Former Eraser

Former Eraser is an experimental electronic group from St. John’s, NL, which thrives on improvised compositions and created sounds through the use of synths and live drums combined with added effects. Comprised of long-standing improvisers Rick Bailey, Craig Squires and Dan Smith since 2024, the kinetic trio embodies various styles, including ambient, noise and free jazz, with emphasis on unfolding and surprising works that are singularly played. Former Eraser have performed for previous local events hosted by Sound Symposium and Lawnya Vawnya, and have made several recent recordings available through Bandcamp. For Sound Symposium XXII, Former Eraser will perform with a selection of silent movies from the public domain, visually mixed using MAX/MSP. French filmmaker, actor, magician, and toymaker, George Méliès (1861-1938) and Spanish-French film director, cinematographer and screenwriter, Segundo De Chomón (1871-1929) were innovative in the early days of cinema and silent film, incorporating pioneering new techniques and visual tricks in their work. Inspired by their creative spirit, Rick Bailey downloaded films from both artists via The Internet Archive, and will play them back in a digital mashup using MAX/MSP, reacting with an improvised set by Former Eraser for Night Music. Films by George Méliès: The Astronomer’s Dream (1898), The Haunted Castle (1896), The Marvellous Living Fan (1904), The Merry Frolics Of Satan (1906), The One Man Band (1900). Films by Segundo De Chomón: The Bee and The Rose (1908), The Fantastic Diver (1905), The Frog (1908), The King Of Dollars (1905), The Magic Roses (1906), The Tulips (1907), The Vacuum Cleaner (1908), The Yawner (1907).