About Wasteland Jazz Unit

Wasteland Jazz Unit is the duo of John Rich and Jon Lorenz, on amplified reeds. For many traveling artists and musicians, the two are known as the curators and keepers of the Art Damage Lodge space in Cincinnati OH, as well as members of the Art Damage nonprofit organization and community radio program. However, WJU are no mere 'house band' -- from their first live performance, they have established themselves as a rising entity in Midwestern underground sound action. The Wasteland marries a physical punk fury with third-ear vertically-explosive frequency combat -- a tenacious yet open spirit which has drawn other area artists keen to bathe in this energy, including C. Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core), and Ryan Jewell (Pink Reason, Psychedelic Horseshit). A meeting of all four players had been captured and released on CD-R by Valerio Cosi's Dreamsheep label as "Ohio Ghastly Soil." At the turn of the 08 - 09, they are finally paying their dues on proper vinyl formats, including a split 12" with Talibam! on the "ecstatic jazz" series of the Thor's Rubber Hammer label, and a split 12" with Cardboard Sax (Wolf Eyes' John Olson + Michigan weirdos Uneven Universe) on Community College Records. Thor's Rubber Hammer description: "Wasteland Jazz Unit gurgles shrapnel on two rippers for amplified saxophone (Jon Lorenz) and clarinet (John Rich). Cincinnati's premier Art Damage skater-jazz crew... deliver an aural abuse that just ruins your day." http://www.myspace.com/wastelandjazzunit