Ousia

Based in Minnesota, this quartet of electric guitars and synthesizers produces a music somewhere between trippy space rock and ambient electronica. It blends elements of ambient and drone music with something more pulsating. The existence of the group has been shaky since all members have other projects to attend to, but two albums came out so far, the 1997 Why Is That A 4null and the 2002 Face The Robot.



Keyboardist Jason Shapiro and guitarist/noise artist Paul Horn were collaborating on a piece for a performance at Intermedia Arts in September 1996. At the same time the latter was also working on drone music with guitarist/keyboardist Fred Teasley. Since both projects were approaching ambient music from different angles, he decided to bring them together and see what happened. The three of them started to write material. A month later bassist Dave Onnen was brought in and Teasley christened the quartet Blue Shift. Jason Ducklinsky jumped on board a few days before the group's debut at the first Future Perfect event (a series curated by Chris Strouth) on December 9, 1996.