American Composers Forum

Evan Lipson (b. 1981, Toronto) is a bassist and composer who currently resides in Chattanooga, TN. Lipson has worked in a variety of contexts and styles since adolescence; with roots predominantly based in modernist classical, punk, jazz, outsider pop, noise, and free improvisation. However, Lipson has been invariably focused on transcending the politics of genre. Following his own forms of occult research and pragmatic synthesis, Lipson's efforts strive towards cultivating the rarefied, esoteric, and iconoclastic world(s) of unconventional music.

With a central emphasis on working directly with his own bands (including regular tours and regional performances), Lipson's music and his modus operandi have always been based on the intuitive search for the liminal zones where intellect and instinct, history and myth, and creative and destructive forces intersect.

Lipson upholds several working ensembles including:

--NORMAL LOVE (modernist chamber band)
--SATANIZED (dark heavy misanthropic noise rock)
--DYNAMITE CLUB (high octane oddball punk band)
--HISSWIG (near-telepathic improvisational duo with microtonal violinist Katt Hernandez)

Lipson has performed throughout North America, as well as Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan. He has twice been the recipient of the American Composers Forum Subito award (Philadelphia Chapter), as well as Meet The Composer's Metlife Creative Connections grant and Create Here's ArtsMove grant. His music has been recorded on the High Two, Badmaster, Damage Rituals, Caminante, Suicide Tax, and Vecca labels.

Lipson counts both Michael Formanek & Robert Kesselman as his primary mentors. He's undergone additional private studies with Mark Dresser, Mark Helias, and Robert Black (Bang On A Can All-Stars)-- with whom he was fortunate to have received tutelage from at the Festival Eleazar Carvalho in Fortaleza, Brazil. Despite his formal education, Lipson considers himself to be largely self-taught.

In addition to his day-to-day musical endeavors, Lipson has curated and organized several grassroots DIY performance events in Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia.

Lipson has performed and/or recorded with a wide number of artists including:

Eugene Chadbourne, Maria Chavez, Audrey Chen, Charles Cohen, Gene Coleman, Alvin Curran, Andrew D'Angelo, Stuart Dempster, Dr. Dog, Andrew Drury, Michael Evans, Peter Evans, Cynthia Folio, Pepi Ginsberg, David Grubbs, Katt Hernandez, Charlette Hug, Mazen Kerbaj, Ishikawa Ko, Michael Johnson, Darius Jones, Matthias Kaul, Lukas Ligeti, John McLellan, Toshi Makihara, Mat Maneri, Sabir Mateen, Tatsuya Nakatani, Pauline Oliveros, Mike Pride, Jane Riggler, Vincent Royer, Jamie Saft, Christine Sehnaoui, Dave Smolen, Fabrizio Spera, Birgit Ulher, Weasel Walter, Alex Waterman, Veryan Weston, Wolter Wierbos, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright, and Yoshida Tatsuya (RUINS).

-The Secular Chansons of STNZD (2006 - present): for voice/turntable, e. guitar, e. bass guitar, and drums (for SATANIZED)
-No Way Out/No Way Back (2007): for alto saxophone, double bass, and drums
-The Signal's Coming From Pittsburgh... [PART 2] (2006): for violin, 2 e. guitars, e. bass guitar, and percussion (for NORMAL LOVE) below)
-Eye Like To Watch (2005): for e. guitar/voice, e. bass, drums/voice (for DYNAMITE CLUB)
-The Signal's Coming From Pittsburgh... [PART 1] (2005): for violin, 2 e. guitars, e. bass guitar, and percussion (for NORMAL LOVE)
-Break The Glass! (2002): for solo marimba, wind-machine, and live electronics (for Eric Beach and Joe Lentini)
-Powerlunch Works (2002-2005): for e. guitar, e. bass, and drums (for POWERLUNCH)