Curable Interns

Encyclopedia : C : CU : CUR : Curable Interns

Whether or not there is, or ever was, a working band called the Curable Interns is questionable. Apparently the “Curable Interns” name refers to various groups of musicians recruited “as needed” by avant garde guitarist Kenneth Johnston for recording and performing purposes during the 1980s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. The style of music is mostly instrumental and ranges from traditional acoustic guitar blues to very atonal explorations obviously inspired by the work of artists like The Residents. There are several privately released recordings mostly from tapes of live performances credited to The Curable Interns although most are very poorly recorded. Nevertheless, material from these recordings has received airplay since 2002 mostly in Europe, including a “mini-special” on the music of Kenneth Johnston broadcast on Radio Centraal from Belgium in summer 2005. In the 1980s Kenneth Johnston developed a solo act which he performed mostly at regional art galleries. The performances centered around the use of “prepared” guitars to produce ambient music and atmospheric sound effects. (See also Brian Eno, Fred Frith, Derek Bailey). These were instruments – some homemade – that were mechanically modified in some way to NOT sound like a guitar. Rather than rely on electronic devices to alter the sound of an electric guitar, “preparations” such as weaving metal nails between the strings, using a plastic coathanger as a bow, or using extra pickups along the neck of the instrument were used to create exotic sounds. See also Prepared_guitar

Recommended recording: A Texas Travel Guide: The Best of Kenneth Johnston and The Curable Interns Vol. 2

Website (external link): [link]Curable Interns

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