The Why Because

The Why Because are a vibrant musical collective of an amorphous nature. Founded in the Bay Area in 2002, we use various improvisational and compositional approaches along with an eclectic array of instruments and other textures to arrive at a unique synthesis of musical ideas. Additionally, the group personnel continues to evolve over time, which allows for consistently new dynamics with each new recording or performance. Ultimately, we are interested in fusing various existing genres of music in order to create new hybrid musical forms. We have released 3 CDs on our own Musicshapes label, with more releases on the way soon. Currently exploring certain possibilities inherent in the intersections between diverse cultures, musical traditions, and artistic mediums themselves, The Why Because continue to create a cosmic, organic, textural, and percussive soundworld which exists at the crossroads of the ancient past and the distant future. www.myspace.com/thewhybecause www.thewhybecause.blogspot.com www.musicshapes.com

The Why Because are a creative music collective based in the San Francisco Bay Area. This multi-faceted ensemble was founded in 2002 with the understanding that group membership would change over time, allowing for new perspectives and continual artistic growth. A diverse spectrum of ideas and influences guides their inquisitive explorations within a shifting stylistic framework. Through interactive listening and structured improvisation, The Why Because have developed a shared musical language that evolves organically with each new incarnation. The group has appeared onstage with as few as four members and as many as ten, and more than twenty musicians and visual artists have contributed to their recordings and performances over the last four years, including past and present members of Subtle, Themselves, Run_Return, OKR, The Mothballs, Flimsy Vessels, The Maze Changes, The Betty Expedition, Birds and Batteries, The Sparkiovoggel, GoGoGoAirheart, Waterline Drift, and The Yellow Press, among others. 'Musicshapes', the group's third release on their own Musicshapes label, was recorded by a sextet that included two members of the Oakland-based avant-rock/electronic/hip-hop outfit Subtle (Anticon). Captured live during this lineup's first session together, the five extended improvisations on Musicshapes feature an eclectic array of sounds and instrumentation, blending elements of space-rock, fiery jazz, ambient haze, and dubby, percussive stomp into a cohesive whole. 'Musicshapes' has evoked comparisons to the classic grooves of Can and electric-era Miles Davis, the modern tribal psychedelia of the Boredoms and Gang Gang Dance, the cosmic spiritual jazz of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sun Ra, and the epic post-rock soundscapes of Cinematic Orchestra and Do Make Say Think. Complete Discograhpy: Musicshapes (Musicshapes 003, 2006) Impermanent Alloys (Musicshapes 002, 2004) Live 04-26-2003 (Musicshapes 001, 2003)

We've played a good number of shows in the San Francisco bay area and a few shows in Los Angeles and a tour through the Pacific Northwest. Every show is different, and we never perform the same material at more than one or two shows, with a good percentage of the music we play being improvised or very loosely structured. We enjoy challenging ourselves to approach soundmaking in new ways, and we like to experiment with lots of different ideas, both live and in the studio. We plan to tour the West Coast a couple of times in 2008, so if you're situated along the way and would like to help us set up a show in your area, please contact us. It would be particularly nice to play in Portland, Seattle, Eugene, Vancouver, Arcata, Tacoma, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara... anywhere, really! We're also working on making it out to the east coast, probably in fall of 2008, so if you live out there and can help us out with contacts, places to stay, or anything else, please get in touch. Thanks!

We are influenced by all possible sounds, by the nature of sound itself, and by the multiple mediums by which sounds can be recorded, played back, manipulated, or otherwise combined, layered, or structured so as to generate interesting interactions involving diverse musical ideas. We believe that there are endless possibilities open to the modern musician, and we aim to use every available resource in order to create as much interesting music as we can in our lifetimes. That said, take a look at the "influences" section on our myspace page to get an idea of some of the many artists that have influenced us most profoundly. www.myspace.com/thewhybecause

Almost anything we can get our hands on... If you have anything you'd like to donate to our cause, please let us know. We're particularly interested in home-made instruments and any traditional instruments from other countires around the world. Also, we would also welcome any instruments which have been modified to allow for extended techniques or unusual soundmaking possibilities. We promise to put them to good use... Thanks