Nihilist Spasm Band | |
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![]() Nihilist Spasm Band with some of their instruments
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Background information | |
Also known as | NSB |
Origin | London, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | Noise, free improvisation |
Years active | 1965 | –present
Labels | Alchemy |
Associated acts | Joe McPhee |
Website | www3 |
Members | John Clement John Boyle Bill Exley Murray Favro Art Pratten |
Past members | Archie Leitch Greg Curnoe Hugh McIntyre |
The Nihilist Spasm Band (NSB) is a Canadian noise band formed in 1965 in London, Ontario. The band was founded by Hugh McIntyre, John Clement, John Boyle, Bill Exley, Murray Favro, Archie Leitch, Art Pratten, and Greg Curnoe. Leitch has since retired, Curnoe was killed in a bicycle accident in 1992, and McIntyre died of heart failure in 2004. The band members are mostly local artists. They were one of the artists named on the Nurse with Wound list
The term "spasm band" refers to a band that uses homemade instruments. Indeed, most of the NSB's instruments are modifications of other instruments, or wholly invented by the members. In addition to the homemade instruments, members are encouraged to improvise. The range of the improvisation is such that instruments are not tuned to each other, tempos and time signatures are not imposed, and the members push the ranges of their instrumentation by engaging in constant innovation.