Psyops isn’t for the faint of heart; then again, restless devotees of new music and free improvisation already know it don’t come easy. But in the realm of acoust-electric, freely associative, you’ll-know-when-you-get-there sonic exploration, it doesn’t get much better, or at least wilder, than this. In his latest project, the trombonist/conceptualizer Jim Staley has gathered three like-minded artists: that is to say, they’re equally ready to leap into the void and test the currents. Psyops includes multinstrumentalist Zeena Parkins, known primarily as a harpist who uses giant electrified blocks of sound as her calling chord; the highly electric guitarist Chris Cochrane, who has been known to bounce kitchen knives off his guitar strings for effect; and drummer Ikue Mori, a veteran of the lower-east-side music scene who has taken the drum machine–that miracle of ersatz sound and monotonous timekeeping–and turned it into an unpredictable creative instrument. These folks are so out to lunch, they’re out to dinner, too. But the thrust of their intent remains dear; their deconstruction achieves completion; and their incorporation of electronic noise gives each musical collage a terrific kinetic boost. Tonight, 9 PM, Club Lower Links, 954 W. Newport; 248-5238.
