He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Sounds
Brother Ong
http://soundcloud.com/miketamburo/sets/brother-ong/
Mike Tamburo
http://miketamburo.bandcamp.com/
Brother Ong is the reincarnation of Mike Tamburo. He currently pursues his musical and spiritual interests in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - playing the shahi baaja, harmonica, hammered dulcimer, guitar, gong, singing bowls, swarmandal, bells, tanpura, voice, percussion, keys and electronics. He teaches and practices Kundalini Yoga and Sound Yoga/Healing. He focuses on using sound to envelop and transform his students, clients and listeners.
TRANSFORMATIONS
A long time ago in a reality far far away, Mike Tamburo took it upon himself to begin a series of experiments. His first experiments began when his parents purchased his first tape recorder for his fourth birthday. Young Tamburo deemed it an audio time machine and quickly began work that would evolve over the years as he grew into bouncing audio between tape decks and vcrs to four tracks, delays, loopers and eventually digital manipulation.
Though originally interested in simply documenting only his voice, other people's conversations and whatever was happening around him, Tamburo's investigation into his father's LP collection left him wanting to be a part of the musical archiving craze that had swept the twentieth century. He began to play guitar and effects as well as anything that was around. He found various musical collaborators in his youth and started his first cassette label (less=more) when he was only 14. He has gone on to run a number of small press labels - Gingkoba, New American Folk Hero and Sounds Eternal.
An autodidact by nature Tamburo spent much of his youth in the library, the bathtub (still his favorite place of study) or in his parents basement studying religion, music, tuning, recording techniques, late 20th century culture, alternative playing techniques, painting, film making and cross referencing. He continues to teach himself music on a number of instruments and always finds joy in trying something new.
In 1996 he teamed up with life long friends Ken Camden and Pete Spynda and together they started the workings of what would become Meisha. Meisha performed intricate counterpunctual guitar based space music. In Tamburo's eyes the hours spent in Camden basement taught him the foundations of music that would affect his writing and playing for the rest of his life. Meisha had several releases through the years and did 2 successful tours.
Tamburo returned to Edinboro University in 1998 to continue his film studies, creating a number of fast paced hand painted animations with the purpose of altering the viewers consciousness. He moved into a beehive like commune Space Fortress One and Two - where each apartment housed an interesting human or humans. Several of the humans were Matt Mcdowell, Jeff Komara and Rob Dingman. They started jamming together and soon were joined by Pete Spynda. The five of them formed Arco Flute Foundation. Arco released several albums and did a number of tours and spawned various side projects.
In 2004 Tamburo began his solo musical career and has toured the USA extensively releasing a number of releases including 2 box sets. He collaborated with a number of bands and artists through these years (Natura Nasa, Psych Frost, In the Belly of the Whale, Tusk Lord, A Collaboration, Chaob, The Universal Orchestra of Pituitary Knowledge, White Tail and many duos).
He semi-retired from being MIke Tamburo in 2010 and emerged as Brother Ong in 2011.
His adventures in Yoga and consciousness began at conception but really took off around his 14th birthday with his initiation into The Brotherhood of the Waving Hand. It was during this initiation that he first experienced the powerful effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. As the flood gates poured open, Tamburo added another course of study in his experimentations - his own consciousness. He has spent the rest of his days exploring these realms - first through furthur psychotropic investigations and eventually leading his life to a discipline of Yoga and Meditation as well as experiments with dream machines, mind machines,psychedelic light shows, orgone energy therapy and isolation tanks. In 2008 he dedicated himself to the practice of Kundalini Yoga,
He currently practices and teaches Nada Yoga and Kundalini Yoga in Pittsburgh Pa
All Blessings to Sayas Ser.
To be continued...
A long time ago in a reality far far away, Mike Tamburo took it upon himself to begin a series of experiments. His first experiments began when his parents purchased his first tape recorder for his fourth birthday. Young Tamburo deemed it an audio time machine and quickly began work that would evolve over the years as he grew into bouncing audio between tape decks and vcrs to four tracks, delays, loopers and eventually digital manipulation.
Though originally interested in simply documenting only his voice, other people's conversations and whatever was happening around him, Tamburo's investigation into his father's LP collection left him wanting to be a part of the musical archiving craze that had swept the twentieth century. He began to play guitar and effects as well as anything that was around. He found various musical collaborators in his youth and started his first cassette label (less=more) when he was only 14. He has gone on to run a number of small press labels - Gingkoba, New American Folk Hero and Sounds Eternal.
An autodidact by nature Tamburo spent much of his youth in the library, the bathtub (still his favorite place of study) or in his parents basement studying religion, music, tuning, recording techniques, late 20th century culture, alternative playing techniques, painting, film making and cross referencing. He continues to teach himself music on a number of instruments and always finds joy in trying something new.
In 1996 he teamed up with life long friends Ken Camden and Pete Spynda and together they started the workings of what would become Meisha. Meisha performed intricate counterpunctual guitar based space music. In Tamburo's eyes the hours spent in Camden basement taught him the foundations of music that would affect his writing and playing for the rest of his life. Meisha had several releases through the years and did 2 successful tours.
Tamburo returned to Edinboro University in 1998 to continue his film studies, creating a number of fast paced hand painted animations with the purpose of altering the viewers consciousness. He moved into a beehive like commune Space Fortress One and Two - where each apartment housed an interesting human or humans. Several of the humans were Matt Mcdowell, Jeff Komara and Rob Dingman. They started jamming together and soon were joined by Pete Spynda. The five of them formed Arco Flute Foundation. Arco released several albums and did a number of tours and spawned various side projects.
In 2004 Tamburo began his solo musical career and has toured the USA extensively releasing a number of releases including 2 box sets. He collaborated with a number of bands and artists through these years (Natura Nasa, Psych Frost, In the Belly of the Whale, Tusk Lord, A Collaboration, Chaob, The Universal Orchestra of Pituitary Knowledge, White Tail and many duos).
He semi-retired from being MIke Tamburo in 2010 and emerged as Brother Ong in 2011.
His adventures in Yoga and consciousness began at conception but really took off around his 14th birthday with his initiation into The Brotherhood of the Waving Hand. It was during this initiation that he first experienced the powerful effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. As the flood gates poured open, Tamburo added another course of study in his experimentations - his own consciousness. He has spent the rest of his days exploring these realms - first through furthur psychotropic investigations and eventually leading his life to a discipline of Yoga and Meditation as well as experiments with dream machines, mind machines,psychedelic light shows, orgone energy therapy and isolation tanks. In 2008 he dedicated himself to the practice of Kundalini Yoga,
He currently practices and teaches Nada Yoga and Kundalini Yoga in Pittsburgh Pa
All Blessings to Sayas Ser.
To be continued...