Tom Nunn and David Michalak
T.D. Skatchit & Company
EDT4096

“Primal Utterance” – that is the nature of skatch. Articulations of shaped noise arising directly from the gut through the application of combs to cardboard and objects attached thereto. From these most humble of materials comes a new universe of sound reminiscent of wind, seashore, trees rustling, birds singing, frogs croaking, dogs barking, cats fighting, tires squealing, motors running. The skatchbox is an organic “synthesizer” of noise, but the noise is not synthetic; it is acoustic. With the simplest gesture, comb in hand, a rich complexity of sonic articulation arises effortlessly. Yet with study and practice, variegated techniques are developed in the use of the combs, themselves shaped so as to function most efficiently. Add to this the sophisticated talent of the guest improvisers presented here and one has a truly unique music.

"...with other varying objects and materials attached to the box, which are then "played" with plastic combs, the Scatchbox can generate enough scratchy, squeaky weirdness to belie its humble origin. Witness this so-called "recession era wonder" in action when Nunn and multi-instrumentalist David Michalak form the Skatchbox-playin' backbone of T.D. Skatchit & Company..."
- John Graham, SFWeekly

"...it sounds really, really wild." - J. Worley, Aiding & Abetting

"Tom Nunn and David Michalak are the maestros of the skatchbox, contructed out of cardboard boxes and played with combs. Is it dogs panting, or frogs croaking, pigs oinking, helicopters rotoring?"
Humana, KFJC 89.7 FM

"Nunn and Michalak form the core duo for this remarkable series of improvisational pieces featuring Nunn’s latest soundmaker– the Skatchbox...where alarmingly videogame-like Skatchbox sounds burble alongside the sing-song of what I’ll describe as Littlest Pet Shop jacuzzi erotica."
-DaveX, Startling Moniker

"The album teams up two skatchboxes with a third instrument. The results are colorful, unique (Nunn appears to have no set template for placing elements onto the boxes), and probably loads of fun to play with."
-Wedge, Memory Select
Tom Nunn - skatchbox
David Michalak – skatchbox

Guest Artists
Aurora – voice
David Slusser – Slussomatic
Chris Brown – electronics
Toyoji Tomita – trombone
Jon Raskin – bari saxophone
Leif Shaleford – viola
Karen Stackpole – gongs