The Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music was initiated by the American Composers Forum (ACF) to provide DC’s music and art communities with the opportunity to sample experimental and avant-garde electronic music, with an emphasis on improvisation and artistic use of new technologies.
Now heading into its eighth year, the Washington DC chapter of the ACF has expanded the scope of the festival to include electroacoustic compositions, experimental jazz, noise rock, electronic drone and experimental folk, as well as live video and film programs.
Sonic Circuits seeks to foster the spirit of collaboration through the diversity of participating artists, and its varied programming appeals to arts enthusiasts of all types.
Support Sonic Circuits with your tax deductible donation by using Paypal.
Released in conjunction with Sonic Circuits 2008, District of Noise presents 17 of the DC area's finest practitioners of experimental music. GET IT NOW FOR $10!
Sunday Jan 25, 2026
doors: 6:30pm
music: 7:00pm SHARP
$5!
PYRAMID ATLANTIC
8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910
301.608.9101
located three blocks south of the silver spring metro station (red line)
Free parking in gated lot out front
INFO: www.dc-soniccircuits.org
DIRECTIONS: www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org
Second Land Second Land is a collaboration of artists who create improvisational music, using traditional instruments and domestic objects. A live performance by Second Land is generally lighthearted and unabrasive, and at times very layered and impassioned. The group seeks to continue the tradition of experimentation started by luminaries Cage & Stockhausen, but also the likes of Merideth Monk, Steve Riech and Robin Rimbaud. The name “Second Land” implies that work this group undertakes is new territory for the members of the group. Those members include Curt Seiss, Dani Seiss and Luke Hazzard. For the January 25th performance, Second Land will also include guest performers Dylan Kinnett (of Baltimore’s Infinity’s Kitchen) and Lars Wigren (of Polyphasic).
Cannot Be Stopped CANNOT BE STOPPED is an experimental approach to drum set performance that comfortably rides the line between basement rock n’ roll and the avant-garde. The project’s sole member, Farley Miller, takes audiences on a primal journey to the 8-bit and leaves them asking “what just happened?”
As 2008 draws to a close I like to thank you for your support and your interest in Sonic Circuits. A real community has formed around our humble festival, and has grown over the years. The DC area has proven to be a receptive environment for experimental music.
Despite the current economic downturn, Sonic Circuits continues to bring you the best in experimental music that money can’t buy (rarely do you read the words experimental music and money in the same sentence). This year’s installment of the Sonic Circuits festival was the best one yet, presenting some amazing music with record audience turnouts for some of the shows. This was all done with almost zero operating budget, and hours of endless toil by devoted volunteers. To keep the momentum going, Sonic Circuits will continue to present mind-blowing music year round in addition to the annual festival planned for late September 2009. We think big, and aim high.
Recently the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities awarded Sonic Circuits a substantial matching grant for the production of the 2009 festival, setting the stage for a festival that will top all previous festivals. Much work still stands before us, and we need to secure additional funds to meet the match requirement of the grant. Institutions supporting the arts have seen their endowments vanish overnight in the past few months, further limiting our avenues of outside support. It is therefore more important than ever to show your support for experimental music programming in the DC area by making a donation. Sonic Circuits is a program of the American Composers Forum - DC Chapter, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and your donation is fully tax-deductible. Your donation will help ensure that even in these difficult times, a true alternative to the typical music fare presented in DC does not wilt, but blooms. You can securely make your donation online via http://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=20-0485641
On behalf of Sonic Circuits and the ACF-DC, I thank you for your support and look forward to sharing with you more music from beyond the norm in 2009.
Excerpt from the BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT performance at the Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring, MD. 14december2008. A celebratory stomp for Jhan Dean Egg. Sounds & projections by Hawkins/BSI.
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
doors: 6:30pm
music: 7:00pm SHARP
$5!
PYRAMID ATLANTIC
8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910
301.608.9101
located three blocks south of the silver spring metro station (red line)
Free parking in gated lot out front
INFO: www.dc-soniccircuits.org
DIRECTIONS: www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org
Mind Over Matter Music Over Mind is Thomas Stanley – Electrons, Bobby Hill – Record Players,
Chris Downing – Laptop, Keyboards, Samples. MOMMOM creates spontaneous politically charged sounds that reaches across musical genres and redraws the boundaries of mental consciousness. For this show they will be performing to the film Luma 1 by Mike Sargent.
musicovermind.org
Lost Civilizations is a project of Mike Sebastian (Tenor Sax, Saxello and Bass Clarinet) and T. A. Zook (BassCello and Misc. Instruments). Together they generate a sound akin to atmospheric free jazz.
myspace.com/lostcivilizationsmusic
Blue Sausage Infant is old school psychedelic noise rave ups brought into the 22nd century on the heels of 20th century technology. myspace.com/iabluesausageinfant
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
doors: 6:30pm
music: 7:00pm SHARP
$5!
PYRAMID ATLANTIC
8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910
301.608.9101
located three blocks south of the silver spring metro station (red line)
Free parking in gated lot
INFO: www.dc-soniccircuits.org
DIRECTIONS: www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org
Dan Conrad is the inventor of the chromaccord instrument for sub-hypnotic retinal color interaction, the wildwave sound field multifrequency-blast generator, and the veena bambeena monocord of justintonian harmonics.
http://www.chromaccord.net/
