Hash Jar Tempo
Biography
In the sprawling landscape of American experimental music, few acts have managed to carve out as uniquely uncompromising a niche as Hash Jar Tempo. Born from the fertile underground of Philadelphia's late-1990s noise scene, this enigmatic collective has spent over two decades crafting some of the most bewildering, beautiful, and brutally honest music to emerge from the margins of contemporary sound art.
The project emerged in 1995 as the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and sonic architect Jeff Surak, whose background in both classical composition and industrial music provided the foundation for what would become Hash Jar Tempo's signature approach to controlled chaos. Initially conceived as a solo venture, the project quickly evolved into a fluid collective incorporating various Philadelphia-based musicians, artists, and sound manipulators who shared Surak's vision of music as a form of psychological archaeology.
Hash Jar Tempo's sound defies easy categorization, existing somewhere in the liminal space between dark ambient, power electronics, musique concrète, and ritualistic drone. Their compositions often unfold like fever dreams, incorporating field recordings, manipulated found sounds, processed vocals, and layers of electronic texture that seem to breathe with malevolent life. The group's approach to rhythm is particularly distinctive – when beats appear at all, they emerge as stuttering, irregular pulses that suggest the mechanical heartbeat of some vast, dying machine.
Their 1998 debut album "Well Oiled" announced Hash Jar Tempo as a force to be reckoned with in experimental circles. The record's eight tracks moved through landscapes of industrial decay and electronic meditation with the confidence of seasoned explorers of inner space. Critics praised its ability to maintain coherent emotional narratives despite its abstract nature, with Wire Magazine noting the album's "uncanny ability to make the listener feel simultaneously claustrophobic and agoraphobic."
The follow-up, 2001's "Stupid Carpet," pushed their sound even further into uncharted territory. Incorporating elements of free jazz improvisation and concrete poetry, the album featured collaborations with members of Philadelphia's Bardo Pond and experimental vocalist Jen Shagrin. The centerpiece track, "Aluminum Overcast," became something of an underground anthem, its 23-minute duration encompassing everything from whispered confessions to walls of static that seemed to contain entire civilizations.
Hash Jar Tempo's live performances became the stuff of legend within experimental music circles. Their concerts were less traditional shows than immersive experiences, often featuring multiple film projections, installation art, and audience participation elements that blurred the line between performer and spectator. A 2003 performance at Philadelphia's Khyber Pass reportedly lasted over four hours and culminated with the audience being led through the venue's basement while blindfolded, experiencing the final movement through headphones in complete darkness.
The group's prolific output throughout the 2000s included collaborations with Japanese noise legend Merzbow, German sound artist Thomas Köner, and members of the influential drone collective Stars of the Lid. Their 2007 album "Compressor Salad" marked a slight shift toward more melodic territory, incorporating processed piano and string arrangements that added unexpected warmth to their typically austere sonic palette.
Recognition within experimental music circles grew steadily, with Hash Jar Tempo receiving grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and performing at prestigious festivals including All Tomorrow's Parties and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Their influence can be heard in the work of subsequent experimental acts like Pharmakon, Prurient, and The Body, all of whom have cited Hash Jar Tempo's fearless approach to sound design as inspirational.
The 2010s saw the project become increasingly multimedia-focused, with Surak incorporating visual art, poetry, and even smell-based installations into Hash Jar Tempo's expanding universe. Their 2015 album "Instant Opiate" was released alongside a series of photographs and a collection of short stories, creating what Surak described as "a total sensory narrative about disconnection in the digital age."
Today, Hash Jar Tempo continues to operate from Philadelphia, releasing music on a variety of small labels while maintaining complete creative independence. Their most recent album, 2022's "Velvet Hammer," suggests new directions while remaining true to their commitment to pushing boundaries. With over 20 releases and countless live performances behind them, Hash Jar Tempo stands as a testament to the power of uncompromising artistic vision in an increasingly homogenized musical landscape. They remain active, unpredictable, and essential listening for anyone seeking
