about

The Casual Distractions improvise electronic music. We are a different kind of band. We don't write songs or albums. We don't practice, or rather, everything we do is practice. Each set we play is a unique, nearly seamless string of moods and styles that lasts anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. The sound constantly shifts but orbits around ambient, pop, and experimental.

A typical set might include any of the following:

• spoken word material
• beats
• synthesizers and other electronic instruments
• melodies
• swampy, dubby grooves
• acoustic instruments played through a microphone
• sung vocals
• happy pop ditties
• rhythmic loops
• strange, unidentifiable effects
• mistakes
• trippy, deep space ambience
• warm synth washes
• jarring, claustrophobic darkness
• chord progressions
• amusing chatter recorded unintentionally
• sounds from nature
• tributes to other musicians or particular pieces of music

We never know what will happen. You may as well try to predict the stock market or next week's weather. It all depends on a hundred variables at any given moment. And yet, a cohesive, overall sound is emerging. We like to think it is unlike any other.

With few exceptions, we post all our performances to this site for anyone to download for free. Yes, that means hours and hours of free music. There is a set index to help you navigate through it all. You will notice the index describes a set in terms of a timeline, breaking it down into like segments. These are not songs per se, more like mileposts on a long journey. We reference a piece by its date, set number, and time. We don't name it because we have no intention of ever playing it more than once. Each is unique.

We don't use laptops. We don't use music software. We tried it before and became convinced that the unlimited possibilities of software stifle creativity. Instead, we found inspiration with hardware, boxes with blinking lights and knobs to twiddle.

The Casual Distractions are Todd Christopher and Joe Rizzo. TC has been creating experimental electronic music for years as Instruction Shuttle and has too many releases to count. Under this moniker he has, among other things, performed in NYC and collaborated with Dean Garcia of Curve. He also created a CD of exquisite electronic pop as Lasers Shoot From Our Fangs. JR has created three albums of electronic pop as Amoeba Crunch and has a long history of playing rock and roll before that.

If you have questions, please contact us.