Z'EV facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Z'EV
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Z'EV in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stefan Joel Weisser |
| Born | February 8, 1951 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 16, 2017 (aged 66) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Industrial |
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| Years active | 1966–2017 |
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Z'EV, whose real name was Stefan Joel Weisser, was an American artist. He was born on February 8, 1951, and passed away on December 16, 2017. He was known for his poetry, playing percussion, and creating unique sounds.
After studying music from different cultures around the world at a school called CalArts, he started making his own percussion sounds. He used everyday industrial materials for his music. Many people see him as a pioneer, or one of the first important artists, in industrial music.
Z'EV was a big part of the music scene in New York City during the 1980s and 1990s. He performed with other famous musicians like Elliott Sharp and Glenn Branca. He also did solo shows at places where new and experimental music was popular.
His work with words and sounds was inspired by Kabbalah, which is a type of Jewish mysticism. He also drew ideas from African, Afro-Caribbean, and Indonesian music and culture. He studied different music styles like Ewe music, Balinese gamelan, and Indian tala.
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Z'EV's Early Life and Music Journey
From 1959 to 1965, Z'EV learned to play the drums with several teachers. These teachers included Arnie Frank, Chuck Flores, and Art Anton. He took lessons at a place called Drum City in Van Nuys, California.
In 1963, he started exploring different world religions and spiritual systems. This became a lifelong interest for him.
From 1966 to 1969, he played in a jazz rock band. His bandmates were Carl Stone and James Stewart. After trying out for Frank Zappa's Bizarre Records, the band stopped playing together. Both Z'EV and Carl Stone then went to the California Institute of the Arts.
After studying at CalArts from 1969 to 1970, he began making art under the name S. Weisser. He mostly focused on visual and sound poetry. This meant he created art using words and sounds in new ways.
Developing a Unique Sound
In 1975, Z'EV's work was shown in an art exhibit in San Francisco. He also joined a music project called Cellar-M. He continued to work with Naut Humon, the leader of Cellar-M, on other projects until 1988.
In 1976, he moved to the Bay Area. One main reason for this move was to work with La Mamelle, Inc./Art Com. This was an art space in San Francisco run by Carl Loeffler and Nancy Evans.
In 1977, Z'EV performed his first solo percussion show at La Mamelle. He called this project 'Sound of Wind and Limb'.
In 1978, he started creating his own special way of performing. He used instruments he made himself. These instruments were built from industrial materials. This included things like stainless steel, titanium, and PVC plastics.
At first, these instruments were put together from different materials. He used them with a performance style that involved a lot of movement. He later called this style 'wild-style'. This term was first used for a type of graffiti art. Around this time, he began performing outside of art galleries. His first shows were at places like the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco.
In the fall of 1978, he started performing under the name Z'EV. This name came from the Hebrew name his parents gave him when he was born.
Touring and Collaborations
In late 1980, Z'EV opened for the British band Bauhaus on their first big tour in the UK and Europe. On that tour, and his own solo tour right after, Z'EV showed audiences his intense metal percussion music. A music critic named Jason Pettigrew said that Z'EV was one of the first to use metal found objects as percussion. He wrote, "Consider your music collection. Neubauten? Test Department? Z'EV's been there first."
In 1981, a video called 'Shake Rattle & Roll' was released. It showed his first 'wild-style' performance on the East Coast. This was one of the first music/art videos ever sold. In 1982, he worked with Glenn Branca on his Symphony No. 2. Z'EV had a solo part where he swung a metal can over his head. He also rattled chains and sheets of steel.
After 1984, he focused on playing in a more traditional percussion style. However, he still used very unique and "extended" techniques. He also used instruments he made or changed himself. Z'EV didn't actually think of his results as "music." He saw them more as organized sounds of highly rhythmic noise.
From 1986 to 1990, he was a guest teacher in Amsterdam. He taught composition and improvisation at a dance school. He helped a group of students through their entire four-year course.
In 1990, he started working with DJ Dano, a house music artist from Amsterdam. Z'EV's recordings have been released by many different record labels. These include C.I.P., Cold Spring, Die Stadt, Soleilmoon, Tzadik Records, Subterranean, and Touch.
Later Life and Passing
Z'EV was hurt in a train accident in Kansas on March 14, 2016. After this accident, he continued to have health problems. However, he kept working on his art. He stayed with his friend Boyd Rice in Southern California for three months. After that, Z'EV traveled to Europe. He was an artist in residence at a sound lab in Porto, Portugal. There, he built many new percussion instruments.
He passed away on December 16, 2017, in Chicago. His death was caused by pulmonary failure, which means his lungs stopped working properly.
Published Works
- Wheels On Fire #'s 1 And 2
- Rhythmajik, Practical Uses of Number, Rhythm and Sound
- Face the Wound
- The Sapphire Nature
