John Dierker and Jeff Arnal's shared passion for experimentation has led to three decades of musical collaboration. Their latest work, Astral Chronology, features four expressive pieces that wobble and pulse with sparks of noise and lyricism. Their music pushes boundaries and explores eclectic influences and raw spontaneity.

Dierker and Arnal studied under composer Stuart Saunders Smith, who expanded their musical horizons with complex notation, innovative techniques, trans-media scores, Microtonality, and layered rhythms. The duo grew out of the Spy Satellite rehearsal group, a Baltimore-based collective dedicated to exploring new sounds by mixing free improvisation, jazz, and classical music. Throughout the 1990s, they performed in a wide range of non-commercial venues, eventually performing several concerts at the Knitting Factory in 1997.

Astral Chronology highlights Dierker's mastery of the bass clarinet and tenor saxophone alongside Arnal's skillful percussion, field recordings, and electronics. The outcome is a harmonious fusion of noise, amplified drums, and subtle melodies, interweaving natural sounds, tapes, and extended instrumental techniques.

"Multi-reedman John Dierker has become a major improvisational stylist... interweaving concepts augmented by howling lines, injections of blues-drenched choruses and Albert Ayler-like display of energy." (All About Jazz) A Baltimore, Maryland native Dierker has worked in a wide variety of musical settings collaborating with Peter Zummo, Jason Willett, Jad Fair, The Basement Boys, Dave Ballou, Ches Smith, Oscar Noriega, Paul Dunmall, Michael Formanek, Wilbert de Joode, Darius Jones, Jeff Carey, Gerald Cleaver, Audrey Chen, Tony Malaby, William Parker, Peter Kowald, Mario Pavone, Chris Corsano, Marty Ehrlich, and Pascal Niggenkemper to name a few. John is a longtime member of Lafayette Gilchrist and The New Volcanoes. Currently, he is working with Microkingdom and freelancing in the Baltimore/D.C. area.

"Arnal's ability to splinter all types of pulse in a perfectly natural way, generating multiple rhythmic tides that manage to surprise even when characterized by a perceptible swing feel, reflects a flexibility of expression comparable to that of his mentor Milford Graves." (Massimo Ricci, The Squid's Ear) Jeff Arnal is a percussionist based in Asheville, NC, who has been active as an artist, curator, and community organizer since the 1990s. He has performed in a wide variety of concerts and festivals, including a series of duo concerts with free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle in 2002, a trio concert at the Vision Festival with John Dierker and Gordon Beeferman in 2008, and his percussion duo with Michael Evans, performed live on WFMU radio and at the Issue Project Room in 2009. His music can be heard on several independent record labels, including Transit and Quadrologues with Seth Misterka, Reuben Radding, and Nate Wooley on Clean Feed, and his 2022 album with Curt Cloninger, Drum Major Instinct on Mahakala Music. In 2022, Drum Major Instinct performed at the Catalytic Sound Festival, and in 2023, he toured and recorded in Germany and Lithuania with pianist Dietrich Eichmann and a guest appearance by Liudas Mockūnas.