Desert Drone, Tucson, AZ (2025)

01/12/2025

Appearing Tuesday, January 14th at Wave Archive in downtown Tucson, we welcome Kelby Clark to Desert Drone.

Kelby Clark (K.L. Clark) is a composer, improviser, and banjo player from Georgia. He is inspired by the old-time music of his home state as well as drone, free improvisation, ragas and many other forms of music from around the world. His playing draws from clawhammer banjo traditions as well as sitar, sarod, tanbur, flamenco guitar, and classical guitar techniques. Clark has released work on labels such as Vaagner, Working Man Lay Down, Garden Portal, Tentative Power, Amulet of Tears, Eastern Nurseries and Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere. He has also scored several independent films such as She Drank Vinegar from the River (2023) and Sometimes I Hear the Light Leak in Through the Corners of My Room (2023). He is currently based in Los Angeles."

01/11/2025

Full lineup announcement for Super Bloom, happening January 17th and 18th in Glendale, AZ at ASU West Valley campus in the Kiva Lecture Hall. This event is free to community, RSVP at the link in our bio.

01/10/2025

We have a special show at Wave Archive on Thursday, January 30th. Lightning White Bison will be traveling around the southwest, performing a live musical score to Jason Pappariella's visual documentary video "An Observance of Absence".

"An Observance of Absence", by Jason Pappariella, documents interior and exterior places left vacant and dilapidated by the abandonment of Central Pennsylvania's anthracite coal-mining region, juxtaposing them against similarly neglected sites in industrial Eastern Europe. Adam Parks (Lightning White Bison) will perform a live musical accompaniment on manipulated analogue four-track using sounds recorded and collected on-site in both locales.

They'll be joined by locals Deep Stay and Zack Hansen. Doors 7:00pm, $10-$20, no one turned away due to lack of funds.

01/09/2025

January 30th at Wave Archive, we're bringing together two out of town acts, Mad Kate all the way from Germany, and Lightning White Bison from Virginia. They'll be accompanied by locals Deep Stay and Zack Hansen.

Mad Kate is an electronic producer and performer who began working the Berlin performance club scene in 2004, expanding their unique identity-queering, genderfcking and sexpositive performative work throughout music, theatre and film.

Lightning White Bison will be performing live musical score to Jason Pappariella's visual documentary video "An Observance of Absence").

"An Observance of Absence", by Jason Pappariella, documents interior and exterior places left vacant and dilapidated by the abandonment of Central Pennsylvania's anthracite coal-mining region, juxtaposing them against similarly neglected sites in industrial Eastern Europe. Adam Parks (Lightning White Bison) will perform a live musical accompaniment on manipulated analogue four-track using sounds recorded and collected on-site in both locales.

Doors 7:00pm Music starts at 7:30pm, $10-$20, no one turned away due to lack of funds.

01/04/2025

LANA DEL RABIES returns to Desert Drone and her desert homeland Saturday, January 4th, at Last Exit Live in Phoenix and Sunday, January 5th, at The Screening Room in Tucson alongside her tour mate God Is War.

1/4 Last Exit Live w/Terminal 11/Gabby Isaac
1/5 The Screening Room w/Sleep of Eons/Ren

Lana Del Rabies, conceived by artist Sam An, is a captivating force in underground dark electronic and fringe heavy music. Merging industrial, gothic noise, and metal with experimental elements, Lana Del Rabies explores the esoteric brutality of what it means to be human in a world consumed by the threat of apocalypse. She is known for her intense and immersing live performances that hold the audience in captive catharsis.

Her first two albums, "In The End I Am A Beast" and "Shadow World," released by Los Angeles label Deathbomb Arc, showcase Lana Del Rabies' futuristic goth sound, addressing American society's growing PTSD with a stark, spectral voice.

Her third album, "STREGA BEATA," on Gilgongo Records, has earned acclaim from The Quietus, Metal Hammer, DJ Mag, and more. Described as constructively destructive, Lana Del Rabies' music outcries from beyond with surprising melodic and melancholic moments emerging from the noise and anguish.

01/03/2025

Saturday, January 4th, at Last Exit Live in Phoenix and Sunday, January 5th, at The Screening Room in Tucson, we present God Is War, alongside Lana Del Rabies.

God Is War is the solo endeavor of Lebanese American artist Mack Chami. Formed in 2018, GIW set out to compose a much more aggressive, bright, glitchy and colorful approach to noise and industrial. Quickly gaining ground with sold out releases on No Rent, Industrial Coast, Phage Tapes, and Deathbed Tapes, it was clear the heavy impression the act had on the various noise and industrial scenes worldwide.

GIW continues to break more boundaries, more stereotypes, and more rules with every release. Never allowing an audience to dictate or influence, one could consider GIW an ever evolving chameleon or octopus blending into its surroundings yet still remaining itself.

12/31/2024

Too many amazing shows and memories this year to count so here's a random assortment of bad phone camera photos from the back of The Screening Room and Wooden Tooth.

38 shows in 2024, far surpassing anything we've done before, each one had something special. 2025 is already shaping up to be just as big. Thank you to everyone.

12/30/2024

First Tucson show of the year is Sunday, January 5th, at The Screening Room.

Los Angeles artists Lana Del Rabies (Gilgongo Records, Deathbomb Arc) and God Is War (Profound Lore Records) will be making an excursion through the west coast to bring their respective takes on industrial, electronic, and noise music to the masses. LDR is back touring the states after a vicious European run with Pharmakon and Kollaps. GIW is currently touring in support of “Boogeyman Inc” on Profound Lore Records.

Local support from Ren and Sleep Of Eons.

Doors 7:30pm $12 All Ages

12/28/2024

We've compiled a 2024 Spotify playlist full of all the Desert Drone musicians who released music this year. It's full of great touring artists like Johnny Bell, Andrew Weathers, Chuck Johnson, and Matchess.

Would love to highlight all of the Tucson artists who released music this year: Ambent, Steve Roach, Super Ethereal Champion World, Through A Glass Darkly, Jeff Greinke, Neuro...No Neuro, Zack Hansen, Raquel Denis, not to mention everyone who released music on bandcamp like Skincage, Ruehlen and Trejo Duo. Special mention to White Boy Scream who released a 2 song EP CD/Digital with us last fall.

Check it out! Link in our bio. Can't wait for next year!

Leave a comment if we forgot you!

12/27/2024

Desert Drone regular Lana Del Rabies returns to Tucson on January 5th at The Screening Room. She brings along LA based God Is War for a night of harrowing electronic music. They'll be joined by Tucson locals Sleep Of Eons and Ren.

We're highlighting Lana Del Rabies' most recent album, Strega Beata, today.

'STREGA BEATA’ is the 3rd full-length album from Sam An’s dark electronic, genre-bridging solo project under the semi-notorious moniker Lana Del Rabies. After a brief hiatus, this record is her first full-length release since the gothic, industrial noise of 2018's Shadow World, ‘STREGA BEATA’, which loosely translates to "Blessed Witch," is an apocalyptic myth told through dense, textural compositions pulling from the vast corners of dark genre music. The title's meaning is appropriate for the existential, cathartic, and otherworldly themes explored.

The record is told through the evolving perspective of a cryptic and obscure "Mother" creator figure, specifically echoing the mother and crone goddess archetypes. This figure is vocalized through LDR's eerie harmonies, spoken words, pleading howls, and frenetic screams aimed towards another archetype, the chosen one. These vocalizations sometimes hover above trip-hop low tempos and unnerving atmospheres ("Mourning," "Hallowed is the Earth"), sink through vintage horror movie darkwave synths ("Master," "Apocalypse Fatigue"), weave through art metal distortions and relentless drone bass tones (Mother), or blast through unconventional industrial rhythms ("Prayers of Consequence," "A Plague").

"There have been many moments while writing this record that I was grieving through an event that was personal or worldwide, and then another sudden, tragic event would happen. I needed to re-evaluate what I wanted to say because my world and perspective had shifted again. Trying to keep up with tragedy can make one feel helpless, and one way to feel in control is through acts of destruction. My personal impulse towards destruction nearly ended this project."

12/18/2024

Highlighting our final two acts for the December 20th community food bank fundraiser show at Slow Body.

MaiuwaaK is a duo composed of and and ever since they first debuted at Desert Drone, they have been consistently one of our favorites. Just two supremely talented and intuitive musicians at the top of their game. Always worth a watch.

Sunchower, from drummer/electronic artist Casey Hadland, brings so much energy and ingenuity to the shows he puts on. Sunchower is the perfect example of the booking ethos we bring to Desert Drone. It isn't traditional drone or ambient, but when you see a performance, it just makes sense. It's the focus on the experimental side of music that we try to cultivate throughout Arizona.

12/17/2024

Highlighting two of the acts for the upcoming Quiet Night II community food bank fundraiser at Slow Body Beer on Friday, December 20th.

We have The Listening Choir, a wonderful group of amazing people who have been supporters of Desert Drone throughout our history. They bring a sense of calm and peace to a Desert Drone show that is sometimes missing. It's not often the performers are in just as much a meditative state as the audience, but you can see how cathartic each set is from The Listening Choir. We are so grateful to host them.

Rafael Sanchez, aka Black Baptist, has literally been with Desert Drone from the start. He played our very first show (plus many since) and has run sound at most of our events. Rafael is a great friend, sound tech, and an incredible drone artist. The way he weaves layers in and out while using only his bass guitar as an audio source is otherworldly. Another person who we are eternally grateful for.

12/16/2024

Announcing our first show at Wave Archive. On Tuesday, January 14th, we welcome LA based musician Kelby Clark, he'll be joined by Vulture Vault and Steev Hise.

Kelby Clark (K.L. Clark) is a composer, improviser, and banjo player from Georgia. He is inspired by the old-time music of his home state as well as drone, free improvisation, ragas and many other forms of music from around the world. Clark has released work on labels such as Vaagner, Working Man Lay Down, Garden Portal, Tentative Power, Amulet of Tears, Eastern Nurseries and Audio.

12/06/2024

Super Ethereal Champion World appears December 10th at The Screening Room with Chuck Johnson, Beau Devereaux, and Ryan Alfred.

Super Ethereal Champion World is Jesse Kees, often making use of field recordings, voice memos, and natural & synthesized sounds to create ambient-adjacent soundscapes, sometimes while also playing guitar or banjo, and sometimes something that is nothing like any of that.

12/03/2024

Jimmy Peggie plays Desert Drone on Wednesday, December 11th, at The Nile Coffee Shop with Chuck Johnson and Slender Loris.

Jimmy Peggie is a Scottish born artist based in Phoenix, AZ working with sound and images. His artistic work is focused on natural phenomena with an appreciation that all things are in a state of flux - ever changing, imperfect and incomplete - using this to help identify natural process, a sense of place and the transient nature of all things.

His work has been featured at Iklectik Arts Space (London), Barcelona Festival of Sound Art, Radiophrenia Radio Arts Festival (Glasgow), Framework Radio (Europe), Studio EM04 (Berlin), Max Protetch Gallery (NYC), Currents 826 Gallery (Santa Fe), Coconino Center for the Arts (Flagstaff), Phoenix Art Museum, Tempe Center for the Arts, Arizona Science Center, Arizona State University and more. He has operated a small record label - neonvox since 1995. He is a member of the American Society for Acoustic Ecology (ASAE) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

12/02/2024

Tuesday, December 10th at The Screening Room in Tucson and Wednesday, December 11th at The Nile Coffee Shop in Mesa, we present Chuck Johnson.

Chuck Johnson is a California-based composer, producer, and musician. He approaches his work with an ear towards finding faults and instabilities that might reveal latent beauty, with a focus on pedal steel guitar, experimental electronics, alternate tuning systems, and composing for film and television. Recordings of his work have been published by Western Vinyl, VDSQ, Thrill Jockey, Temporary Residence, Kompakt, Ghostly, and Three Lobed, among others.

On his latest album Sun Glories, Johnson explores themes of time, memory, and illusion through his unique blend of pedal steel, synths, organs, strings, and drums. Pitchfork wrote about the album “A lot of ambient artists are embracing the pedal steel right now, but none are quite as willing to jettison the instrument’s readymade associations as Johnson.” And All Music Guide wrote “Sun Glories is a magnificent record displaying Johnson’s mastery of multiple instruments and techniques.”

12/01/2024

Announcing our final show of the year, December 20th, at Slow Body Beer.

Quiet Night II is the follow-up to our first fundraiser last December. This time, all proceeds will go to the community food bank. Food insecurity is a huge issue in our community, and we're happy to help our neighbors in need. We have an assortment of local businesses donating gift cards and apparel, and we'll be doing raffles in addition to accepting your canned goods and jackets.

We've put together a great lineup of some of our favorite performers who are all donating their time and talent.

&

Desert Drone