Time Out New York’s March 6 package on rising local music acts featured an odd band out—imposing experi-metal duo Psalm Zero. Consisting of Andrew Hock (of metallic proggers Castevet) and Charlie Looker (formerly of avant-pop eclectics Extra Life), the twosome deconstructs the metal blueprint on its jagged yet melodic debut, The Drain (Profound Lore). Now, in conjunction with crucial Queens DIY spot Trans-Pecos, Hock and Looker have expanded their vision by booking a monthly series they call Chaos Bodies (in honor of the Drain tune “Chaos Body”).
“This series is really just about booking who we’re seriously into musically and who we’re friends with,” says Looker. “We’re not trying to reach out to people whose music we’re lukewarm about just to broaden the series’s audience. The shows are deep just because the bands are deep, and we run with deep people.” Recent lineups featuring avant-rock luminaries Kayo Dot and Epistasis, and dark dronesmiths Oneirogen and New Firmament, illustrate his point.
This week, Hock and Looker present yet another stellar bill that showcases their outré aesthetic. On hand will be Mick Barr, symphonically shredding and screaming bloody murder in his Ocrilim guise; spazz-core misfits Child Abuse; bruising noise-rockers Couch Slut; and outlier composer David Buddin’s sound-manipulating trio, Nebadon.—Brad Cohan