Steve Mackay
(Pacifica, CA)


pic:

website: http://www.vidioatak.org/~radon/
LISTEN

“As interesting an underground career Mackay has lead, what he’s doing now with Radon Ensemble is the most mind-blowing…they exude a future blowing energy such fringe genre music can readily use…Tripping and metascoping sax jowl action…”

-Thurston Moore/Byron Coley – Bull Tounge

“I’m so glad they brought him aboard. Steve’s a great guy and ‘hoots and honks’ like a motherfucker!”

-Mike Watt on the new Stooges line-up

Saxophone player Steve Mackay has known no boundries when it comes to confronting varying musical forms. His effortless transition between playing methods engages the instrument he accompanies, equally capable of joining a background drone or leaping to the forefront. An active professional musician since the mid sixties, Mackay first found fame as the Funhouse-era sax player for The Stooges, (once inspiring Miles Davis to forcefully plug his ears during an NYC gig) then continuing on a long, varied voyage through styles as a member of the Violent Femmes, backing Residents' guitarist Snakefinger and recently collaborating with J Mascis and Mike Watt. In the most bizarre twist to his lengthy career, Mackay is considered dead by major media and rock historians. Reports of his drug overdose in the 70s have been perpetuated by MTV, VH1 and Rolling Stone. A steady stream of inquiries to Steve’s mortality has persisted since his re-emergence with Radon. From 2001-2003, Mackay teamed with Radon to meticulously compile his experimental epic Michigan and Arcturus. The fresh blood of his sonic architect, co-conspirators has inspired a venture into wholly unique musical territory. For the Radon Uropa 7 inch series Mackay donated the painful clamour of his pinball duet Punk Machine and supported this release with west coast shows in 2003. The past 2 years, Mackay has accelerated his activity with a barrage of collaborations. He has regularly joined the Violent Femmes on stage and in the studio, toured 3 continents with the Stooges and Radon Ensemble, lent his talents to a track on the second Grails record for Neurot Recordings, backed Smegma for concerts and recordings and appears on the first 2 volumes of Radon’s Portugal series. 2006 will see the long awaited release of Michigan and Arcturus and various line-ups of the ever-changing Radon Ensemble will convene to present the next wave of Mackay’s unceasing musical vision.

Press Photo Credit: no