John Bender

http://free.pages.at/aspects/johnbender/

I don't think it's been updated in ages though. Apparently he's extremely reclusive. I did some online research and found some obscure links, people he'd performed with, who worked on his tapes/records, or artwork, but none of the emails led anywhere.

hundreds of dollars, really? I feel so stupid not selling things when they get to that stage but I'm never going to sell this

thanks for that link!

can't believe this is 1978, when I bought it in 90 I thought it had just come out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/John-Bender-eclectic-wierd-collector-item_W0QQitemZ4783963334QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The stuff has only gotten more hip as it's been lumped in with the "minimal synth" crowd, but I think most of Bender's work is much better then that, much warmer and alien sounding, and totally beautiful.

http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0M0C89AHJJ9QV0J66S8Y19JBQ1

this link will exist for three hours ... [link removed]

should work...this is everything Bender I've got, except I Don't Remember Now. Most of the tracks, I don't know where they're from, some are probably the same as I Don't Remember, some are different versions of the same songs from the cassettes. Pop Surgery is included. I'll leave these here for a few days or so.

looks like your first 16 tracks are the complete BENDER CD compiled by the guy who runs the site you linked to...

The best 'minimal synth' record I have is the Music Is Forever ep by Billy Synth. Very punk record - short tracks with just synths and vocals. He was an east coast psych revival guy - forget the names of his old bands. He's also the guy who put together the Psychedelic Unknowns compilation album series.

That new Todd Tamanend Clark 2xCD collection has all of his Into the Vision LP from the mid-'80s on it, too, which is all just him - mostly synth and heavy guitar. Very good, though not as fantastic as some of his rock band stuff.

http://s20.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3I12KFSU7GK5K0VC7K3K09HGVF

Anyone with too much money on their hands can go here:

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZbruderQ2dnumpsi

'plaster falling', his 2nd lp

Bender is reportedly "doing quite fine and has yet to vanish into a netherworld!". 2 autgraphed LPs for sale at the moment:
http://cgi.ebay.com/JOHN-BENDER-Plaster-Falling-RARE-MINIMAL-SYNTH-SIGNED_W0QQitemZ230229819567QQihZ013QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/JOHN-BENDER-I-Dont-Remember-RARE-MINIMAL-SYNTH-SIGNED_W0QQitemZ230229821852QQihZ013QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

are there any rips floating around of plaster falling and pop surgery that don't have windows error message sounds all over them?

someone needs to reissue these records

i thought a certain someone was. wonder what happened to that?

I emailed him but he never wrote back!

pop surgery 128kbps, but no errors

back in 2006 I was still burning mp3's to CDRs for listening, so I don't have the error-less 'plaster falling' mp3's anymore, but they're out there, maybe someone else can forward

my version of plaster falling has almost no left channel and sounds pretty muffled :/

example: http://www.zshare.net/audio/64798110806c373a/

hey thanks for that milton.

dan, don't give up the fight, god is on your side

"Bender, John Pop Surgery LP foc <500> Original industrial minimal electronics RECORD SLUTS RS 004 US83 vg+/vg+ 299.00"

and that's in Euros. So currently, 427.252 us dollars from http://www.watzmann.nl/

there's a copy of plaster falling on discogs for €1400

still looking for a decent rip and preying for a reissue

for the eagle-eyed (and eared), there are recent grey area LP reissues floating around now of Pop Surgery and I Don't Remember Now...they sound great (considering the source material) and the repro covers are top-notch.

get 'em while they're around, folks! discogs sez 100 copies each.

heard a rumor about that, available where?

Would someone just reissue these like an adult? More copies, available somewhat easily? Is it that hard?

I emailed him and didn't get a response. It's not always so easy to reissue things.

there have been some sold on ebay recently, but i don't know where else online to grab 'em - seems like something Fusetron would carry?

if a dude happens to be in portland, or...Exiled Records has copies (at least they did a couple days ago). dunno if they do mailorder though.

try Permanent Records Chicago

http://shop.permanentrecordschicago.com/index.php?product=N-LP+John+Bender+-+I+Dont+Remember+Now+-+I+Dont+Want+To+Talk+About+It

http://shop.permanentrecordschicago.com/index.php?product=N-LP+John+Bender+-+Pop+Surgery

Thanks for the tip!

just picked up copies of each of these reissues/boots/whatever they are. they had a few of em at amoeba berkeley. no one at the store knew anything about them. kinda figured i might not see them ever again so got them legit or not

hahahahah 6LP box set coming this year on Vinyl On Demand

Wow that's great!

Plaster Falling has been reissued as well. There are two versions, one being the Plaster Edition (which is limited - no idea how limited) and then the regular album which is half the price of the ltd.

You can score either at Permanent Chicago...
http://shop.permanentrecordschicago.com/index.php?product=N-LP+John+Bender+-+Plaster+Falling+Ltd

Just got the Plaster Falling lp and there is so much plaster on the sleeve, that I can't even open it.

Do I use an exacto knife to cut it open?

hahahahah 6LP box set coming this year on Vinyl On Demand

― sleeve, Tuesday, March 1, 2011 11:48 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark

very happy to read this. i assume it'll be all the various cassettes and comp appearances?

is the vod stuff legit or bootlegs? i wonder how he found bender?

Vod stuff I think has all been legit. Bender's been popping up lately. First via his son and his son's bandmate. More recently he commented on my friends eBay auction of one of his records, certifying it as a real copy.

VOD is as legit as a label can be, and I am very excited about that set.

Pretty sure the recent spate of LP reissues are all boots though, like the Snowy Red LP. Somebody finally realized that they could make some money pirating records that sell for hundreds of dollars.

So I bought a bunch of bootlegs then, right? They sound terrific though.

yeah, not pointing fingers at you or anything, I bought the Snowy Red LP! Glad they sound good.

I kinda figured that. I'm happy with these even though they aren't legit. I'm curious who put these out.

http://www.discogs.com/John-Bender-Memories-Of-Mindless-Mechanical-Monologues-1976-1985/release/3474453

i have been listening to john bender. a lot. i'm so mad at myself for not knowing about this earlier!

it is really good music, kind of amazing how well it has held up

NO RESPONSE FESTIVAL
Two Days of Experimental Music
The Woodward Theater | 1404 Main St., Cincinnati, OH

THURSDAY, JUNE 23rd
___________________

JOHN BENDER
(First performance in over 30 years from local minimal synth pioneer following his upcoming reissue on Superior Viaduct)
http://www.superiorviaduct.com/

AARON DILLOWAY
(Ex-Wolf Eyes/ Hanson Records Operator - master of tape manipulation and haunting electronics)
http://www.hansonrecords.net/

HAIR POLICE
(Rare appearance from Lexington, KY noise rock legends)
http://www.gnarlytimes.com/

SARAH DAVACHI
(Vancouver modular synth - upcoming LP on Important)
http://sarahdavachi.com/

FRIDAY, JUNE 24th
_________________

BILL ORCUTT
(legendary guitarist from Harry Pussy - cross between blues, punk, and free improv. AMAZING)
http://palilalia.com/

KEVIN DRUMM
(Chicago prepared guitar/laptop legend)
https://kevindrumm.bandcamp.com/

SISSY SPACEK
(John Wiese led noisecore heavyweights)
http://www.gorejet.com/

C SPENCER YEH
(New York residing local legend of voice and violin)
http://www.dronedisco.com/

WHAT THE FUCK

haha i have a friend who loves John Bender but hates (well that might be a bit strong, but he has a major annoyance w/) Superior Viaduct.

What's the annoyance?

dude's store (physical store) is overpriced, and he had one of his employees follow my friend through the store as if he was going to steal shit.

is the reissue different stuff from the VOD stuff?

also i am convinced that cincinnati is a really cool city even tho i have never been there so this may be the motivation

I keep hoping for a CD reissue of that VOD box. I might even pay for a digital download but would really very much prefer not to

good lord VOD is putting out a Don Slepian 1971-1983 release they are INSANE

visit the Zaha Hadid designed art museum.

visiting Cincinnati in late June sounds as appealing as visiting Detroit in mid January

i have spent most of my life in the gulf south i fear nothing

a stronger person than i

good lord VOD is putting out a Don Slepian 1971-1983 release they are INSANE

― Milton Parker, Friday, April 1, 2016 11:47 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

<3 <3 <3 stoked

http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/artsmindsblog/john-bender-no-response-festival/

are you going?

whoa

On Sat June 18, John Bender will give his first-ever RADIO interview to Trash Flow Radio, which airs every Saturday from 3pm to 5pm US EDT on community radio station WAIF 88.3 FM in Cincinnati. Please tune in!

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDrrZhkApLWBDu9zLSogNMg

So, it looks like the return of John Bender resulted in nearly 100 Soundcloud + YouTube tracks in 2016 (98 to be exact, and they don't precisely overlap), 55 in 2017, and 17 in 2018...the latter two years also feature what I presume are live improvisations for performances of his)... and then only two in 2019, and then silence...I'm hoping he figured the second time around has its run and that he's still with us.

Covered here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EJ1fSGNpdt_kEajGHiptUwtm2Doe-NWMumsmNyCfblA/edit#gid=0

In the Modern (v2) tab.

Also have A Classic (V1) tab in case somebody stumbles into a cache of more self-released tapes or his full catalogue of tapes...

very cool, thanks

And here's an archive of all modern John Bender Soundcloud and YouTube offerings, in case either channel goes away...
https://mega.nz/folder/B4h2lSZA#X5C9l_3TKB5oKgCWBQpRxg

And here's an interview with him:
https://www.mixcloud.com/Radio-Arcane/radio-arcane-19-john-bender/

Glad Mr. Bender has his priorities straight

Favorites
john bender

An Intro to Making Generative Music on Modular [29:28]
Jamie Oliver Roast Shoulder of Lamb [8:02]

The Mixcloud interview confirms he just ran out of steam...and that he's still tinkering around but hasn't put anything up since early 2019...