THE SILENCE BUREAU

New Compilation

2010-03-13T18:35:00.001-05:00

The Silence Bureau is proud to announce its place alongside contemporary musicians and noise makers on the new Just Not Normal compilation 'The World Is Just Not Normal - Part 4. Find this sonic gemstone at:http://justnotnormal.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/jnn080-jnn-collective-the-world-is-just-not-normal-pt-4/The Silence Bureau contributes the track '33 Saturday' to the proceedings from its 2009

We have moved...

2010-02-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

The Silence Bureau is now blogging at www.thesilencebureau.wordpress.comPlease jot down a note regarding this change.

Inaction Remaster 2010

2010-01-01T12:39:00.003-05:00

The Silence Bureau is proud to announce the commencement of a new remastering project. As part of ongoing archive revitalization, The Bureau will begin working with the master tapes of what became the second major album release of the first Bureau era, called Inaction. The tapes, from 1996, are on four-track analog media and will be remastered using a variety of digital tools. Stay tuned.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-11-07T07:50:00.001-05:00

The Silence Bureau is pleased to announce an affiliation with Justnotnormal Netlabel. Justnotnormal has issued the Bureau's first self-titled album, available for free download at http://lnk.ms/4M9wz.

'Chair!'

2009-10-17T08:46:00.003-05:00

The Bureau is proud to announce the addition of a special page for the release, Fig. 1: 'Chair!'.Please find the special page here.A chair is a common object. When titling the 1999 release, a pun was involved. 1) the release was intended to be, emotionally, a more 'upbeat' work than past Bureau collections2) a child was presented on the original cover art - the artist's youngest brother with a

NEW SELF-TITLED ALBUM

2009-09-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

The Silence Bureau is proud to announce the release of its first self-titled collection. This album contains minimalistic noise, avant-garde synthesizer, guitar, and piano experiments recorded from 2007 to the present year. Sound collages of varied textures and moods, overall this album will challenge listeners to reconsider the nature of 'music'.Download THE SILENCE BUREAU (free of charge)

Album Reissue: Super-Magnetic

2009-09-05T18:37:00.005-05:00

Originally recorded at the turn of the Century and released in June of 2001, 'Super-Magnetic' is an exploration of mid-tempo beats and accessible synthesizer-based instrumental music. The one vocal track, 'Ohio' is an ode to a visit by an old friend when I lived in Canton. Special thanks to Charles K. Lindsey Jr. for musical input into the track 'Excursion'.Download all 15 track free of charge

Love Is Not Control

2009-07-25T08:54:00.001-05:00

Now available: http://www.thesilencebureau.com/SB_NoControl.mp3From the forthcoming reissue 'Super-Magnetic'.

Fig. 1: 'Chair!'

2009-07-13T18:49:00.003-05:00

The latest in the Bureau's reissue series is 'Chair!' and is referred to as Fig. 1 in the 'Noise Furniture' series of recordings. It can be found here. The series has Dada influences, which may or may not be readily evident.This month is the tenth anniversary of the original release of this collection.Background Note (file under Arcane Knowledge): Beginning in 1999, after four years and six

Trojan Hobby Horse

2009-02-15T23:41:00.001-05:00

The back catalog remastering project continues with 'Trojan Hobby Horse', a 17-track song cycle exploring the many facets of that four letter word associated with the recent holiday. From innocence, longing, and loss, these alternative pop songs come right out of a parallel universe where Ian Curtis is still alive, writing naive love poems. Originally recorded in the early part of 2000, this

Sketches + Suggestions

2009-01-25T17:14:00.006-05:00

In 2002, Jeff Fowler locked himself in a studio for the weekend with three accomplished jazz musicians, none of whom, for legal/contractual reasons can be named here. The result: 'Sketches + Suggestions', a jazz tour de force featuring Fowler on piano. These tracks have never seen the light of day until now. Mixed and Mastered at Jousting Studios, at Bureau HQ, these 16 jazz tracks run a

Thoughts of the Long Now

2009-01-20T18:37:00.002-05:00

The Bureau is featured on a new compilation project, Thoughts of the Long Now, comprised of drone pieces. Drone is a musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained sounds, notes, or tones-clusters and is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics. Thoughts of the Long Now is a compilation of

45:48

2009-01-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

In February of 2006, The Silence Bureau was scheduled to appear on the NTNS radio show (in those days, hosted by John Ingram). In preparation for that live performance, a rehearsal was recorded on 2/9/06 at Jousting Studios. Unfortunately, due to a car accident, the Bureau was unable to appear. That rehearsal material, consisting of an extended, dark ambient piece, has been recently unearthed

Complete Discography

2009-01-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

The release of Vacuum of Power coincides with a different look for the Bureau web pages. Along with this, for the first time, the full Bureau discography is listed, dating from 1990 to Present. Eleven albums are currently available for free download.The complete discography is also listed below. Each album in bold is available in high quality MP3 format packaged in zip files from

Fig 4: Vacuum of Power

2009-01-17T15:47:00.003-05:00

The Bureau is proud to announce the release of Vacuum of Power, thirteen tracks of eclectic, alternative pop. Originally released as a CD with hand-made packaging in September 2000 to a few friends, this album has been remastered and is now available at www.thesilencebureau.com . It was the first CD release by The Silence Bureau. All previous material had been available only on cassette

2008-12-27T10:59:00.001-05:00

Technorati Profile

Disutility Outtakes & Versions

2008-11-26T18:28:00.002-05:00

Recently added to the Bureau Archives are extra remastered tracks from the 'Disutility' era. Rare outtakes and alternate versions of tracks from the first Bureau album. Recorded between 1993 and 1994. It's a history lesson in the Bureau's early years.Check it out for yourself here: www.thesilencebureau.com/SB-DU_OUT

Next Archive Release and Some Working Titles

2008-10-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

For awhile now, The Silence Bureau has been combing through the archives and releasing previous work, some dating back fourteen years. The next of such releases will be the Disutility Outtakes (Remastered). The Bureau, however, is working on new material. Some 'working' titles follow.Album Name: Empirical vs. ImperialTracksSuper AbnormalYour Twelfth SenseUnder BotCarefully Chosen

Seminal Interview

2008-10-17T22:03:00.002-05:00

On August 12th, 1993, J.S. Fowler, the man behind The Silence Bureau, interviewed artist Joseph Aranyosi on the University of Richmond campus, in the courtyard in front of the Jepson School of Leadership. The ideas expressed by Aranyosi would become central to the Bureau philosophy and mode of operation. The interview was recorded on micro cassette and recently recovered from the archives. It

Vox Collaboration - Das Wasup

2008-10-10T18:46:00.003-05:00

The Silence Bureau, along with 17 diverse recording artists, contributed to Intelligent Machinery's latest compilation project titled, simply, Vox. The task was to create a track using nothing more than sounds made by the human voice. 'Das Wasup' is available, along with the other Vox tracks at: http://www.intelligentmachinery.net/?q=node/490 .

More Music from the Archives

2008-09-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

Two new sets of tracks from the 'Early Projects' Archive.First, The Silence Bureau 1990, is taken from the earliest Bureau 4-track recordings. Six tracks include:1. Peter Murphy's Dead2. Nightmare Sequence No. 13. Abstract Expressionism4. Kabuki Lab Test/Don't You Wonder?5. Kinetica6. Where the Glue FailedRecorded at UFA1800 on the University of Richmond campus (Richmond, VA) in Fall 1990.Second

From the Archives: Disutility (1996)

2008-08-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

The first incarnation of The Silence Bureau had its birth in the Fall of 1996, with 'Disutility', an independent limited-edition, cassette-only release. Twelve years later, the current Bureau reissues this set of songs and instrumentals in a 20-track expanded edition, adding six tracks recorded during that era, including the seminal 'Suspense' and a later version of the Starke Option track 'The

Music from the Early Archives

2008-08-08T22:05:00.002-05:00

Due this month...Bureau material from the early, early days... circa 1993 to 1994. Originally recorded on analog 4-track, the upcoming release was originally distributed in limited quantity on cassette tape. Labeled 'disutility', the Bureau's first album has been digitally remastered with all original material preserved and nothing additional added. Original cover art, along with track notes

Pieces 2 Compilation

2008-05-12T16:29:00.002-05:00

The Silence Bureau has contributed a track to Intelligent Machinery's 2nd 'Pieces' compilation. As it is described at www.intelligentmachinery.net..."Pieces Vol. 2 is the second effort in a project designed to stretch the borders of incidental sound composition. The project invites participants to create new tracks using the provided set of four-second sound samples culled from various live

2008-03-29T11:27:00.002-05:00

The Silence Bureau's To Name Is To Destroy (remastered) is now available at http://www.thesilencebureau.com/2NameR.zip.Originally released on Intelligent Machinery (2005), this was the second full album by The Bureau and the first composed on the PC. It was recorded employing homemade noise samples and the program Tuareg (T2) by Bram Bos. Remastering was accomplished with Mixcraft V2 by

New Release for the Holidays

2007-12-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

The Silence Bureau presents 'Extant', nine rare, remastered tracks culled from various compilations and non-album tracks from the past two years, collected in one handy package. Includes a collaboration with Japanese cyberpunk writer Kenji Siratori as well as the Bureau's atypical 'nature' trilogy, taken from 2005's Tanzania benefit concert and rehearsals. This collection also features 'Letters

Best of 2007 - NTNS Radio

2007-12-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

The Silence Bureau is featured on NTNS Radio's Best of 2007 compilation. Not The Normal Shit radio is a five hour bi-weekly show that focuses on experimental music: improvisational accoustics, turntabalism, live electronics, free jazz, plunderphonics, lo-fi, dark ambient, noise or minimal, and non-genre specific audio goodness.Not the Normal Shit radio is presented by Mark (a.k.a. mystahr) and

Two New Tracks

2007-12-11T22:27:00.000-05:00

Experimental ambience and electronic redundancy find their way to Soundclick and MySpace in the form of The Bureau's two new tracks: Truth Is The Taboo and Robotic Ritual. Follow the links below.www.soundclick.com/thesilencebureauwww.myspace.com/thesilencebureau

File Under Propaganda: Unpublished Silence Bureau Interview

2007-11-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

Your latest album is called ‘Behemoth/Juggernaut’. What is that all about?Yes. It’s a very difficult album. There are hints at listenability, but overall it’s the sound of a thousand things being crushed by this overwhelming, unfeeling, destructive force.What is that force? Do you have any idea?No, I’m joking. Actually, this album is quite pleasing to the ears and should be a part of any

Death To Music Re-release!

2007-09-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

At High Noon today, Death to Music, the remastered edition, will be available for free download at http://www.thesilencebureau.com/The%20Silence%20Bureau%20-%20Death%20To%20Music%20(2007%20Remaster)%20with%20Bonus%20Tracks.zip (see MP3 metadata for creative commons license information). Includes four bonus tracks not released with the original album, one of which was created just for this

New Album Release

2007-09-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

Behemoth/Juggernaut is now available for download (free) at the Bureau website. All Bureau work is free of economic conditions or trade of any kind*. Simply download and listen.If you like what you hear, share with your friends. If you don't like what you hear, whatdya want for nothin?To get the album, follow this link: http://www.thesilencebureau.com/The%20Silence%20Bureau%20-%

Pieces Compilation

2007-04-15T11:47:00.001-05:00

Intelligent Machinery Productions has released a compilation entitled 'Pieces'. Contributing artists used the provided samples to create new works. The provided samples were created by Controlled Dissonance, Khate, and FERALCATSCAN. The Silence Bureau contributed the track 'Through These Broken Pieces'. Compilation is free to download here: http://www.intelligentmachinery.net/releases/pieces.zip

Easter Egg at Bureau Home Page

2007-04-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

Fun surprise at the newly revamped www.thesilencebureau.com. If you can find it.

Winter 2003 E.P.

2007-03-04T12:09:00.001-05:00

I've had an old CD of music I put together in the Winter of 2003 sitting on my desk for at least a month. Just sitting among the piles of notebooks, pending bills, discarded sticky notes, half-sharpened pencils, and old pens, not to mention two small packages of Pez Cola candies. Yes I live in clutter.It is now available for download. Three tracks that I performed and produced and put back in

Psychic Violence

2007-02-19T11:31:00.000-05:00

Psychic Violence Psychic Violence, the new album, is now available for download at www.thesilencebureau.com. Follow the links to 'sounds'. I bet you can find it. This is the entire album on one download, in zipped format. It is a large file so if that annoys you, then you may want to go out for a pizza or something while it downloads. Explore the subtleties of Zen Buddhism or whatever. It's

Live Tracks

2007-01-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

Two more live tracks:AKFLO FNAD EIAB and OQNA AJADJD ZNMFrom The Silence Bureau's live performance at Nanci Raygun on 8/19/05 are now available at www.thesilencebureau.com.

The Bureau featured on Kenji Siratori Collection

2007-01-28T08:06:00.000-05:00

Upload The Brain Universe is a collection of spoken word recordings culled from the literature of Japanese cyberpunk author Kenji Siratori and offered to experimental artists as a contribution towards a collaboration. Featuring a broad range of avant garde sound experimentalists, Upload The Brain Universe melts jarringly through a gammut of nontraditional music and non-music styles, each track

2007-01-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

The Bureau's 3rd Album is now available for download, non-commercially at www.thesilencebureau.com.The name of the album: 'Psychic Violence': ten tracks saliva-inducing electronic ambient glitchy noise. Avant-garde in approach, these selections were arranged especially for the ADD generation.The Full Album, in the officially suggested running order, with brief description:The Perfect Sound -

New Album Release

2007-01-21T18:51:00.001-05:00

The Silence Bureau has finished the new album 'Psychic Violence'. Eleven tracks that mix ambient, glitch, noise and electronica into structures set for the ADD generation. Release date: 1/26/07. Available at www.thesilencebureau.com. Follow the yellow brick road to 'sounds'.

Kenji Siratori

2006-12-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

During the summer or sometime around there, I received an e-mail from Kenji Siratori, a Japanese experimental writer. He sent me some spoken word works he had recorded and wanted to know if I was interested in a collaboration. This was when I was still signed to Intelligent Machinery. Oddly enough, he had sent the same e-mail to a whole slew of artists on Intelligent Machinery, so John Ingram,

What's In A Name?

2006-12-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

We are often asked at Bureau HQ to explain the titles of The Silence Bureau albums. We are reticent to respond given that its akin to a magician explaining how he manages his tricks. But, here, for the first time, we are willing to open the vaults and reveal the often arcane meanings hidden beneath the intriguing monikers that label these collections of sound.Death To Music - Of course, we mean

To Name Is To Destroy Cover

2006-12-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Ame Polaski from Wessington, South Dakota writes:"That's an awesome cover on your 2nd album. But, I have a question - what is it? It looks like a crushed skull or some kind of demonic face. I love it, though, whatever it is."Thanks for the question Ame (if that is your real name). Fans are often intrigued over the enigmatic cover art delivered to us by LostArtSchoolProject (enigmatic in of

NTNS Missed Show - This is Why

2006-12-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

2-10-06

2006-12-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

It's the end of the year and we at Bureau HQ are siphoning through our mailbox to answer some of the Bureau fans' most pressing questions. One such fan writes: "I waited an hour for the Bureau to play the NTNS radio show back in February. I even cancelled a date with my boyfriend Jimmy. What the *!*$@ happened? I swore that I would never listen to the Bureau again after you cancelled the show.

117

2006-12-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

An alert fan of The Bureau writes, "I noticed that during the show at Nanci Raygun that Jeff wore a white T-shirt with the number 117 in black lettering. What is that? Is it sports related or a bible verse or what?"Bureau HQ responds: There is no fashion code established for The Bureau, but we expect Jeff to show up at least with a shirt, socks, and shoes.* As long as that occurs, we are happy

New Releases Expected in 2007

2006-11-23T13:44:00.001-05:00

The New Album 'Psychic Violence': a journey into the nuances of sound and music textures.As well as Re-releases: Re-mastered Tracks from the 1st two albums originally released by Intelligent Machinery Productions.

End of An Era

2006-11-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

Due to philosophical differences, The Silence Bureau has left the internet only record label Intelligent Machinery. Thanks, John, for your friendship.

Live on NTNS Radio - 2-10-06

2006-02-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

John Ingram of Intelligent Machinery Productions Inc. will kick off the return of Not The Normal Shit (NTNS) internet radio on Friday, February 10th and will feature The Silence Bureau performing a brand new experimental ambient set.Also performing will be Controlled Dissonance and Mystahr. Catch it at http://radio.intelligentmachinery.net/ on Friday night beginning at 10PM.

2006-01-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

'To Name Is To Destroy' album coverPhoto by Jeff Fowler

Naming What is Destroyed: A Fan Responds

2006-01-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

From Mayan at The Auditorium, a music community message board:"wow!! friggin' great stuff. Whoa!! Inventive, intrusive and just plain billigerent goodness. I fuckin' love it!!"

New Album

2006-01-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

The Silence Bureau is pleased to announce its second album, 'To Name Is To Destroy'. Released by the online independent record label Intelligent Machinery Productions, the new album is an attempt to explore the ambiguities of meaning and definition through anti-music and aural experimentation.Read the Intelligent Machinery album decription:'To Name Is To Destroy' is an album title that belies

Towards the Dada

2006-01-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

It is time to destroy the hoaxes of reason and to discover an unreasoned order.

Virginia Beach Recordings

2006-01-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

Just finished transferring some recordings I made while at a conference in Virginia Beach from MiniDisc to .WAV format. Comfortably nestled in a computer file, this information can now be shared. An E.P.? Possible.There are seven full-length pieces and two shorter utility tracks (one drone and a repetitive synth pattern). I used a microKorg, an Alesis SR-16, and a Net MD Walkman MZ-N505. The

Talk Talk Talk

2006-01-03T10:56:00.000-05:00

The silence is deafening. No one wants to engage in conversation. Chit-chat it's called. Cut to the chase. Say what you need to and move on. Don't bother me. We live in a product-oriented culture, an environment focused on the thing. The individual is simply a cog, a tool, a part of the machinery used to produce or consume. Productivity and consumption is more important than humanity

What's in a Name?

2006-01-02T11:26:00.000-05:00

The Silence Bureau? What is that? Sounds vaguely official. Like a law enforcement operation. Or an Orwellian government agency. No. It's an experimental sound project (music?). Electronica? Noise? Ambient? I'll let you be the judge. Genres are for people who specialize in marketing products. The Silence Bureau, if anything, is not a product. It is not a company. It is not an organization. The