Resonance Arts: Derek Worthington’s Disaster Taxa & Ratchet

Derek Worthington’s Disaster Taxa

Composer/improviser/electronic musician Derek Worthington recently relocated to Chicago from SE Michigan. His mission for the past several years has been incorporating polytempic structures into experimental jazz. His “Lossy Codecs” system for directed improvisation explores unique modes of information transfer, applying methods and aesthetics of electronic music to acoustic group improvisation. His focus on collaborative projects has led to the creation of numerous leaderless ensembles, including electroacoustic improvising duo Worthlis and free jazz/grunge/Americana quartet The Great Collapsing Hrung. Worthington has presented original work around the United States and internationally, in cities including New York, D.C., Rio de Janeiro, Zurich, and Berlin.

Program notes: Disaster Taxa is a polytempic suite of 21 miniatures for sextet, combining experimental jazz and free improvisation with multiple independent, simultaneous tempo streams (ala Conlon Nancarrow). Familiar concepts of pulse and harmony are placed into unexpected relationships with each other, creating music both evocative and alien. Live performance is enabled by networked software that serves as an animated ‘conductor’ for each part and keeps all the tempo relationships accurate. Disaster Taxa was composed by Derek Worthington, and is performed by the new sextet Pulse Width Modulation, featuring Matt Riggen, Aaron Kaufman-Levine, Luc Mosley, Julian Quall, Daniel Thatcher, and Adam Shead.

Ratchet

This Chicago-based ensemble brings together four innovative musicians—Jeff Chan (woodwinds), Michael Perkins (keyboards), Chad Clark (guitar), and Ausberto Acevedo (bass)—each contributing a distinct voice to a collective sound rooted in improvisation, experimentation, and genre-defying creativity. In addition to their collaboration as musicians, these four also are the founding members of Resonance Arts, a not for profit venture seeking to provide a forum for the great jazz and improvised, new music, and experimental electronic music being made in Chicago. 

Jeff Chan is a saxophonist and composer whose work is deeply intertwined with the Asian American Creative Music Movement. Originally from California, he relocated to Chicago in 2002, where he became active in the city’s vibrant jazz and experimental scenes.

Michael Perkins, also known by his moniker Mr. 666, is a multifaceted musician and composer active in Chicago’s punk, electronic, and jazz scenes since the late 1990s. His solo project, Mr. 666, showcases his affinity for analog synthesizers and dark electronic textures.

Chad Clark is a Chicago-based guitarist whose approach to the instrument emphasizes its physical properties and sonic possibilities. His playing explores the textures and vibrations of the guitar, creating immersive soundscapes that challenge traditional notions of melody and rhythm.

Ausberto Acevedo is an experimental bassist, composer, improviser, and educator based in Evanston, Illinois. He has performed and recorded with a diverse array of musicians, in a variety of contexts. Acevedo’s work spans genres from classical to jazz to freely improvised music.

Together, these four artists form a dynamic ensemble that blends their diverse backgrounds and influences into a cohesive and exploratory sound.