Sound & Chaos: The Story of BC Studio, White Hills, Bob Bert (Sonic Youth), Algis Kizys (ex-Swans)

For over 30 years, Martin Bisi has recorded music from his studio in Brooklyn's Gowanus neighborhood. After a chance New York encounter, the studio was founded with money from Brian Eno, who subsequently worked on the album On Land there.

Working with Bill Laswell and the band Material, Bisi recorded Herbie Hancock's hit Rockit in this underground space. This was the first mainstream, popular song to feature a DJ and a turntable, utilizing 'scratching'. Following that success, Bisi worked with many other influential musicians there, including Sonic Youth, Swans, Angels of Light, John Zorn, Foetus and the Dresden Dolls. He has recorded across many genres, from experimental music, to hip hop and indie rock in the old factory building by the contaminated Gowanus Canal.

However, the future of the recording studio is in question as it is squeezed in by the encroaching gentrification of the neighborhood. A new, massive Whole Foods supermarket across the street is the latest addition to this once out-of-the-way area, that Bisi fears will increase property values to the point of pushing out long-time renters and artists like himself.

Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio includes interviews with musicians such as Michael Gira of Swans, Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls, Bob Bert, who played on Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising, Bill Laswell of Material, JG Thirlwell aka Foetus, Grand Mixer DXT, Jim Coleman of Cop Shoot Cop and Michael Holman of Gray (with Jean-Michel Basquiat) and creator of famed 1984 hip-hop TV pilot Graffiti Rock.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS:

Ryan C. Douglass (co-director) grew up in the cave filled fields and Indian graveyards outside of Austin, TX. Currently, he spends his time in Los Angeles working as a video editor amidst a world of comic book heroes and indie rock songs. This is his first feature film.

Sara Leavitt (co-director) is a staff editor at Pilot, a television production company located in New York City. She previously edited the award-winning feature documentary, Vegucated and worked at networks including IFC, mtvU and NJN Public Television. As an assistant editor, she worked on a variety of reality shows and documentaries for A&E, National Geographic, the Travel Channel and TLC. She has a degree in Film and Television production from NYU and lives in Brooklyn. This is her first feature film.


Musically, H-p1, White Hills second full-length for Thrill Jockey, expands on the explorations of previous albums in ambience, noise, and space rock all led by guitarist Dave W.’s blistering guitar solos. This is the most fully realized White Hills album to date and the one that takes them furthest from their pure space rock roots. It is also their most angry record. It is a reaction to what White Hills sees as government co-opted and controlled by corporations.

"A perfect space-rock storm of drone, mind-melting psychedelia, overdriven guitars and heavy bass, White Hills is the rightful heir to Hawkwind's massive legacy." – Goldmine

"Heads On Fire throws down grungy distorted layers of sludge that relentlessly churn along. It's neither subtle nor pretty, but god damn it rocks. They take the space rock template and inject it with a battered fucked-up New York punk spirit." --Drowned In Sound


Bert initially came to prominence as drummer for the experimental rock band Sonic Youth during the early to mid-1980s. Bert played on the Sonic Youth releases Confusion Is Sex, Sonic Death, and Bad Moon Rising. After Bad Moon Rising, Bert quit the group.

Bert contributed during the last half of the 1980s as percussionist for noise band Pussy Galore, as well as their splinter group Boss Hog. He was a member of Action Swingers in the early 1990s.

In the early 1990s, Bert drummed for the Chrome Cranks (which also included Peter Aaron on vocals; Jerry Teel on bass; and William Weber on stun guitar).

After the dissolution of the Cranks, Bert joined forces with guitarist Kid Congo, guitarist Jack Martin, bassist/vocalist Jerry Teel and organist Barry London in the rootsy New York City band Knoxville Girls.

Throughout, Bert managed to release a handful of recordings by his percussive/concussive vehicle Bewitched. Releases by Bewitched include the Chocolate Frenzy 12" EP; some albums, including Harshing My Mellow on No. 6 Records; and the "Hey White Homie" 7" on Sub Pop. Bewitched toured with S.Y. and STP (short-lived NYC all-female foxcore band which included PG guitarist Julie Cafritz) during the summer of 1990, the year Goo was released.


algis antanas kizys has played bass/toured/recorded with swans, foetus, pigface, teenage jesus and the jerks, of cabbages and kings, the glenn branca ensemble, bag people, the problem dog?s, death(brooklyn version), soraya, and NeVAh amongst others, and non-bass in prowers, the termites, and the hallicrafters, a short-wave radio ensemble. through the years he has had the delight to have worked with alex hacke, carla bozulich, lydia lunch, nels cline, jonathan bepler, eve sussman, matthew barney, doug henderson, to name a few, and is currently working with simon lee on an interpretation of a ted hughes collection of poems. film credits include eve sussman’s “the rape of the sabine women” and gus van sant’s “finding forrester.”