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Welcome to the official web page for J Starpoli (aka phloyd RICE) Diversity is a key concept in my musical world. Since musical sound is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, my aim is to employ a variety of approaches to explore the vast reaches of audible space. Through many types of projects I strive to maintain a sense of discipline and order while embracing life's inherent chaos and having fun in the process. The results play on passion and intellect, from the ecstatic to the sublime. Here you will find a collection of resources about my music. Follow the sound and enjoy! |
UPCOMING EVENTS:
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PROJECTS Here are descriptions of some of the current and past music I have been involved with. In addition to the projects listed below, I've collaborated with many free-improvisers, written one-off pieces for mixed ensembles and played in other groups as a sideman. My passion is for a diversity of sounds and approaches, with a focus on original material and creative experimentation. The future will be mysterious and exciting as always... |
J Starpoli Composer / performer Jeremy Starpoli (aka Phloyd RICE) has been developing his unique musical interests in the northeast United States for over fifteen years. His original music explores the fundamental parameters of musical sound (pitch, rhythm, loudness and tone color) as a basis for creating detailed worlds of sound in a variety of styles, all with an experimental edge. As an performer, Starpoli has over fifteen years experience performing on trombone as well as a variety of bass strings and percussion instruments. He was a member of the Correspondence Quartet (with Jackson Moore, Jessica Pavone and Seth Dellinger), who toured the U.S. with their unique approach to musical communication strategies that guided real-time group improvisation within larger compositional maps. Based in Western Massachusetts, Starpoli has also performed and recorded with the Middletown Creative Orchestra, toured in the power-noise-core band Squidlaunch, and collaborated with electronic noise artist Dan Greenwood (a.k.a. Diagram: A). He and drummer Ben Karetnick have a 15-year history as the Resistance Blue duo and have collaborated with many regional and internationally-known musicians such as Cliff White, Joe McPhee, Sabir Mateen and Daniel Carter. The music of Jeremy (phloyd) Starpoli is noisy and passionate at times, at others it is textural or rhythmic or melodic, crossing many styles and sounds in a constant exploration. His approach to the trombone utilizes a wide variety of conventional and extended techniques, allowing for diverse sound-types and moods. As a composer, Starpoli's interest in sound as a perceptual substance motivates endless variations of musical material. Follow the sound. AUDIO Pheepo Troth (J Starpoli, Michael Dessen, Doug LaRosa - trombones) This is a piece a wrote in 2004 and recorded with fellow trombonists Michael Dessen and Doug LaRosa. In it, I explore the trombone as a physical sound-maker, i.e. a variable length of tubing where a change in the slide creates a change in the resulting sound(s), yet this relationship is not always a direct one... Text For Two (J Starpoli - trombone, Seth Dellinger - contrabass) This was recorded way back in October 2001 live at a Music Overground show in New York City. Since my early days as a young fan of rap music I've had an interest in the cross-fertilization of music and language. While I don't identify this piece as being related to hip-hop in the way some other projects I've worked on, I did conceive the piece as a means to explore the sound of language as an instrumentalist. Essentially the two performers here are reading through an original text in order to create a certain type of rhythm that I don't feel can be obtained from staff notation (or any other method, really). The pitch information is kept purposely simple, but does relate to rap in that melodic cells at the end of phrases often "rhyme" through transposition or inversion, etc. On a surface level this composition was quickly developed in order to take advantage of the monthly concert series I was involved with at the time, yet I feel it stands up sonically with my tastes even now. It also was a nice opportunity to work with my Correspondence Quartet bandmate Seth Dellinger, a great contrabassist who has since gone on to explore the language/music boundaries in extra detail as an experimental vocal composer/performer. WRITINGS Sonogrammatics: A Method of Musical Composition Based on Sound Analysis by J Starpoli For those interested in the theories behind my original compositions and improvising, you can download my Division III "thesis" for Hampshire College, where I outline the basic musical concepts that I've been exploring for the past 15 years or so. Of course, if given the chance I would rewrite the material and add so much more, but even as it is I feel I've barely scratched the surface and continue to develop these ideas in my works today. CONTACT You can send me EMAIL: [starpolimail at suchfun dot net] You can also catch me at www.myspace.com/jaystarsound |
RICEnsemble You are what you eat, and with this project I strive to create a musical equivalent to the multi-dimensional experience of colors, textures and flavors collectively known as "rice". Rather than "the J Starpoli Band" or something I choose to use the opportunity to spread awareness of the world's most important grain. Drawing on fringe traditions of world-wide experimental music, unorthodox theory, and quack science, the RICEnsemble is dedicated to expressing musical vibrations as a perceptual substance to be shaped into unique artifacts for each performance. Since 2005 the primary focus has been towards live sound collage using trombone, bass strings and percussion to create sonic textures and materials in a multi-voiced, multi-layered sound environment. I have performed a handful of live shows with this concept and am open to new venues where a P.A. or stereo amps are available for the live collage mixing. Self-released recording in the works. VIDEO Live at the Montague Phantom Brain Exchange #16 (J Starpoli- trombone, bass guitar, contrabass, hand percussion, metronomes, digital editing, live mixing, with audience participation) This performance lasts roughly a half-hour, blending various approaches with an underlying drone, or at least stasis. In retrospect, the material and the transitions between sections signify transformations while the energy present between the performer and audience remained at a relatively constant intensity. This was an exciting event for me to share some loosely structured musical ideas with friends and a ready-made audience keen on diversity in the arts. Thanks to Neel for his hard work in putting it all together. Performed in Lake Pleasant, MA at the National Spiritualist Alliance Hall on April 18, 2009. Also on the bill was piano music by Horse Boys, photo presentation by PI, Mary Halvorson and Jessica Pavone guitar and viola duo, boom-box cassette mixing by Cloaca and Tumblecat Poof Poofy Poof. Video footage shot by the ubiquitous Ted Lee; check out his mammoth documenting of the western MA scene at www.youtube.com/user/ZEBU1212 AUDIO Ponomedar (J Starpoli- trombone, digital editing) Three trombones sustain the music of this piece throughout, so that emphasis can be placed on the instrument's possibilities for variation in dynamics, tone, articulation, etc. Across the block form, each voice improvises with similar materials, resulting in textures of related sounds and shapes mixed intuitively. The shapes remain the same when perceived from different vantage points within the sound world, like viewing a prism in motion. Recorded in Western MA, 2008 also check out some short bonus tracks at www.myspace.com/jaystarsound |
Pyramid Scheme Trio A collective group working in the realms of concept-driven composition and improvisation. With Josiah Cuneo (drums and percussion) and Victor Signore (saxophone), I have found an outlet for having fun and exploring left-field ideas for musical material and improvisational frameworks. Freewheeling explorations of sound color and loudness fuse with original material and diverse approaches to musical communication. Using acoustic instruments, Pyramid Scheme's music reflects the band's experiences with audio and visual art, academic and esoteric knowledge, underground radio, technology and performance. Energetic, unconventional investigations into the nature of sound and musical creativity provide the essence of the music of Pyramid Scheme. We have a self-released CD-R available in my DISCOGRAPHY section below. Check us out at www.myspace.com/thepyramidschemetrio AUDIO Hear us live in concert at the Issue Project Room via WFMU's freemusicarchive.org/music/Pyramid_Scheme_Trio |
PRINTS Crespo / Starpoli / Todd + Bonos / Signore / Cooper / etc. Totally improvised, asbract soundscapes in this collective trio with Andy Crespo (extended bass guitar) and Bruce Todd (drumset and percussion) occasionally augmented by like minded friends. This is a group that I feel I can play anything with, yet I often find myself consciously avoiding the typical pitch-and-rhythm based approaches to concentrate on dynamics, sound color and other acoustic effects. The other players bring a similar exploratory attitude, which makes the intense listening and reacting style we work with that much more effortless and enjoyable. We have been playing together for many years in various configurations and still maintain the group at the ready for your next eclectic event. VIDEO Live at Dad City in Amherst, MA - October 4, 2009 (Peter Bonos - trumpet, Victor Signore - tenor saxophone, J Starpoli - trombone, Andy Crespo - bass, Bruce Todd - drums) Getting down and dirty in this truly underground show in an unfinished basement near Hampshire College. Matt Weston headlined the show with his unique approach to percussion and electronics. This was our send-off for trumpeter Peter Bonos who now resides on the West Coast after the past few memorable years in the Western MA noise / improvisationscene. |
Rob Skelton's Pitchfork This energetic group performs the original songs of Rob Skelton, the infamous band leader with a unique outlook. His lyrics mine the rich folklore of Western Massachussetts and wildly diverse topics as social taboos, maple syrup and former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry. The lineup of the group is always shifting, but strives to realize Rob's mix of funky, punky, folk-rockin' grooves. Check out some of Rob's prolific musical ouput, some featuring yours truly, at www.myspace.com/skeltonspitchfork VIDEO A search for Rob Skelton on YouTube, will turn up various and sundry videos, including some with Pitchfork (and me). |
The New Standards Ensemble This group is an open configuration of area jazz players exploring those old chesnuts from the standarized repeoire of swing- and bebop era tunes with a healthy dose of bossa nova. The sound is mellow and loose, with the frontline of trombone and french horn reminiscent of the west coast "cool" bands from the 1950s. Upright bass with guitar and/or keyboards make up the rhythm section and set the tempo. The ensemble plays a regular gig the last Sunday of each month as part of the Music on the Mezzanine at the Green Fields Market co-op (where we earn our working member credit and I hold down my day job). We've also played outside events like the Leverett Co-op Spring Fling and Greenfield Farmers Market, basically anywhere we can spread the gospel of the important musical traditions collectively known as "jazz". |
Resistance Blue Duo (Ben Karetnick - drumset, J Starpoli - trombone) Creative free-jazz experimentalism from the Pioneer Valley's (Western Massachusetts) infamous trombone and drums duo. Ben Karetnick and I have been in many groups together in our lives, but this duo has persevered throughout. Resistance Blue has cultivated a unique bond based on their common interests in sound exploration, time as a multi-layered phenomenon, the relationship between rhythm and melody, and creative activity through improvisation. Follow the Resistance Blue duo on their quest to express the abstract essence of the infinite in music! Check out www.myspace.com/resistanceblue for more info on our CD from Peacock Recordings (www.peacock-recordings.com) plus bonus audio tracks and more. As a throwback to our early work together, you can hear a former group we recorded with featuring bassist Kazuto Sato and trumpeter Pasquale Cangiano courtesy of the latter's www.blackrhombus.com/archive_mumford_babbs.php |
Ik*tak*tak This now-defunct unit played a number of shows in Western Mass. in the beginning part of the 21st Century, crossing many styles and approaches as children of the post-modern era should. In addition to myself writing and playing trombone and bass guitar, the core of the group was composer and guitarist Zach Weingarten and the multi-instrumentalist / creative spirit Bob Guibeaut (usually playing drums). Max Adam also played upright bass with us for a while. Quirky and rhythm-oriented, atonal and melodic, Ik*tak*tak had fun making weird music in its' short history. AUDIO Ik*tak*tak (Zach Weingarten- guitar, J Starpoli- trombone and bass guitar, Bob Gibeault- drum set) This was the self-titled theme song to a short-lived ensemble of left-field musicians, and I here I mean musician in the complete sense of composer, improviser, and explorer of musical traditions. The piece incorporates some of my interests at that time such as "odd" time structures, free-flowing interval shapes, and the overtone series as harmony generator, as examples. What fortune to be able to work with people who can grasp these non-standard approaches and bring their own personalities to it, to boot. |
Correspondence Quartet This was a formative band in my early career, and the music and concepts we developed have resonated throughout all of my later work. It was a inspiriation to collaborate with the hard-working musicians Jackson Moore, saxophone, Jessica Pavone, viola and violin and Seth Dellinger, contrabass. In a nutshell, our focus was on literal musical communication through our instruments, which guided the ensemble in improvising and creating spontaneous forms. At some point, our musical cues became integrated into the fabric of the group sound. This off-center idea was the grist for countless variations in our dozens of live shows, which ran from about 1998-2002. AUDIO Untitled (Seth Dellinger - contrabass, Jackson Moore - saxophone, Jessica Pavone - viola, J Starpoli - trombone) This track is from a recording project done in Hartford, CT where the group departed from our usual verbally-developed improvisational music and each through composed a work for the quartet's instrumentation using the prearranged memorized material in our own ways. My piece (heard here) was, if I remember correctly, was written as a mix of conventional and graphic notation with a tightly constrained improvised section where we used our unique sonic cueing sytem to bring thematic variations in and out of the musical mix. Probably atypical of our normal live sets, I enjoyed writing this piece for the group as a one-off project as a collective exchange of individual ideas. |
Greenwood / Starpoli duo This unlikely pairing of trombonist and guy-who-takes-apart-electronics-and-plugs-them-back-into-the-wrong-places was held together by our similar backgrounds of exploring sound in all of its' aspects and our willingness to bridge "music" and "noise". We only performed at shows three or four times, but often got together to seek out an empty room away from any easily-offended neighbors and work out sound concepts in a chaotic, free-form manner. We recorded many of these sessions and had planned to put out a full recording that, unfortunately, never materialized. I am excited to post some of the material to this web page. Dan Greenwood has been the undisputed champion of Western Mass. electronic noise since way back, definitely check out www.myspace.com/diagramagreenwood if you like your noise creative and brutal. AUDIO check out a short track at www.myspace.com/jaystarsound more audio coming soon! |
Squidlaunch Western Mass. Power Violence! As young people into all sorts of radical music and artistry, we knew we could add something to the then burgeoning international noise / hardcore scene beyond emulating our influences. Plus, we could clear a crowed punk show in less than a minute flat. The band went through many changes over its' history, but during my time in it I had a blast (literally) finding all the "wrong" sounds on my trombone, and I haven't changed since. Song titles such as "Amoxil Lysergic Capacity", "Blyrfyx", "Feast on Vomit", etc., will perhaps give some sense of what this band was about. www.myspace.com/squidlaunch |
DISCOGRAPHY Here is a gathering of selected releases featuring my music that have come out over the years. Some are still available, where indicated. My favorite method of payment is trade for original recording or creative product. Otherwise these D.I.Y recordings are $10. Send a message to [starpolimail at suchfun dot net] and we'll work out the details. J Starpoli The Donkey and the Phoenix: self released CD / booklet Trombone and bass guitar duets and a story to read along with. Available directly from me. Pyramid Scheme Trio: self-titled CD Self-released, original music from this collective group. Recorded summer 2008. Write for a copy. Resistance Blue Duo: self-titled CD THE trombone and drums duo CD for 2007. Available directly from me or check out www.peacock-recordings.com Squidlaunch: 7-inch vinyl Western Mass Hardcore! Recorded on WFMU in 1995 and released twelve years later on Interplanetary Music / Cardboard / Bonescraper / $ tree / LFA / Spooky Tree Records (whew). I have a few of these left. Correspondence Quartet: 1999 Performances 4CD-box Fantastic experiments with improvised musical communication. I don't have any of these but you can still get them from Cadence --> http://db.cadencebuilding.com --> type "Correspondence" in the title search field). Phloyd's Rice Ensemble: self-released cassette / booklet mixed groups / solo music from the mid 90's, OUT OF PRINT |