Man Forever

In his side project Man Forever, Oneida drummer Kid Millions pushes the drum-circle format into an extreme, outsized domain. Though it shares the spirit of the Boredoms’ large-scale experiments—where the noise group once assembled nearly 100 percussionists for an outdoor jam—Man Forever operates with tighter control while retaining the same collective impulse. The ensemble formed around six players, among them the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Brian Chase, Awesome Color’s Allison Busch, Greg Fox, Ryan Sawyer, and Shahin Motia. Early performances targeted listeners in an altered state and incorporated projected visuals; the group also issued two albums on St. Ives, the self-titled Man Forever and Learned Helplessness in Rats: Rock Drummer. Seeking a more sympathetic home, the project later aligned with Thrill Jockey, whose catalog of avant, post-punk, and rhythm-driven work proved an ideal match. In 2012 Man Forever issued the expansive two-track set Pansophical Cataract. Two years afterward the ensemble joined So Percussion for the likewise two-song Ryonen, the first Man Forever recording to feature vocals. In 2017 the group delivered the ambitious, wide-ranging full-length Play What They Want, which drew on contributions from Yo La Tengo, Laurie Anderson, Mary Lattimore, and additional guests.