The Nihilist Spasm Band

The Nihilist Spasm Band is a Canadian free noise ensemble formed in London, Ontario in 1965. The group — which has included Art Pratten, John Boyle, Bill Exley, and others over the decades — performs on handmade and modified instruments, producing free improvised music that has no concern for conventional pitch, rhythm, or structure.

Active for over fifty years with a stable rotating membership, they are one of the longest-running free noise groups in the world. They perform regularly at their home base in London, Ontario, and have toured internationally, maintaining a resolutely amateur and anti-professional ethos throughout.