About Us

Wow Cool is a studio and label based in Cupertino, California. Artists include: Marc Arsenault, Brown Cuts Neighbors, Steven Cerio, evidence, Simon Gane, God Hates Computers, nickname: Rebel, and Offset Needle Radius.

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Get NEWAVE!

NEWAVE Newave! is a 892 page monster collection of 80's minicomix. Art by Marc Arsenault, Sam Henderson, Ion, Wayno and scores of others. Available Right Now!
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Past Blasts

Scott Smallwood - Solar Trashfence Phone

1 weekend, 1 thrift store toy, 1 Arduino, and 1 obsessed geek.
Scott is one half of Evidence, Brown Cuts Neighbors’ former steel pan player and the original drummer/co-conspirator in nickname: Rebel.

Go Read: Lady Starlight Interview

Brown Cuts Neighbors co-founder Colleen Martin – Lady Starlight talks to ClubPlanet about her NYC nightlife history, working with Lady Gaga and her unacceptable fashion choices.

Go Bookmark: homemade musical instruments

During at least the last two February’s, Ranjit Bhatnagar has built and blogged an instrument a day for the whole month. Ranjit works with interactive and sound installations, with scanner photography, and with internet-based collaborative art; and, he has been maintaining his personal web site moonmilk.com in one form or another since 1993.

The moonmilk [...]

nickname: Rebel Gear Blog 1: Gemini MPX-30

The Gemini MPX-30 is a Cheap (typically under 200USD), versatile and somewhat reliable CD turntable with effects, cues, loops, etc. It has been a standby item in my house party DJ rig and a favorite tool for Hallowe’en mixes since my brother in law left it at my house over three years ago. It’s since [...]

Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear

This is the one book about sound you must read this year. I’ve been waiting for something like this for years and for this book since July. Steve Goodman, better known to the world as Kode9 of Hyperdub Records, delves into how sound has been used by government and industry to manipulate and control people.
Description [...]

No Pigeonholes Wow Cool Special

I was invited to be a special guest on Don Campau’s excellent No Pigeonholes show at KKUP 91.5 FM’s new studios in San Jose on Sunday, December 13th, 2009. We breezed through 20 years of the Wow Cool label in two hours; and, featured at least a dozen tracks: from the first Wow Cool cassette [...]

Atlantic Drone New LP Out Now

It’s official! The second LP from Atlantic Drone: A Vivified Sugar Cube Explains the Universe is out now on beautiful 12 inch vinyl. Masterminded by Steven Cerio and featuring Brown Cuts Neighbors’ Jason Martin and Bryan Kieser. Get yours today from Circadia Records. You can also download from iTunes (Cheap! Just $7.92)

ATLANTIC DRONE was founded [...]

SF MusicTech Summit Report

Still absorbing everything from the latest SF MusicTech Summit, this past Monday. This is my second one, and they have been great experiences. For those who have no idea what the hell I’m talking about, here’s the description from their website:

The SF MusicTech Summit brings together visionaries in the music/technology space, along with the best [...]

Jason Martin - Two Times!

The esteemed Mister Jason Martin of Brown Cuts Neighbors and Evolution Revolution fame – the wolfman hisself – is making two rare public appearances in the next few days. Be sure to visit him at the NYU MFA Open Studios on Friday at the Barney Building and DO NOT MISS the big event! Jason will [...]

Crossfire Holloween Massacre 2009 with DJ Lady Starlight

I’m assuming that’s some new multitouch interface that she’s working on the brick wall. Crazy party. Half-pipe, Metal, Public Enemy, Zombies, the usual. Good stuff. I like this video.
Lady Starlight’s Rock N Roll High School is still the best blog in existence.
Get on the Starlight MySpaceship.
Blood, Guts and Glory, This party had it [...]

Missed it: Tristan Shone Profiled by MAKE

I got to meet Tristan Shone AKA Author & Punisher this May at Maker Faire and again at SubZero in San Jose. He is one of the few sound artists I’ve encountered who is doing something that is both totally unique and sounds completely awesome. MAKE did a profile on Tristan and you really should [...]

New Atlantic Drone LP Available to Order + Release Show

Details have emerged about the new release by Atlantic Drone on the brand new Circadia Records out of Chicago. Atlantic Drone’s A Vivified Sugar Cube Explains the Universe will be issued in an edition of 500 (250 white and 250 black) on 180g vinyl. Each record also includes a signed and numbered, 11″ x 11″, [...]

New Steven Cerio Print Previewed

This is freaking hot. Exclusive run of 500 copies to be included with the forthcoming Atlantic Drone LP A Vivified Sugar Cube Explains the Universe, the debut release by Circadia Records. Atlantic Drone is Steven Cerio’s psychedelic brainchild, and this new release includes contributions from Jason Martin, Sal Canzonieri, Dave Rick, JD King and many [...]

fognozzle – In the Stomachs of Fleas video

fognozzle and Erling Wold
Mark Alburger conducting the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra
We, that is, fognozzle and Erling Wold, present for you a tale of fear, horror, xenophobia, political posturing and denial, all contained within a musical program piece of sorts, a savage delight for the senses and an allegory for today, this and that and [...]

Music! That's What I'm Talking About! Music!

Oh crap, I broke a cardinal blog rule with a headline that doesn’t describe the contents of the post well at all! Fuck!
nickname: Rebel seems to have a lovely new stereo recorder thingee in the gear case now, so we have a fine bunch of recordings from recent practice sessions. Here’s the first of four [...]

CALMS LIVE! at El Rincon San Francisco

Two songs from Nick Carpenter and Michael Keegan AKA CALMS. Nick and Mike also step out in nickname: Rebel. This video, like the Lightning Bolt one from last week, was shot and edited in HD.
Recorded July 28, 2009 at El Rincon on 16th Street, San Francisco, CA. Ratskin Explastical Monthly #13. The show also [...]

New Atlantic Drone LP & Steven Cerio Interview

“A Vivified Sugar Cube Explains The Universe”, the second LP by Steven Cerio’s group Atlantic Drone, coming out soon as the debut release on Chicago label, Circadia Records. T-shirts too! Jason Martin helped out.
Interview with Steven Cerio about the record | Atlantic Drone on Noiseville | Atlantic Drone MySpaceship

The Living Archive of Underground Music

It’s amazing what you can find that you never knew was right in your own backyard. In this case there’s so much of it, it’s hard to know where to start. I was steered towards The Living Archive of Underground Music page by Pete from San Francisco noise act fognozzle (a group we originally co-founded [...]

Go See Offset Needle Radius at Frantasia 2009

Scientific Maps E.P. Release Party in Albany, NY

Scientific Maps are inviting you to celebrate the release of their new 7 song e.p., ‘Galvanic Wizardry’ on the B3nson Recording Company label. The e.p. was recorded late last year in the now defunct Bowling Alley Recording Studio by Aaron Smith (absent nickname: Rebel drum wizard) with some help from good friends. Cover art presumed [...]