Arrington de Dionyso (b. January 4th 1975) makes trans-utopian world music for a world that exists in fever dreams and hallucinations. Using performance and visual art, he traverses the nameless territories held between surrealist automatism, shamanic seance, and the folk imagery of rock and roll. Ecstasy vs. Madness.
De Dionyso’s most recent project, Malaikat dan Singa, is a trance-punk outfit featuring bass clarinet, guitars, multiple drummers and his trademark wild vocals (multi-spectral harmonic throatsinging combined with grunts, yelps, and barks) -this time, all sung in Indonesian. Malaikat dan Singa translates as “Angels and Lions,” and de Dionyso’s Indonesian lyrics combine mythology and fantasy with haphazard translations of poet William Blake on the debut Malaikat album. The project, however, ultimately defies a clean translation. Malaikat dan Singa gains power by crossing boundaries — both linguistic and psychic. On the one hand, the Indonesian language allows Dionyso to communicate on levels more deeply subliminal than those accessible in his native English. On the other, he hopes to reach his growing Indonesian audience with his eccentric brew of ecstatic lunacy and prophetic madness, clarified to perfection during his 15 year tour-of-duty with Olympia’s Old Tim Relijun.
Arrington tours constantly, and has also presented workshops on improvising with the voice throughout North America, Europe, Israel and Japan. His visual art has been featured in exhibitions in Italy, New York City, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon and published in Yeti Magazine, Prism Index and The Stranger.
Artist’s Websites:
K Releases:
- Arrington de Dionyso - Suara Naga [KLP226] (2011)
- Arrington de Dionyso - Malaikat Dan Singa [KLP215] (2009)
- Arrington de Dionyso - I See Beyond the Black Sun [KLP200] (2008)
- Arrington de Dionyso - Breath of Fire [KLP176] (2006)
- Arrington de Dionyso & Old Time Relijun - Varieties of Religious Experience [KLP149] (2003)
Also appears on:
- Chain and the Gang - Music’s Not For Everyone [KLP220] (2011)
- Angelo Spencer et Le Orchidee d’Hawai - “L’Argent” [IPU131] (2011)
- Chain and the Gang - Down With Liberty… Up With Chains! [KLP203] (2009)
- Old Time Relijun – Catharsis In Crisis [KLP184] (2007)
- Old Time Relijun - “Tightest Cage” [IPU110] (2007)
- Old Time Relijun - 2012 [KLP171] (2005)
- Old Time Relijun - Lost Light [KLP159] (2003)
- Mirah – Advisory Committee [KLP135] (2002)
- Old Time Relijun - Witchcraft Rebellion [KLP128] (2000)
- Mirah - You Think It’s Like This But It’s Really Like This [KLP112] (2000)
- Old Time Relijun - La Sirena De Pecera [KLP110] (2000)
- Old Time Relijun - Uterus and Fire [KLP097] (1999)
- Selector Dub Narcotic - Selector Dub Narcotic Compilation [KLP082] (1998)
- Old Time Relijun - “Jail” [DBN109] (1998)
