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Iceland-based John McCowen is a composer/performer originally from Southern Illinois. His work focuses on extending the possibilities of the clarinet. He embraces long-form drones, difference tones, and beating harmonics as a means to extrude the dimensions within - treating the clarinet as an acoustic synthesizer.
ALBUMS
Tongue Depressor, John McCowen
Blame Tuning
2023, Cass, Album, Full Spectrum Records
Carlo Costa & John McCowen
Pianissimo Etc
2023, Cass, Album, Tripticks Tapes
John McCowen
Models of Duration
2022
Jeremiah Cymerman & John McCowen
Bitter Desert
2022
Fraser* / McCowen* / Weinberg*
Thip
2021, Cass, Ltd, Tripticks Tapes
John McCowen And Zach Rowden
Untitled
2020, File, FLAC, Distant Duos
John McCowen
[12][A]123/123[F]
2020
John McCowen
4 Chairs In Three Dimensions
2018, Cass, Album, Ltd, C30, Astral Spirits, Monofonus Press
John McCowen
Mundanas I - V
2018, CD, Album, Edition Wandelweiser Records
John McCowen
Solo Contra
2017
John McCowen
OBF 14
2015, Cass, Album, DAAANG
Lijiang Quintet
Crossing A River By Rope
2018, CD, Album, Fo'c'sle Records (2)
Wei Zhongle
The Operators
2018
Wei Zhongle
Nice Mask Over An Ugly Face
2016, Cass, EP, Pur, Pretty Purgatory
Wei Zhongle
Nu Trance
2015, Vinyl, 
,
, Experimental/Art Rock/Avantgarde/Prog Rock
Wei Zhongle
Raised High / Brought Low
2014, 12", EP, Edible Onion
Gods on Safari
Suplex Reality
2009, CD, Not On Label
APPEARANCES +
John McCowen
Robeson Formants
2021, File, FLAC, 24 , SUPERPANG
John McCowen
Clarinet Quartets #1 & #2
2xFile, MP3, 320, Cairn Desk
Kathleen Baird
Bearings: Soundtracks For The Bardos
2024, 11xFile, WAV, Album, Rvng Intl.
Sideproject
Sourcepond
2024
Kathleen Baird
Bearings: Soundtracks For The Bardos
2024
Viibra
Viibra
2024, 6x File, 
,
, Modern Classical/Contemporary
Arto Lindsay
I Had A Fever When
2023, LP, Edition DUR, 
,
, Experimental/Soundtrack/Avant-garde Jazz/Modern Classical/Sound Collage/Spoken Word
Nate Wooley
Four Experiments
2023, 4xCD, 4 C, Pleasure Of The Text Records, ,
, Free Improvisation
Brandon Seabrook's Epic Proportions
Brutalovechamp
2023, CD,
Vibrating Skull Trio / Hoogland*, Packard*
Seed Blunt / AC DC
2018, Cass, Album, Gilded Records
Ero Guro
Blood of The Wolf
2017, Cass, Album, Wolfsblood (2)
Guro Skumsnes Moe, Lasse Marhaug
La Región Salvaje
2017
Teton
Candy Spelling
2016, Cass, EP, Pretty Purgatory
Skinwalk
Skinwalk
2015, Cass, Plaza Records (10)
The Improvisation Unit
Neglected_Spaces
2015, CD, Album, Kreating SounD
Rob Jacobs
Rob Jacobs
2015
Killer Bob, Wei Zhongle
Killer BOB / Wei Zhongle (split)
2014, Cass, Album, New Atlantis Records
Wei Zhongle
Wei Zhongle
2012, 11xFile, MP3, Album, 320, Not On Label (Wei Zhongle Self-released)
Rob Jacobs
An Afternoon In Southern Illinois
2011, 6xFile, FLAC, EP, Not On Label (Rob Jacobs (4) Self-Released)
Rob Jacobs
Tom Foolery Vol. 1-3
2011, 20xFile, FLAC, Comp, Not On Label (Rob Jacobs (4) Self-Released)
Rob Jacobs
No Beach To Walk On
2010, 10xFile, FLAC, Album, Not On Label (Rob Jacobs (4) Self-released)
Tweak Bird
Tweak Bird
2010
Tweak Bird
A Sun / Ahh Ahh
2010, Vinyl White, ,
, Stoner Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Indie Rock
Suna
Mysteries Of The Deep Podcast, Chapter CXLIX
2023, File, WAV, Mixed, 24-, Mysteries Of The Deep