James Plotkin: Well known within circles of guitar experimentalists, James Plotkin gained recognition in the late 80's for pushing the sonic limits of guitar in extreme forms of metal. Recent days have him returning full circle to the absurd extremeties in music with which he began. He has been lucky enough to work with Michael Gira, Mick Harris, Ikue Mori, and John Zorn among others, and has been an integral part of groups including Scorn, Old, Khanate, Phantomsmasher, and Death Ambient. The Lickerish Quartet: Carlos Giffoni, Alan Licht, Ikue Mori & Zeena Parkins: Birchville Cat Motel & Lee Ranaldo: Birchville Cat Motel is the music of New Zealander Campbell Kneale. Moved among other things by '60s minimalism, musicologial field recordings, religious music, doom metal, and Appalachian music, and crafting his ecstatic blur-scapes from delicately caressed pieces of electronic junk, Birchville Cat Motel has gained international recognition as one the bright shining lights of 'drone-music'. "If each sound is cantankerous, put together the results are incredibly evocative," The Wire.