petit mal

"petit mal" is the solo moniker of james kaiser, formed in the primordial ooze of kansas city, fermented in the new orleans sludge and distilled into the leaking vessel of the sf bay area 10 years ago.primary weapon of choice is an amplified bicycle wheel with bow, though bass, reel-to-reel and field recordings are often employed along with the occasional mangled guitar, balalaika and whatever else happens to be within reach. suffice to say that nearly everything gets warped through a small array of effects pedals until the sound reaches it's tasty best.kaiser has been or is still involved with the groups "le morte de la mer", "zenflesh collective", "horobosu", "9th ward jihad", "velvet smith", "nf orchest", "inn. aff. (orchext.) big band", "hbk trio", and "french radio". some of these amalgamations have opened for the likes of: Crash Worship ADRV, Con-Dom, Blixa Bargeld, Phroq, John Wiese, Bruce Anderson and various local luminaries.most "petit mal" offerings have been released through the now defunct Zenflesh Records label, with appearances on Troniks and a handful of various compilations, as well as a few limited self-released works. reviews of many of these can be found at www.aquariusrecords.org, and www.zenflesh.com. these sites offer mp3s and the physical manifestations for purchase as well, though direct contact with "petit mal" is also a source for items not available from Aquarius Records or Zenflesh.kaiser is currently in the process of compiling and revamping scattered and unfinished or unreleased tracks as well as debating future methods of attack.