Clang Quartet
Clang Quartet is the musical project of Scotty Irving (drummer for Spirit Of Hamlet, Geezer Lake, Eugene Chadbourne, and others) self described as “HARSH NOISE, DRUMS, PERFORMANCE ART FOR JESUS since 1997”. Clang Quartet can’t be contained by genre. A true industrial renegade from Stokesdale NC, Scotty has performed with artists like Mike Watt, Ariel Pink, Acid Mothers Temple, Z’EV, and countless more.
Scotty has been persevering under the moniker of Clang Quartet for over two decades. Refining his long form improvisational performances that utilize homemade instruments, sculptures, masks, and divine inspiration, into unforgettable moments in time. How does someone who has so brutally never fit in with his church, his peers, or noise music as a whole find the drive to keep going? Scotty believes in himself and his righteous acts of expression. He doesn’t know if what he makes will resonate or make a difference to those around him but he believes in the work. He believes in what he is putting out into the universe. He believes in humankind’s overarching search for peace through art and expression. Clang Quartet’s output can at times be as ugly as it is enthralling, and as brutal as it is endearing. Every coin has two sides. We believe in Scotty and so should you.
PRESS
“These songs are documents from his time bracing himself against the void, gazing past its endless dark reflection to discover hope and maybe even a way forward.” – Beats Per Minute
“With poignant lyricism that cuts to the core of the difficulties of trying to uphold radical Jesus’ values amongst other so-called Christians and in a country where political far-right dogma is often pushed as the “true” form of Christianity, Clang Quartet holds true to a faith far more inspired.” – Sub//Genre
“F. Scott Fitzgerald said that the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas at the same time and still function, which is a fine description of Scotty’s peculiar genius; how he balances his animating contradictions by embodying their best aspects and disregarding their conflicts, finding equilibrium.” – Indy Week
‘[Music Video] Clang Quartet’s intense, Expressionist-themed, monochromatic performance art is juxtaposed with stock footage of cathedrals, holy relics, saints and ecclesiastical architecture.’ – Post-Punk.com
“On ‘A Slow Death For The Peacemaker’, harsh noises are more conservative and are augmented by spoken word segments and bits of contemporary instrumental parts. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a sense of pandemonium, because this albums is a breakout achievement for the Noise Ambient genre.” – The Dungeon In Deep Space
‘Throughout, Irving expresses opinions regarding spirituality & education. This stuff ROCKS like Caroliner Rainbow used to rock! Great.’ – Improvijazzation
On the beat with Scotty Irving of Clang Quartet – Modern Drummer
Performer likes marching to a different drum – Greensboro News & Record