Mike Weis Artist Bio

Mike Weis is no stranger to the American indie/experimental music scene. He’s been
the percussionist and drummer for the highly respected Chicago outfit Zelienople for
the better part of the last decade, and has collaborated with such esteemed underground luminaries as Scott Tuma, The North Sea, Xela, Jasper TX, Black To Comm and Steven Hess. With so many feathers in his proverbial cap, it’s hard to believe that this is Mike’s first solo outing. Upon the very first listen to Loop Current/Raft it becomes clear that Mr. Weis is much more than just another hired gun. The compositions on loop Current/Raft breathe a singular vision of percussion as centerpiece to a multi-layered aural canvas. Mike’s drums are shrouded in billowy clouds of ambient sound and muted drones created by sampling and then looping his gongs and cymbals . Tribal rhythms glean in and out of focus as sheets of bells,
claves, bowed cymbals, and rattles dance over a hazy backdrop of home-made string instruments, manipulated field recordings, short wave radio samples, and found sounds. There is a subtle yet unmistakably eastern feel to the recordings. Mike’s training in West African polyrhythmic drumming as well Korean Pungmul drumming–coupled with his foundation of traditional western “rock” percussion patterns birth an almost neo-gothic gamelan style. This inspired approach produces a recording that is both compelling and mesmerizing.
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