Chris Durnin is a noise producer operating under a variety of guises who spearheads Corvallis Experiments in Noise. Originally from the Midwest, Chris moved to the Pacific Northwest several years ago to the quaint city of Corvallis, OR. And soon after his arrival, he worked to establish a home base to host noise shows at the InterZone cafe. Their four-year anniversary sunset just about one month ago and throughout these years, Chris has hosted well over a couple hundred artists ranging from local talent to touring acts from across the United States. He himself has performed at a handful of these shows. Don’t Say Anything They Won’t See You is a caustic splicing of indigenous music with harsh noise, No-Method is his mesmerizing noise drone outfit, and Depleted Your Cranium is a percussive onslaught of rhythm-less drumming. His love for all forms of noise is evident from his personal endeavors and his perpetual effort to maintain an inclusive space for artists of all backgrounds to express themselves.

In this conversation, Chris touches on a number of his own projects, but there is a particular focus on the founding of Corvallis Experiments in Noise and discussing its evolution over the past four years. He speaks of his move across the country to Corvallis and also how he has constructed such a vibrant noise scene in the Willamette Valley.

This episode marks the second in-person artist interview conducted on From Corners Unknown. The audio quality is a bit coarser as Chris and I spoke inside InterZone and the cafe’s ambiance soaked into the recorder. Going forward, the quality will improve as I learn better recording techniques and set up interviews in spaces with less background noise. I hope you enjoy this delving into a noise scene relatively local to where I reside. Thank you so much for listening and for your continued support.