang moved to New York, Boring picked up the slack and began incorporating jazz and improvised acoustic music--like that of Smarmalade and Earth, Wind, and Pliers--into his own presentations. Thus Aural Fixation was born and became a home to all sides of live, homemade, avant-garde sound and performance. The Hypnotica series continues on a monthly basis and is still strictly dedicated to techno. As Aural Fixation goes into its third year, it too will become a monthly event. While it has been a great success ("Hey, we got 60 people out to see Okha banging out a set of complete noise," quips Boring), the difficulties associated with trying to promote a weekly Sunday evening concert series in a cavernous venue that doesn't serve booze has somewhat worn out the hard working few at the 3rd Pyramid. Although Aural Fixation events will be less frequent, the 3rd Pyramid will stay just as busy. Present plans include promoting a Web site, releasing audio recordings and rejuvenating Chang's "Unsound Practices" series by pairing nationally known acts with lesser-known Portland groups to draw more attention to the budding local scene.
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