The Well-Tuned Iaeniaen
"The Well-Tuned Iaeniaen" is an exploration in the sonic possibilities of a family of instruments ​built by McCloud Zicmuse ​called "iaeniaens". ​ ​Iaeniaens are constructed intuitively with available materials, usually a tin can or wooden box, a stick, a string and a couple of screws. As such they are constantly changing​.
I​n an effort to document the range of each instrument's individual voice, ​ this recording​ concentrate​s​ on multi-tracking the one string iaeniaens, to explore the chordal and micro-tonal hazards resulting from the moiré-effect of the instrument's imprecision.
As the iaeniaen is not susceptible to "fine tuning" as the piano is (props to Le Monte Young and "The Well-Tuned Piano"), this allows for the weakness of the instrument​,​ it's lack of precise tuning mechanism and ​rough compone​n​ts, to be transformed into a sonic ​meditation where fragility is transformed into ​ strength.

History
The IAENIAEN was created by the sheer need to play music with limited resources.
In 2007, while on tour with ​with the project Le Ton mité, a guitar was stolen from the train in Lyon, France. This turned out to be the instrument of McCloud Zicmuse. So months later, when he found himself again in Lyon at an art residency that had no stipend, but with a lot of tools, he gathered up used guitar strings from the rehearsal studios located next door, and put together a series of rough instruments from recouperated materials: the IAENIAEN was born.
This instrument went on to become the foundation of a commercialy successful group in Belgium, a guest in many recordings and is the basis of The Instant Instrument Workshop.
​F​or more ​IAENIAEN, visit iaeniaen.zicmuse.com

McCloud Zicmuse
After years of intense activity in the musical and art scenes of North America, McCloud Zicmuse missed the plane that was to take him to his home in Olympia, Washington, and started to live between France, Sweden & Japan before finding roots in Brussels, Belgium. Known mainly for his work with his solo project Le Ton Mité, Zicmuse collaborates frequently with groups such as Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Microphones & Tenniscoats. He is also a bassoonist having been invited to play with Mt. Eerie, Chris Cohen, Félicia Atkinson, Half-Handed Cloud, Club des Chats & Congotronics vs Rockers, among others...
In addition to his life on tour, Zicmuse, holds workshops (how to build instruments out of garbage, creating temporary nations & making mistakes), studies and writes about folklore and co-runs with Anne Brugni a small scale gallery, publishing house, gallery, letterpress shop & hotel in Brussels.