Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 17 minutes ago
On the evening of Sunday, August 30 we proudly presented avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Danny Kamins (HOU), a duo between dark ambient/experimental electronic musician David Reed (CMH) and multi-instrumentalist Chris Weldon (CMH), and the Craft/Sherrick/Kunkler improv trio (CMH). In addition to a short solo set, Danny engaged in an improvisational set with Julie Licata, Caleb Miller, and Nick Weckman.
About the artists:
Troy began playing percussion in middle school band. He went on to study music at Ohio University, where he studied classical percussion with Roger Braun and Joseph VanHassel and drum set with Guy Remonko. In college, Troy participated in as many ensembles as possible and was known for borrowing large stacks of scores from the library to read through. Since college, Troy has played, toured, and recorded with a variety of bands and ensembles on drum set, bass, and vibraphone. Some past projects include: Radarhill, Mosses, and a rock opera written by local composer Nick Weckman about worms taking over the planet entitled “Worms Rise Up”. Currently, Troy plays drums with October Ember, The Francis Bacon Band, guitarist Mike Sopko, bass with Marvin The Robot, and drums and vibraphone as a soloist, bandleader and freelancer. As an instructor, Troy has taught students of all ages and loves to help people find joy playing music and develop their unique sound based on their interests and influences. Outside of music, Troy enjoys being outdoors, running, tennis, card games, and movies.
Drew Sherrick is a musician based in Columbus, OH. He mostly plays strings and electronics. He performs solo, as well as with Collector Of Dust, Crone of the Wildwood, Funque Concrète, JNCO, Zack Kouns’ Insatiable Orchestra, Orch, Snake Man!, and others.
Dylan Craft is a local musician and student based in the Columbus, Ohio area who plays multiple instruments including saxophone, drums, guitar, and piano.
On the evening of Sunday, August 30 we proudly presented avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Danny Kamins (HOU), a duo between dark ambient/experimental electronic musician David Reed (CMH) and multi-instrumentalist Chris Weldon (CMH), and the Craft/Sherrick/Kunkler improv trio (CMH). In addition to a short solo set, Danny engaged in an improvisational set with Julie Licata, Caleb Miller, and Nick Weckman.
About the artists:
Troy began playing percussion in middle school band. He went on to study music at Ohio University, where he studied classical percussion with Roger Braun and Joseph VanHassel and drum set with Guy Remonko. In college, Troy participated in as many ensembles as possible and was known for borrowing large stacks of scores from the library to read through. Since college, Troy has played, toured, and recorded with a variety of bands and ensembles on drum set, bass, and vibraphone. Some past projects include: Radarhill, Mosses, and a rock opera written by local composer Nick Weckman about worms taking over the planet entitled “Worms Rise Up”. Currently, Troy plays drums with October Ember, The Francis Bacon Band, guitarist Mike Sopko, bass with Marvin The Robot, and drums and vibraphone as a soloist, bandleader and freelancer. As an instructor, Troy has taught students of all ages and loves to help people find joy playing music and develop their unique sound based on their interests and influences. Outside of music, Troy enjoys being outdoors, running, tennis, card games, and movies.
Drew Sherrick is a musician based in Columbus, OH. He mostly plays strings and electronics. He performs solo, as well as with Collector Of Dust, Crone of the Wildwood, Funque Concrète, JNCO, Zack Kouns’ Insatiable Orchestra, Orch, Snake Man!, and others.
Dylan Craft is a local musician and student based in the Columbus, Ohio area who plays multiple instruments including saxophone, drums, guitar, and piano.

![Cassette Culture Celebration: Hal McGee + Skull Vacuum
On Saturday, July 22 2023 we proudly hosted our first ever Cassette Culture Celebration microfestival at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. This event celebrated Cassette Culture and the spirit of DIY from the early 1980’s and beyond, included a who’s who of DIY cassette culture and noise, and was organized by Columbus music historian Jeff Chenault.
Jeff kicked off the festival with a seminar on the history of Columbus electronic music, titled Attack and Decay: The History of Columbus Electronic Music. Festival performers included Chris Phinney (Harsh Reality Music, Mental Anguish), Hal McGee, certified guru of HalTapes and multiple other labels, Jeff Chenault (ITN/Exoteque Music), Knox Mitchell (Green Tapes, Easy Listening), Gates of Janus (Detroit), Envenomist (Columbus), Full Load of King (Cuyahoga Falls), with a special surprise appearance by Michael Thomas Jackson (Winston-Salem, NC).
In addition, Jerry Kranitz, author of the book Cassette Culture – Homemade Music and the Creative Spirit in the Pre-Internet-Age lead a panel discussion and Q&A with Hal, Chris, and Jeff. During the performances and presentations, we also screened two films, which ran continuously throughout the day: The Great American Cassette Masters by William Davenport and Grindstone Redux by Andrew Szava-Kovats. To top everything off, vendors sold cassettes, books, and other cassette culture memorabilia. along with displays of vintage tapes and artwork by the festival performers.
Video credits: Rachel Rew Wagner.
About Hal McGee: Hal is an American experimental artist and producer who has been active since 1981. With Debbie Jaffe, McGee operated the Cause And Effect cassette label and distributor in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the mid-1980s, McGee recorded works as a member of Viscera, solo as Dog As Master, and in collaboration with If, Bwana and JABON.
McGee moved to Florida in 1988, where he operated the Electronic Cottage label out of Gainesville, FL, simultaneously with an Electronic Cottage Magazine into the 1990s. This was restarted as an online zine and community in April 2018.
In the mid to late 1990s, McGee released dozens of cassettes of homemade experimental music, solo and in collaboration with Jeph Jerman, Brian Noring (EHI), Big City Orchestra, Emil Hagstrom (Cock E.S.P.), Charles Rice Goff III and others. He also produced a series of Tape Heads cassette compilations on his own HalTapes label.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s Hal McGee started releasing homemade CDr albums. During this time he collaborated heavily with Brian Noring of the FDR Tapes, in person and via mail collaboration, and with his long-time partner Chris Phinney. In 2006, with the encouragement of Andrew Chadwick and Christopher Miller (2), McGee began performing live for the first time since 1987, joining the ranks of Floridas live noise/experimental music scene. From 2014 to 2015 Hal operated a new label, Kassette Kult Tapes, and has contributed to Exit (16). He continues to release music on the [lHalTapes] label.
Since 2008 Hal has hosted a numbered series of live performances from his apartment called Apartment Music. Attendance is limited mostly to participants but documentation is posted on his YouTube channel, and some live audio recordings have been released.
About Skull Vacuum: Skull Vacuum is a collaborative project between Chris Phinney and Jeff Central Chenault - see: https://harshrealitymusic.bandcamp.com/album/a-chris-phinney-tribute-concert-by-jeff-central Cassette Culture Celebration: Hal McGee + Skull Vacuum](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D9Vypa1OscA/mqdefault.jpg)

![Cassette Culture Celebration: Hal McGee
On Saturday, July 22 2023 we proudly hosted our first ever Cassette Culture Celebration microfestival at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. This event celebrated Cassette Culture and the spirit of DIY from the early 1980’s and beyond, included a who’s who of DIY cassette culture and noise, and was organized by Columbus music historian Jeff Chenault.
Jeff kicked off the festival with a seminar on the history of Columbus electronic music, titled Attack and Decay: The History of Columbus Electronic Music. Festival performers included Chris Phinney (Harsh Reality Music, Mental Anguish), Hal McGee, certified guru of HalTapes and multiple other labels, Jeff Chenault (ITN/Exoteque Music), Knox Mitchell (Green Tapes, Easy Listening), Gates of Janus (Detroit), Envenomist (Columbus), Full Load of King (Cuyahoga Falls), with a special surprise appearance by Michael Thomas Jackson (Winston-Salem, NC).
In addition, Jerry Kranitz, author of the book Cassette Culture – Homemade Music and the Creative Spirit in the Pre-Internet-Age lead a panel discussion and Q&A with Hal, Chris, and Jeff. During the performances and presentations, we also screened two films, which ran continuously throughout the day: The Great American Cassette Masters by William Davenport and Grindstone Redux by Andrew Szava-Kovats. To top everything off, vendors sold cassettes, books, and other cassette culture memorabilia. along with displays of vintage tapes and artwork by the festival performers.
Video credits: Rachel Rew Wagner.
About Hal McGee: Hal is an American experimental artist and producer who has been active since 1981. With Debbie Jaffe, McGee operated the Cause And Effect cassette label and distributor in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the mid-1980s, McGee recorded works as a member of Viscera, solo as Dog As Master, and in collaboration with If, Bwana and JABON.
McGee moved to Florida in 1988, where he operated the Electronic Cottage label out of Gainesville, FL, simultaneously with an Electronic Cottage Magazine into the 1990s. This was restarted as an online zine and community in April 2018.
In the mid to late 1990s, McGee released dozens of cassettes of homemade experimental music, solo and in collaboration with Jeph Jerman, Brian Noring (EHI), Big City Orchestra, Emil Hagstrom (Cock E.S.P.), Charles Rice Goff III and others. He also produced a series of Tape Heads cassette compilations on his own HalTapes label.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s Hal McGee started releasing homemade CDr albums. During this time he collaborated heavily with Brian Noring of the FDR Tapes, in person and via mail collaboration, and with his long-time partner Chris Phinney. In 2006, with the encouragement of Andrew Chadwick and Christopher Miller (2), McGee began performing live for the first time since 1987, joining the ranks of Floridas live noise/experimental music scene. From 2014 to 2015 Hal operated a new label, Kassette Kult Tapes, and has contributed to Exit (16). He continues to release music on the [lHalTapes] label. Cassette Culture Celebration: Hal McGee](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Db_yY4Dp1xU/mqdefault.jpg)






