matt guggemos
nathaniel hawkes
rob pumpelly
wally scharold
jamison smeltz
carolyn walter
creative consultant: jarred mcadams
past/honorary members:
dickie ogden
aram shelton
matt lebofsky
matt guggemos
dave reminick
keith kelly
ben doitel
phil halseth
hudson berry
mark bartscher
brian chase
matt mueller
bill wolter
rob reich
jon brooks
patrick kelly
mark speer
jordon blackwell
martin simmons
and many others
Influences
Albert Marcoeur
Albert Ayler
Anton Webern
Fred Frith
Meshuggah
Milford Graves
Henri Dutilleux
Anthony Braxton
Slayer
Henry Threadgill
Muhal Richard Abrams
Igor Stravisnky
Samuel Barber
Iannis Xenakis
Tatsuya Yoshida
Frank Zappa
Again a band that comes out of nowhere. These kinds of surprises are reason enough to keep looking for new discoveries. They are out there - I want to believe.
miRthkon, under the lead of guitarist Wally Scharold, bombards the interested listener with a happy mix of well done, off-beat, aggressive and dry guitar riffs with complex, unusual compositions which are decorated with seemingly labyrinthine woodwind lines (mostly saxophones, but also clarinets) - it's a true joy. Sometimes it sounds like a less hectic and less traversed version of Dr. Nerve, sometimes one can hear through the twisted melody lines the good old, late Frank Zappa (although updated with very heavy guitars), especially in the melodic, polyphonic, and playful 'Daddylonglegz'. German listeners will be reminded of the more off-beat moments of Panzerballet, where the funkiness and more offensive jazziness are replaced with reminiscences of the RIO school (a bit of jazz rock is present here and there with miRthkon, although with more edge and sneer).
It sounds weird, and it is. But still it is not repelling or cold, but to the contrary through a casually ironic style and the fresh combination of diverse musical elements are quite attractive and despite all the musical roughness it is not harsh. Fine, very fine.
The biggest flaw of 'The Illusion of Joy" is the fact that this EP plays pretty short (it is, by the way, offered in a very nice DigiPak, and the price is lowered too). Should this EP sell well miRthkon has announced that they will again publish earlier out-of-print recordings (those are, however, more solo projects of Scharold and less a product of the band). I really hope this is going to happen. Even more I wish they would work on a real LP of the present band because their music is most exciting. More of this!!!
Use the Flash Player below to listen to our most recent show!
LIVE at Hotel Utah 02.08.2007
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CD RELEASE!
The Official miRthkon kwik-e-mart is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW TO BUY OUR DEBUT CD!
Start your miRthkon TODAY!
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Our EP is also available from the following fine outlets:
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GREETINGS
you who find yourself fortunate enough to have found our nation's foremost purveyors of joyful illusion, provided for the first time in all of its most pleasing forms.
LEARN who miRthkon are and what they do.
JUDGE the gamut of miRthkon's aesthetics for yourself and share your conclusions with others.
PROFIT from the exploitation of miRthkon's heretofore unexploited talents.
Each and every piece of information contained in this document is guaranteed to ENRICH & MULTIPLY the consumer's devotion to the gradual attainment of GREATNESS.
In such harrowing times as these, we must take pause to reflect on the smaller things: the countless trifles which fill our pockets and our days, which we have woven into an elaborate veil through which we seek our joy.
As these trifles become ever more numerous and specialized, their abundance increases at a rate inversely proportional to their material significance. Consequently, the consumer is faced with an insurmountably daunting array of enticing distractions.
There is nothing we value more than your hard earned dollars. Therefore we have spared no expense in mining the finest gems of heretofore undiscovered aesthetic phenomena, shaping them into riveting sensory encounters with which to further facilitate the obfuscation of your reality. These edifices of stultifying amusement have been forged with the utmost care and are guaranteed to provide hours of mirthful diversion.
Start your miRthkon TODAY!
Upon activation, the consumer will find him or herself confronted by sounds so bold as to ask the most far-reaching of musical questions:
What do sax soli lines sound like over raging odd-meter metal grooves?
What is it that makes a bass clarinet sound so evil?
Can complexity be catchy?
Why are round things so boring?
Will tweaked-out atonal jazz thrash be THE NEXT BIG THING?
Your CD is dangerous : I can't stop to listen to it, and the more I eat it by the ears, the more I want it in the head, the more I need it in my blood.... miRthkon, it's forbidden to sell some so strong stuff !!!!
Dear Mirthkon Company, I’m writing to say how thoroughly pleased I am with my new Mirthkon Vehicle. Your sales team’s performance at the Knitting Factory was worth the wait and the level of which you successfully “seemed to care” more than met this customer’s expectations. Of the similar products purchased, yours is easily my favorite of ’09. So thank you for the fine effort, chat, & product. I’m officially a fan for life short of you going country. Please inform your parts department that an XL non-black T-shirt is much desired. Thanks again.
Hello, how are you doing? I am doing good. I just wanted to say welcome to my page!! I hope to hear from you once and a while!! Have a good rest of the week!!!
Ok. Much thanks for the explanation. I am eagerly awaiting this disc. Illusion of Joy was killer! Just wondering...do you guys know of Panzerballett, and what do you think of them, if you do? I draw parallels between you two, and believe me, that is a very good thing. Best George
Hi there:) SCHTÖLEN eventually has a new track: "I'm Goin' Crazee (on the Beach)"
Be welcome to visit SCHTÖLEN's myspace and listen to this masterpiece! (or piece of crap ... that's up to you) Soon a remix by Marcus M allso will be avaliable.
Online Now!
