John Wiese
Los Angeles-based composer and sound artist John Wiese is a key participant in the American noise scene, working in abstract electronics, abrasive textures, radically experimental editing techniques, and other challenging sounds since the 1990s. Wiese's discography is staggeringly long, with plenty of completely solo work like 2007 standout album Soft Punk, but also extensive collaborative efforts. In addition to being part of the grindcore-informed noise project Sissy Spacek, Wiese has released multiple joint efforts over the years with various configurations of the Wolf Eyes camp, Merzbow, Kevin Drumm, C. Spencer Yeh, and countless others. In 2022, Wiese continued his collaborative streak with the release of The Echoing Shell, an EP made with No Age drummer Dean Spunt. 2023 brought additional collaborations with artists like Drew Daniel (Matmos) and members of the Los Angeles Free Music Society.
Wiese was already involved with extreme music when he graduated from the California Institute of the Arts in 2001. At that time, he was a member of the noise/grindcore band Sissy Spacek, but was also exploring tape manipulation, harsh noise, and experimental editing techniques as a solo artist. Wiese used his own Helicopter label as a platform for his frequent releases, but also issued material with a multitude of other various independent labels. Throughout the 2000s, 2010s, and beyond, Wiese recorded, toured, and released new work prolifically, his discography growing to include dozens and eventually hundreds of titles. This included collaborative work with Thurston Moore, Sunn O))), Smegma, Bastard Noise, and many, many others, but just as often Wiese's albums were solo efforts.
Along with near-constant lesser output, standout solo albums emerged such as the angsty distortion of 2007's Soft Punk, the digitally demolished field recordings of 2009 album Circle Snare, 2017's Escaped Language, and his ongoing, multi-volume Magnetic Stencil series. His solo work, activity with Sissy Spacek, and other collaborative work all continued concurrently into the 2020s. In 2022, Wiese teamed up with longtime friend Dean Spunt of No Age to release The Echoing Shell with Drag City. Through Mazes Running, an aggressive, tape manipulation-heavy effort with Drew Daniel (Matmos, the Soft Pink Truth), appeared in 2023. It marked the duo's second collaboration following the rhythmic glitch album Continuous Hole (2018), which was reissued by Cold Spring later in the year. Also in 2023, Wiese released collaborations with industrial tape music pioneer Robert Turman (Solid State of Time) and Los Angeles Free Music Society members Joseph Hammer and Joe Potts (The Elusive Flexure).
© Fred Thomas /TiVo
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Continuous Hole
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 1 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Echoing Shell
Alternative & Indie - Released by Drag City on 20 May 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Electronic Extension
Aaron Dilloway, Robert Turman, John Wiese
Rock - Released by Helicopter on 2 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Through Mazes Running
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 24 Feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
C-Section
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 1 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soft Punk
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 1 Jan 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Multiplication
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 1 Mar 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Portable Dunes
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 19 May 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prelude to Hawaiian Radio
Andy Bolus, Joseph Hammer, John Wiese
Rock - Released by Helicopter on 15 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rip Off
John Wiese, The New Blockaders, GX Jupitter-Larsen
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 1 May 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Seven Of Wands
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 10 Oct 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Elusive Flexure
Joseph Hammer, Joe Potts, John Wiese
Rock - Released by Helicopter on 9 Jun 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Neu Dimension
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 17 Sep 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Magnetic Stencil 1
Experimental - Released by Helicopter on 2 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Magnetic Stencil 2
Experimental - Released by Helicopter on 2 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fruit From Color Vapor (Edit)
Punk / New Wave - Released by Drag City on 31 Mar 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Deviate from Balance
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 20 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Magnetic Stencil 3
Experimental - Released by Helicopter on 21 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mirror
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 17 Sep 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Country and Western
Alternative & Indie - Released by Helicopter on 2 Mar 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo