LAFMS Lightbulb 2012

Lightbulb issue compiled to accompany the exhibition Beneath the Valley of the Lowest Form of Music, 14 January 25 - February, 2012

To commemorate the exhibition Beneath the Valley of the Lowest Form of Music (2012) at The Box as part of Pacific Standard Time, the Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS) has reprised Lightbulb in a limited edition of 200, with only 100 publicaly released for purchase.

The project initially started when contributors were invited to send in a prescribed number of copies of an "otherwise unpublishable,” to use Kostelanetz’s term, work that was self-referential to the contributors. The collected copies were subsequently collated, bound, and distributed solely to collaborators under the title Lightbulb. Between 1977 and 1981, various LAFMS members continued the process with an additional six issues of the collaborative magazine. While throughout its run there was little consistency in the material qualities of the magazine, each additional issues of Lightbulb had a central theme: “Back to School”, “Thanksgiving”, “Christmas”, “Halloween”, etc.

Contributions to this issue include over 80 works by a diverse collection of both emerging and established visual and sound artists: Paul McCarthy, T. Kelly Mason, Renee Petropoulos, Brits David Toop, Dylan Nyoukis, and Berliner Moritz ® are but a few inclusions. Additionally, Lightbulb 2012 contains a final work by Mike Kelley: Pot Drawing to ‘Lonely World’ by Dion and the Belmonts. Also included in Lightbulb 2012 is a faithful reissue of “The Emergency Cassette - Volumes 1 & 2” a double cassette released in 1981 featured in Lightbulb #4. The cassettes contain the first releases by the many bands that comprised the nascent Los Angeles and national experimental and punk scene including 45 Grave, a “punk super-group” featuring members of legendary bands The Germs, The Bags and The Consumers. The tapes also feature the first release by the Meat Puppets, the Arizona post-Punk trio that both inspired and performed with Nirvana.

Lightbulb 2012 Contributors list:

Tim Alexander - Los Angeles-based artist, musician and composer; member of Points of Friction

Skylaire Alfvegren - Los Angeles-based author and artist

Skot Armstrong - Artist, performance artist, musician and author; founder of Science Holiday

Suzy Beal - Musician and author

Scott Benzel - Visual artist, composer, and producer

Cindy Bernard - Los Angeles-based artist and filmmaker

Michael Bianco - Marfa, Texas based artist and curator

Chip Chapman - Musician and composer; founding member of the LAFMS

Susan Farthing Chapman - Artist and musician; founding member the LAFMS

Kate Costello - Los Angeles-based artist

Tony Coulter - Musician and WFMU New Jersey radio personality

Anla Courtis - Argentina born experimental composer and musician

Katy Crow - Los Angeles-based Abstract painter and filmmaker

Dorit Cypis - Los Angeles-based performance and installation artist

Danielle de Picciotto - Berlin based artist, musician, and filmmaker

Dead_Triplet - Artist

Maya deLeon - Los Angeles-based artist and choreographer

Valenta deRegil - San Francisco Bay Area artist

Dennis Duck - Composer and musician; founding member of the LAFMS

John Duncan - Composer, musician, artist, and filmmaker based in Bologna, Italy; early LAFMS collaborator
Jad Fair - Artist, composer, and musician; co-founder of the group Half-Japanese
Devin Flynn - Brooklyn based musician and composer

Ace Farren Ford - Musician, artist, and tattoo artist; founding member of the LAFMS

Rick Frystak - Musician, composer, and record connoisseur

Sara Geens - Belgium-based musician

Kimberly Gibson - Los Angeles-based visual artist

Kraig Grady - Los Angeles/Australian composer and sound artist

Gregory Griffith - Los Angeles-based musician and manager of Amoeba Records, Hollywood

Henry Yuki Minato Griffith - family member of Gregory Griffith

Isley Tennessee Minato Griffith - family member of Gregory Griffith

Danny Gromfin - LAFMS manager and webmaster

John Gullak - San Francisco Bay Area based artist, musician and publisher

Doug Harvey - Los Angeles-based artist, musician, composer, writer, and art critic

Gordon Henderson - Los Angeles-based artist and performer

Doug Henry - Los Angeles-based artist, musician and filmmaker

Mike Kelley - Los Angeles-based artist, performance artist, musician, and filmmaker

Kryttre - Los Angeles-based artist, underground cartoonist, animator, and performance artist

Kevin Laffey - Los Angeles-based musician and music producer

Wild Don Lewis - Los Angeles-based photographer and sound artist

Kayo Makino - Tokyo, Japan based artist

Lasse Marhaug - Norwegian noise musician

Daniel Marlos - Los Angeles-based artist and photographer

T. Kelly Mason - Los Angeles-based artist

Paul McCarthy - Los Angeles-based artist and musician

Fiendish McTavish - Norwegian-American noisemaker

Aaron Moore - New York-based British musician; member of Volcano The Bear

Alan Nakagawa - Los Angeles-based artist and musician

Fredrik Nilsen - Los Angeles-based artist, photographer and musician; founding member of the LAFMS

Bill Noland - Seattle based musician, composer, and producer

Dylan Nyoukis - British experimental musician

Renee Petropoulos - Los Angeles-based painter and multi-media artist

Rick Potts - Los Angeles-based artist, composer, musician, animator, filmmaker, founding member of the LAFMS

Joe Potts - Los Angeles-based artist, composer, musician, and filmmaker; founding member of the LAFMS

Tom Potts - Montana based writer and musician; founding member of the LAFMS

Moritz ® - Berlin based artist, musician and composer; member of Der Plan

Carla Rajnus - Portland based artist and therapist

Tom Recchion - Los Angeles-based sound and visual artist, composer, art director and graphic designer; founding member of the LAFMS

Reizen - Japanese musician from Kanagawa prefecture

Lynn Robb - Los Angeles-based art educator and visual artist

Brett Cody Rogers - Los Angeles-based artist

Jonathon Rosen - New York-based artist and filmmaker

Takuya Sakaguchi - Osaka based neuroscientist, artist, music critic and early LAFMS supporter

Lynn Salmon - New York-based environmental scientist

Paul Sanoian - Los Angeles-based musician and music business attorney

David Schafer - American visual artist based in New York

Harold Schroeder - Pismo Beach musician and founding member of the LAFMS

Jamie Seaboch - New York-based artist

Jim Sharpe - Brooklyn DJ, filmmaker and record shop proprietor

Ning Nong – Brooklyn DJ, musician, and music industry veteran

LeRoy Stevens - Los Angeles-based based artist

Rock and Roll Jackie - Portland based musician and member of Smegma; LAFMS member

Ju Suk Reet Meate - Portland based musician and member of Smegma; founding LAFMS member

Ricky Swallow - Los Angeles-based Australian artist

Andy Sykora - Los Angeles-based sound artist

Mayo Thompson - Musician, record producer, and visual artist; member of Red Crayola

Gary Todd Sylvester - Music producer and archivist

David Toop - British musician, educator, and author

Topo - Topo Art Los Angeles

Michael Uhlenkott - LA artist and musician, and co-founder of World Imitation Products art collective; member of Monitor

Keith Ullrich - Los Angeles-based visual and sound artist

Jason Underhill - Los Angeles-based artist and filmmaker

Wouter Vanhaelemeesch - Belgian artist and record label owner

Vetza - Los Angeles-based musician, actor and playwright; core LAFMS member

Kira Vollman- Los Angeles-based artist and musician

Jan Walaker  - Oslo, Norway based artist, photographer, and publisher

Marc Weinstein - San Francisco Bay area musician and co-founder of Amoeba Records

Daniel Weiss - Musician and writer

John Wiese - Los Angeles-based musician, composer, and record label owner