Skip to content

Main Site
Soundstream
Festival

Cooperative
- About
- How It Works
- Artists
- Labels
Music
Stream
Festival
Editorial
- Quarterly
- Q&A
Contact

Home
Albums
Big Head Eddie

Big Head Eddie

By The Vandermark Quartet

Available Formats:

Cassette Digital

Released in:

1993

Shipping from: Chicago

Buy on Bandcamp

Big Head Eddie

Ken Vandermark

Chicago, USA

A cornerstone of avant-garde music. Discover his groundbreaking discography, collaborative ensembles, and digital releases right here.

Artist Profile

Catalytic Sound is a music based co-operative designed to help create economic sustainability for its artists through patron support.

Stay in the loop

Monthly news, new releases and cooperative updates.

Email Address

Alternative Email:

No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Read our. Privacy Policy .

Cooperative

About
How it works
Artists
Labels
Contact

Music

New Releases
New Additions
Merch
CAA & Fundraising

Editorial

Quarterly
Questions & Answers

Instagram Feed

catalytic_sound

An international music based co-operative designed to help develop economic sustainability for its artists through membership support.

🌳 NEW ADDITION on Vinyl & Digital 🌲 — from @sonict

🌳 NEW ADDITION on Vinyl & Digital 🌲 — from @sonictransrec , "MAN EATING TREE" is the first solo album by Belgian-born, Oslo-based pianist @jonascambien . On prepared piano and electric organ, Cambien channels a soundscape of meditative repetition and oscillating rhythms.

"Certainly the work of someone who, having mastered his craft, is now unfettered by constrictions, free to play among the garden of chance. Though a work of great sophistication, it remains unpretentious and footloose; music that will saturate the subconscious as much as the conscious mind."

💥 Available at the Soundstream or as a physical/digital release! Hit the Link in Bio to know more.

#vinyl #new #sonictransmissionsrecords #freejazz #jonascambien

🔊 Excerpts of "Parallelogram" by @thurstonmoore58

🔊 Excerpts of "Parallelogram" by @thurstonmoore58 & @johnwilliammoloney // Alan Bishop, @billorcutt & @chriscorsano ( @3lobed / 2015 ) - Available as a limited edition vinyl! 👉 Hit the Link in Bio

This album consists of never before released material compiled especially with this collection in mind. The LP is housed within its own letter pressed “matchbook” bearing new original artwork by Casey Burns and printed by dexterity press. Each LP is pressed on 140g black vinyl pressed at record industry in the netherlands and includes a download coupon. Mastered by Patrick Klem

“The Parallelogram collection originated in the particular magic that comes from finding the *right* musical pairing. We’ve all experienced the perfect song at the perfect time and know how electrifying it can be. The set and setting that combine to make those jukebox choices, mix tapes, or playlists really work can be so hard to define, but easy to identify once they are out there in the wild. With this thought in mind, Three Lobed proudly presents Parallelogram, a collection of five carefully assembled split albums celebrating complementary musical pairings.”

#chriscorsano #thurstonmoore #billorcutt #vinyl #johnmoloney

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital 🚨 — “What Just Happ

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital 🚨 — “What Just Happened?” is an album collecting four pieces by @paalnilssenlove , composed for smaller constellations of his @largeunitofficial ensemble. The pieces are for specific instruments: according, snare drum, saxophone, and tuba – from three to six performers. This act of stripping down the ensemble to single instruments does not mean sparse minimalism, rather the opposite, as Paal explores the possibilities – and limits – of the singular instruments. Adding to the quality of the music is the incredible level of musicianship of the performers, and their willingness to go into new areas.

The album was recorded in the church of Tøyen, in Oslo, June 2025, by Large Unit regular sound engineer Christian Brynildsen Obermayer ( @chryob ) , and produced by Paal himself.

💥 Available at the Soundstream or as a physical/digital release! Hit the Link in Bio to know more.

#paalnilssenlove #new #largeunit #freejazz #oslo

Announcing JUNE 2026 ADDITIONS at Soundstream 💥 25

Announcing JUNE 2026 ADDITIONS at Soundstream 💥 25 new additions at the CS Radio! 🎶 New albums from PNL Records , @sonictransrec … @largeunitofficial with @akira8262 and many more, @embrethooker ‘ new album with Cimota, @jonascambien , @dafnieband , @ken_vandermark & @timothymark1976 duo, and tremendous batch of albums from @tashidorjiiii and @unsoundslabel 🎶 Listen and discover at the Soundstream!

👉 Join in at the Links in Bio. 🎶

#new #freejazz #digital #streming #paalnilssenlove

⚡️NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — “Daughter of W

⚡️NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — “Daughter of War” is the debut album of the new four-piece band It Was Her Idea. @juliana_venter_vocalist and drummer @paalnilssenlove have already worked together in Paal’s PNL Circus project, and wanted to further this collaboration to a different direction, to explore other aspects that they had touched upon in Circus, and work with material that isn’t only composed by Paal. The first choice of bass player was @omvagan , who is an orchestra by himself. Ole Morten and Paal go way back as friends with a mutual respect for each other as artists, yet never really found the time to work properly together. Now’s the time. The fourth member is the Swedish (Norwegian-based) pianist @gronberg.oscar , who in the last year has clearly marked himself as one of the strongest piano players in the Scandinavian music scene. Already on paper you can tell this is going to be a different beast.

The four musicians started playing together in 2022, with all of them bringing in compositions, and through the juxtaposition of these four individual voices something new was born, something more than a one-off meeting. The music is a mix of jazz, contemporary music, noise, and conceptual pieces – a wide musical landscape that reflects the combined years of experience of the four of them. A strong feature of the band is the visceral vocal performance of Juliana, which gives the band a unique focus. The title track – the sadly all too relevantly titled “Daughter of War”, with lyrics written by @khaledafroagh – is a testament to Juliana’s strenght as a vocalist.

💥Available for streaming at the Soundstream or get the CD at the online store! - Hit the Link in Bio!

#paalnilssenlove #new #improvisedmusic #cd #stream

⚡️ NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — "Calls!” is t

⚡️ NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — "Calls!” is the third album from @paalnilssenlove Circus, following “Pairs of Three” (2022) and the live recording “Turn Thy Loose” (2025). Circus first came out of Large Unit as a side-project but quickly grew to become its own steady project. The band plays music composed by Paal, and in live performance the musicians are free to play any parts of any song at any time. On this studio recording they take a different approach, the songs are recorded separately and carefully produced (the CD and LP even has different running orders, as Paal believes the formats tells different stories). As the live album “Turn Thy Loose” the already powerful six-member line-up is extended with Terrie Ex, @andymoor and @zeamakkum from the legendary Dutch punk rock band The Ex. Collaborating with The Ex is not a first-time venture for Paal, who has been part of numerous collaborations with them in the past, but the Circus line-up/sound offers a new combination that feels fresh.

“Calls!” was recorded in both Amsterdam and Oslo and features six compositions by Paal, as well as two unusual cover songs: “I Should Be So Lucky” by the British punk band Stretchheads and a song from Nazare da Mata in Northeast Brazil, by Mestre Barachina. The band goes into some slight surrealistic and more conceptual areas, such as “Pussy Pussy Cha Cha”, “Eg Såg” and not least “Slainté”. However, the real standout will for many listeners be “Calls: Let they be free!” – a wild song that’s both danceable and political – and often a highlight when the band performs live.

☎️ Get it at the Link in Bio! ☎️

#paalnilssenlove #terrieex #andymoor #new #cd

💥NEW ADDITION on CD, LP & DIGITAL 💥 — from @sonict

💥NEW ADDITION on CD, LP & DIGITAL 💥 — from @sonictransrec , “Cimota seeks a unique sound as an ensemble, where the focus is equally based on collective musicianship as on solo-driven performances. The music draws inspiration from the entire history of jazz, European and American free improvisation and new composed music from all corners of the world. All this is framed by compositions with occasionally complex forms, intricate themes, grooves and swing, but also not afraid to explore the quiet, with long sound-based parts. It all flows easily and frictionless from start to finish. This is jazz for our time, challenging and accessible, melodic and abstract, music that refuses to be ignored and demands that the listener give it their full attention.

"[ˈkɪmɔtɑː] is packed with eventful, curious compositions—intricate yet restrained—shaped by a fascination with all the ways one can write for a small quintet: splitting it apart and stitching it back together. The music draws inspiration from odd jazz and 100–150 years of composed music, while along the way the ensemble also finds the occasional open space to scramble around in at will. There is a tangible joy inspired by all kinds of modernists, and a playful seriousness that I, at least, very much need here and now. To be continued.” -Filip Roshauw / Now's The Time

🗣️ Get this and many more new additions at the Link in Bio!

#ingebrigthakerflaten #havardwiik #new #jazz #vinyl

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — Ab Baars Trio one of the prim

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — Ab Baars Trio one of the primary outlets for Dutch multi-instrumentalist and composer @ab_baars (tenor saxophone, clarinet, shakuhachi). Formed in 1991, the trio has maintained a remarkably consistent lineup with bassist Wilbert de Joode and drummer Martin van Duynhoven, never changing its core personnel.

The trio’s music occupies a distinctive space in European free jazz, characterized by what critics have described as a “cool, restrained” Dutch sensibility—more focused on wit, grace, and nuanced interplay than the aggressive, “take-no-prisoners” style of their American counterparts . Baars’ playing draws inspiration from the extremes of tuning and color explored by saxophonists like Von Freeman and Albert Ayler . His clarinet work, in particular, reflects intensive study with American clarinetist John Carter.

They documented its work extensively on labels like Geestgronden and Wig, with notable releases including 3900 Carol Court (1992), A Free Step: The Music of John Carter (1999), Songs (2001), and Slate Blue (2014) . They have also collaborated with an impressive roster of guests, including Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg, and @ken_vandermark (documented on Goofy June Bug, 2008).

🔸Enjoy their discography at the Soundstream 🌻 Know more at the Link in Bio.

#abbaarstrio #freejazz #wilbertdejoode #martinvanduynhoven #stream

🚨 BACK IN STOCK on CD 🚨 — from @corbettvsdempseymu

🚨 BACK IN STOCK on CD 🚨 — from @corbettvsdempseymusic , “One day in the studio, something ridiculously great happened. It was deep Chicago winter, cold as shit. Four musicians assembled for a round-robin set of improvisations – duets, trios, a few quartets. Approached casually, the late morning bloomed into Largest Afternoon, 15 crackling encounters between guitarist @artolindsay , saxophonists Joe McPhee and @ken_vandermark , and drummer Phil Sudderberg. No expectations – open minds and creative intent.”

“Lindsay, a brilliant singer and songwriter and one of the key architects of No Wave via his band DNA, has proven himself once again to be one of the world’s top texturalists, and he is an equally sensitive and challenging group improvisor. Vandermark and McPhee brought their long friendship and musical partnership to the studio, and both engaged with Lindsay in different ways, bringing blue flame and melody. The session’s final wildcard, Sudderberg, a versatile drummer who collaborates with Vandermark on the band Marker, brought a lovely sense of buoyancy and ear for contrast in colors, as well as a raucous rock pulse. With parts this stellar, imagine when Largest Afternoon > than the sum. Nobody knew this would happen.”

👉 Get it at the Link in Bio! 👈

#artolindsay #kenvandermark #joemcphee #philsudderberg #corbettvsdempsey

💥 The 79th edition of the Catalytic Artist Albums

💥 The 79th edition of the Catalytic Artist Albums continues with “Dubuque Duets”, a live set from September 2024, recorded at the @smokestackdbq club near the shores of the Mississippi River. When @timothymark1976 was invited to bring in a group for a special event the club was hosting, he jumped at the chance to continue the duo dialogue with @bishopjeb —a format they have presented off and on since the early 2000s. The result is a focused and engaging fifty minutes of improvisation, grounded in deep listening and flowing in and out of a wide range of sonic landscapes with the intention, clarity, and patience that over three decades of working together can provide. Made in Dubuque, IA. // Design by @federicoplva

🎧 Available now at Soundstream! 🌻 Enjoy exclusive albums — Know more at the Link in Bio!

#timdaisy #ljebbishop #new #chicago #dubuque

Now streaming at Soundstream! 🎞️ Excerpt of @takea

Now streaming at Soundstream! 🎞️ Excerpt of @takealukearound 's Exposure Quintet at the CS Festival 2022, held at the @elasticarts , featuring Jim Baker, Avreeayl Ra, @wilkersonjr.edward & @ken_vandermark — Enjoy the full concert at our online streaming platform💥

#lukestewart #kenvandermark #chicago #elasticarts #new

🚨 U.S. music fans 🚨 We've got restocks of these tr

🚨 U.S. music fans 🚨 We've got restocks of these tremendous @theexband and Terp records which you can now order without paying the outrageous transatlantic shipping costs!

📦 Supplies are limited so pick up these beauties while you can, or stream many Terp & Ex records at the Soundstream!! 🔊

#theex #terrieex #kenvandermark #new #stream

Follow on Instagram

© 2026 Catalytic Sound . All rights reserved. Built with WordPress .

Soundstream
Festival