Bang on a Can

Operation Chaos owes its title to the work of the distinguished psycho-pharmacologist Sidney Gottlieb. In a research program undertaken under the auspices of the CIA, Dr. Gottlieb administered a variety of mind-altering substances to unwitting subjects. The experimental data collected from these experiments would serve as the basis of for several covert operations which significantly advanced our global geo-political interests. The piece reflects the concerns of Dr. Gottlieb's work, known to the agency as Operation Chaos. As such it deals primarily with drastic, enforced, and involuntary alterations in consciousness. Operation Chaos was commissioned by Bang on a Can with funds provided by the Jerome foundation. It received its premiere performance by the Bang on a Can All-Stars in May 1999. -John Halle