At a time when what we used to know as “the mainstream” is receding more than ever and being replaced with a diverse and varied niche culture catering to seemingly anything and everything at all times, you might think artists are running out of ways to be truly subversive or unexpected.
But one visit to a show from OKC and Norman-based experimental music organizers Dissociation will prove that assumption wrong.
With a focus on artists exploring the outer limits of electronic, ambient, sound collage, and even straight-up noise, Dissociation has established their pop-up audio/visual events and curated concerts as destinations for some of the wildest and most outside-the-box sounds in Oklahoma.
Through their regular showcases at indie venues like Norman’s Resonator and Bookish in OKC, and a growing series of digital compilation releases collecting a huge array of musical artists, Dissociation has grown in just a couple years into a tag for all things dark, strange, and experimental in the OKC metro, collaborating with a revolving roster of locals and even bringing in touring experimentalists from all over the country.
With Dissociation now set for a major showcase coming up this weekend, November 8th at the Opolis in Norman, and having now put out the word for open submissions for their upcoming third compilation, Dissociation founder Justin Wallis says that the goal remains the same as ever: fostering an experimental community and making sure these strange sounds have a place to be heard and appreciated, even if they won’t be to everyone’s liking.
Justin Wallis: I really say the main intention of this thing, and what I keep coming back to, and what’s really our biggest mission, is to expand experimental music in the local scene, perk up a few ears here and there, you know, and be like, “okay, you know, this is, this is really cool, what these guys are doing.”
And it's clearly not for everybody.
Brett Fieldcamp: Growing up in Texas without much musical community Wallis says he’s always had that kind of interest in art and music that’s more than a little left of center, an interest that carried him through the goth, alt-rock, and punk scenes before landing in the realms of dark ambient and electronica, where he would develop his own sound as Bird Drugs.
Justin Wallis: The interest has always been there for experimentation in music, and has always been, even from a very young age, to, like, veer away from the pack and the mainstream. I feel like I just wanted to dive further away from that.
And perhaps now, I really do think that noise and experimental music is kind of the last bastion and stronghold against the mainstream.
Brett Fieldcamp: Partnering closely with sound collage artist Ut Mutem, Wallis launched Dissociation inauspiciously in Norman, pairing experimental musicians with equally experimental video work, influenced heavily by the surprising success and community support of the long-running Dallas Ambient Music Nights, or DAMN.
Justin Wallis: DAMN has been going on for like 10 years now, and honestly, like, that is probably the biggest inspiration for what I'm doing now with Dissociation.
I didn't know if there was a market for what I wanted to do, but I was like “I feel like this would work.”
Yeah, sure, I thought maybe it could work. I don't know. But also it was, and it has, been a really great vehicle to meet and connect with other artists, not just here, but that's expanded to across the country now.
Brett Fieldcamp: That outpouring of interest from artists both local and national became a testament to the hunger for more spaces that feature the kind of music that Dissociation showcases.
That’s what led Wallis to launch a small digital label for releases like the two sprawling Dissociation compilations, each featuring dozens of tracks and artists, and also to the kind of sonically diverse shows like the one set for this Saturday at the Opolis, featuring everything from subtle ambient and drone performances to a pair of touring acts that fall under the wildly aggressive electronic sound called “cybergrind.”
As always, the event is an opportunity to bring together Oklahomans of all kinds that are looking for something far off the beaten path, even if spreading the word can be a bit more difficult when you’re trying to explain or define the strange, new, and esoteric styles on display.
Justin Wallis: It's hard to get people to come to shows, especially niche ones like this. But you know, we do it for the love of the game, and do it for each other.
You know, for me, it's mostly about fostering community and connections of like-minded weirdo artists.
Brett Fieldcamp: Dissociation OK presents their next showcase this Saturday, November 8th at the Opolis in Norman, and submissions are open now for their upcoming third compilation of experimental musical artists.
For more, follow @dissociationok on Instagram.
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