America: Freakout!!!

SKY SHIP

2010-01-16T15:49:00.000-05:00

My friend, former roommate, collaborator and fellow Philadelphian Matthew Stein has released some killer new electronic pop with his new band Sky Ship! Check it out on itunes here.

Grubby Little Hands

2009-11-21T12:46:00.002-05:00

My friends Grubby Little Hands have put out a great psychedelic pop album!

Quinten Collier on American SongSpace

2009-08-29T15:27:00.003-04:00

American Freakout's Quinten Collier won first place in the American Songwriter lyrics contest. Check out his song at the link above!

The Sex Life of a Polyp

2009-05-10T14:25:00.004-04:00

Saturday May 16th 7PM @ Living Solutions 49th & Walton Ave. West Philly!
Leni and guests will perform a 'Polyp' in celebration of American Freakout's second release, The Sex Life of a Polyp! Bring friends, booze and $$ for CDs!

BIJT MIJ

2009-03-04T23:36:00.003-05:00

Bijt Mij has a new song on myspace!!!!

Man of God

2009-02-01T11:41:00.001-05:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! -Leni

The Sex Life of a Polyp

2009-01-05T18:54:00.002-05:00

Listen to Precambrian Libido from Leni's new album The Sex Life of a Polyp. Check out the album page to download an mp3 version of the album and pay us what you think it is worth!

AF 10/08 mixtape

2008-10-20T23:16:00.001-04:00

A mostly instrumental electronic mixtape.

love of life orchestra - rafter -
flying lotus - max richter - hauschka -
of montreal - tape - nathan fake -
frank bretschneider - sten - growing -
nouns - high places

So...

2008-09-16T23:31:00.001-04:00

I got to listen to the long awaited new Gang Gang Dance album Saint Dymphna. My initial reaction is very positive. I've also been enjoying the new Growing album, so hats off to the people at the social registry.

I made some updates to the american freakout website.

I want to see this on friday.

Recent Activity

2008-09-14T19:57:00.001-04:00

Leni has finished recording a new ambient affair entitled "The Sex Life of a Polyp"
Origami Attic has moved to Philadelphia and has an album of freaky banjo dreams to share
We are also expecting great things from our friends Donnie and Brian's new work.. They've been making music together for years and I hear they are burning the midnight oil on their latest effort.

Check back soon...

story of leni - chapter 5

2008-09-01T18:35:00.001-04:00

AF 08/08 Mixtape

2008-08-13T23:11:00.001-04:00

the story of leni - chapter 4

2008-08-09T17:49:00.001-04:00

I recorded this last weekend. It fits within my most recent set of songs I am calling "the Polyps" which should materialize into an album before the year is over. Will this one make the cut or end up on the cutting room floor? "You decide!" (sorry Connie, I couldn't help myself)

Hannah's Ice Cream Social

2008-07-13T21:13:00.001-04:00

The story of leni will continue next week. This week American Freakout presents this freshly minted theme song! Just another example of our wide ranging potential and genre defying craft. Nate and Kevin, Great Job!

2008-07-06T17:50:00.001-04:00

The Story of Leni (cont.)

Check Out Chapter 3 - noisedance.mp3

Leni records just about every session and sometimes things get a little out of hand. Usually things start by picking a group of sounds to mess around with and laying down a few loops. Then he hits RECORD.

In this mp3 Leni experiments with blending feedback noise through effects layered on top of otherwise "danceable" sounds.

2008-06-29T14:26:00.000-04:00

Download: pourpose.mp3

This week's Leni mp3 dates from Nov. 2006. Leni had returned from Europe and was living in his step-mother's basement in the West End of Winston-Salem, NC. This track's noisy, heavy beat displays another aspect of Leni's multifaceted musical persona.

"Pourpoise" may have made it on a CD-r of jams from this era entitled "Do Not Touch" that was circulated to some friends. I will make this available on the American Freakout website at some point. ENJOY!

2008-06-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

Recently I was asked to write a bio of my "Leni" project. Here is what I came up with:

LENI is a Philadelphia-based sound artist also known as Kevin Lenihan. Leni began exploring layering sound while a college DJ at WXYC in Chapel Hill, NC. Then he acquired a sequencer and some effects and began to make his own experimental electronic music and collaborating with friends. Without a traditional musical background Leni takes influence from non-musical sources like photography as well as artists like Steve Reich, Brian Eno, Boards of Canada, Black Dice and Yellow Swans to name a few. In 2005 Leni’s song “Up and Over” was featured on a compilation for the Broken Fader Cartel record label. After a year of living, studying and soaking up experimental music in Europe, Kevin returned to the USA and moved to Philadelphia. 2007 brought the release of Leni’s first album Radical Party, a collage of electronica, ambient, and noise music. Currently Leni is working on a collection of improvised ambient pieces entitled “The Polyps”.

I know I'm not a great storyteller (or musician) and it is hard for me to look at my "work" objectively. I would rather let the music represent itself. So I decided to start posting an mp3 each Sunday in order to tell "The Story of Leni." I have music on my hard drive going back 4-5 years and prior to that there are boxes of cassette tapes. I record almost everything, so chances are every mp3 will not be a "song." I know that some tracks will be bad or embarrassing, I can't avoid the self-edit but I have nothing to hide. To me each file is a part of a whole which I am proud to have created.

In no particular order and with the original file names this is:

Chapter 1

This track was recorded in May of 2005, shortly after I acquired my E-mu XL-7 Command Station. Listen to this chillout beat while Leni messes around with pans and tempo controls!

2008-05-14T17:40:00.000-04:00

leni live!

This Friday May 16th leni will perform at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia as part of the Gate series. The Gate people have been hosting experimental and electronic music in Philadelphia since the late 90s, so we are feel honored and privileged to participate in this event.

leni will perform some new improvisational ambient material he has been working on under the code name "The Polyps." Our friend Hannah Ireland will be providing some visual pleasure. Expect things to be rather subdue, with some peaks, valleys and possible harsh noise. Don't expect to dance!

I hope to see all my Philadelphia friends there, remember it is FREE!

2008-04-29T23:43:00.000-04:00

Ok Boys and Girls To Perform at M Room

American Freakout's newest incarnation will debut at The Manhattan Room in Fishtown this Thursday May 1st. Most likely the performance will be crude yet heartfelt and amongst friends. Besides what strangers actually read this?? Future shows are in the works for Ok Boys and Girls so this will be a nice starting point. Come early and stay around for Josh Olmstead, Infinien and Triggers.

2008-04-20T22:38:00.000-04:00

Radical Party Press Release Part I

Hiss, hum, tone, TONE, static sonic boom punch in the face. The Radical Party has entered the race. Leni for prez. Dissolve the government like a dance beat fizzing into digital mind fucks. Bury your face in the American flag and choke on the tears, cover your ears. The Radical Party is LOUD!

WHATISHAPPENINGTOOURWORLDWHATAREYOUDOINGTOOURWORLD????

And softness, the static from a background television set behind a veil of blue silk.

The robot cries, we forget it’s just a machine. Leni turns knobs like a shattered heart beat whimpering through a Kaos pad. beat. beat. murmur. beat. beaout. beaoudfkft. beaferouafoojafltljfoj. murmur. SHOUUUUUUT! Stand up, Earth. Stand up and break it down. Anarchy. An archy. An arc hy. Rcyhana. Radical party.

2008-04-19T16:06:00.000-04:00

Ok Boys and Girls

Time to welcome ok boys and girls to American Freakout Records!!! Check out the myspace and if you're in Philly see them live at the M room on May 1st.

2008-02-17T11:46:00.001-05:00

Leni's Radical Party album art!!!

front

back

Original gocco prints by Ramsey Arnaoot !!! For information on getting a copy of your own contact americanfreakout@gmail.com . americanfreakout.com coming soon!!!

cheers!

2008-01-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

New Year, New Freakout!!!

So it has been awhile since the last post. And it doesn't appear that there has been much change, but oh how looks can be deceiving. Its 2008, the year of the American Freakout! So while everyone is priming for elections and Olympics in China and the next disaster, things will be happening here from this little room in Philadelphia.

So what's new? First off Radical Party is complete!!! The artwork is awesome (thanks so much Ramsey!) and as soon as I can get my hands on a scanner I'll share it with you. The official release has been pushed back a little in anticipation of the American Freakout Records website. There will be a release party somewhere in Philly, in the next month or two.

So what's the hold-up? Well for one the holidays saw me running back and forth from NC. I actually played a show in Winston-Salem at the studio on Brookstown Ave. with Acrobatics Macrocosm. Thanks to Andy and the guys from Autopassion, I plugged into their huge bass cabinet and made some loud noise. My good friend Joshua stepped in and added some vocals and that collaboration may be the next act in the American Freakout stable (josh move to philly).

OK OK, so? Well then I came back to Philadelphia and moved across town to my new spot in West Philadelphia. Which provides me with this small room, my office, which will faciliate me getting down to business. The business of Freaking OUT! No more excuses! No more complaining!

2007-10-24T21:35:00.000-04:00

News and what not...

Ladybug Window Party premiered last night at the Khyber. The overall response was very enthusiastic. Not bad considering we had some equipment trouble and last minute personnel problems. There will be more shows in the near future (and updates here).

American Freakout's inaugural release leni's Radical Party is nearing fruition! I hope to have some great artwork from Ramsey Arnaoot very soon.

The official American Freakout Records website is also in the works and I hope to debut that along with Radical Party.

In the meantime check out my latest mix at my good friend Brendan's blog: The Alchemist Weekly

cheers!!

2007-09-12T18:03:00.000-04:00

Ladybug Window Party!!!

Check out the new song by American Freakout's latest addition: Ladybug Window Party - Philadelphia

If this song is any indication of things to come, you should be hearing a lot more about this group in the near future.

2007-09-03T12:35:00.000-04:00

Watermelon is Here

Work has begun in the studio for the ever-mobile Watermelon. A few tracks have already been laid down and they sound great. We will work on more this week so look out for a Watermelon EP in the near future. We're hope to finish the album this winter (he's got some more travels ahead of him) and the full length, tentatively named Are You a Changling? out next spring.

2007-07-10T23:37:00.000-04:00

Technicolor Hell

While I'm still new to Philadelphia and have yet to discover all the interesting sounds that this city has to offer, I do feel lucky to have found a thriving scene for harsh electronic noise. These guys, playing with feedback and distortion running through all kinds of effects (sometimes homemade or modified), obliterate the boundaries of "music" taking noise and making art. Since I picked up a copy a couple weeks back at the release party for the noise compilation Technicolor Hell I've given it few listens and have been more satisfied with each listen (which to me means its good). If this type of music appeals to you at all I recommend you should order a copy now. And to seal the deal the art work/packaging is freaking awesome!

2007-07-01T19:03:00.001-04:00

RADIO KL

I have made some mixes and put them up on my website. So go ahead and download and enjoy!

RadioKL part I- music by: Dan Deacon, Alex Delivery, Andrew Bird, Cornelius, Deerhunter, the Modern Lovers, the Skygreen Leopards, Minutemen, Big Audio Dynamite, the Apples in Stereo, Andrew WK, the White Stripes, Shogun Kunitoki, Ellen Allien, LCD Soundsystem, the Blow, and J Dilla

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD RADIOKL PART I

RadioKL part II- this one I made in June and is dedicated to Synth Pop! Artists on this mix include: Gary Numan, Talk Talk, The Human League, OMD, A Flock Of Seagulls, Yaz, Howard Jones, Soft Cell, Bronski Beat, Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, ABC, Duran Duran, Heaven 17, Depeche Mode, Devo, Naked Eyes, Men Without Hats, and Ultravox

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD RADIOKL PART II

2007-05-21T17:13:00.000-04:00

PRAISE

First off I want to thank Dan Deacon for his awesome show in Philly in a couple weeks back and for his great new album Spiderman of the Rings. Here is a photo I made at the show (let's also thank the people at the Avant Gentlemen's Lodge)...

I also want to thank the band Gang Gang Dance for their awesome new freakout DVD Retina Riddim!!! I think everyone should watch this and go out and see GGD live because they are one of the best bands making music today. I can't wait to hear their new album...

2007-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

I'll try to keep you updated about all things dealing with American Freakout and some of my other projects, as well as random musings and things related to my new home in Philadelphia.

Right now I'm working on the CD release of Leni's first album Radical Party which was recorded last year while I was living in the Netherlands. It was originally intended for a cassette release (don't ask why) and may still make it in that format one day, but for now I am working on homemade CD sleeves for a very limited CD release.

I've also been busy on a series of Mail Art projects. Inspired by my friend Josh, I've decided to follow through on our desire to "redefine junk mail." So far I've been mailing random 'post-junk' to my friends, but anyone interested in joining the mailing list is welcome!