Tangled is an expansion on the chapbook started by Patrick Shiroishi, aiming to explore Asian American musicians in the experimental and avant-garde scene.

On this month’s episode, Patrick is joined by guest Max Jaffe.

Max Jaffe expands the boundaries of possibility for composition and collaboration through the drum set. His music draws from many different genres and seeks to break down the boundaries between them. He is part of a cutting edge of drummers that have embraced SUNHOUSE and their Sensory Percussion technology that has shifted the paradigm of the instrument. His powerful solo performances exploit the physicality of the drums to create narrative through movement, defying visual expectations and logic for what a “drum solo” can express.

As a collaborator, he is a longtime member of experimental rock collective JOBS and was a founding member of Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones, Leverage Models, and several other groups. He has worked with a diverse array of musical artists including Jeff Parker, Steph Richards, Peter Evans, Kid Millions, Rubblebucket, Delicate Steve, Landlady, Cass McCombs, Eden, Chrome Sparks, Oberhofer, Ava Mendoza, and many others. He has performed at a diverse range of festivals including Moers Festival, Big Ears, Panorama NYC, Berlin Jazz Festival, Movement Detroit, Vision Fest, and many others.

He is one third of a collaborative trio with Dave Harrington and Patrick Shiroishi, with whom he released the critically acclaimed Speak, Moment in 2024. The group’s transcendent live performances have quickly garnered him a growing reputation and fanbase on the West Coast.