Artist
Gen Ken Montgomery
Gen Ken Montgomery, a pioneering electro-acoustic artist from the United States, crafts unique soundscapes through tape collage and found sound.
About
Emerging from the United States' subterranean soundscape, Gen Ken Montgomery sculpted auditory realms from 1957 to 2012, often through the tactile medium of cassette tapes. His work is an exploratory journey into electro-acoustic territories, where tape collage and found sound manipulation become the language of expression. With 21 releases, Montgomery's catalog is a process-driven mosaic of abstract soundscapes and non-linear compositions, defying commercial simplicity. The release of 'Postcards 1981-1986' on VINYL ON DEMAND / VOD-RECORDS captures an evolution in Montgomery's sound design, a fractal narrative of sonic possibilities. His preference for analog media, particularly the cassette format, underscores a tactile interaction with sound that is both liminal and sculptural. Works like 'Endogeny' and 'Onomatopia Meccanica' on Direction Music and Old Europa Cafe, respectively, are vivid testaments to his dedication to site-specific audio and the ephemeral nature of sound. Montgomery's collaborations with artists like Wabi Experience and John Duncan are interdisciplinary dialogues that expand his experimental approach. Releases such as 'Fashion Moda - Songs 1981-84' and 'Stepping Through Rooms' reveal a network of influences that enrich his auditory explorations. His self-released tapes, including 'Birds - Battery Operated' and 'The One Sided Triangle,' are intimate windows into his creative process, where sound becomes a living entity, ever-evolving and resonant.
