ZBS Foundation, a small

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

audio production company, was founded by Thomas Lopez (aka "Meatball Fulton") in 1970 with a grant from Robert E. Durand as a working commune, located on a donated farm in

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long ...

. ZBS stands for "Zero Bull Shit". The commune's purpose was to raise consciousness through media, specifically full-cast

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

s. The foundation is "one of the most prolific producers of contemporary radio drama." The commune started with 18 people, and an island in the Hudson River was chosen as the location because it was between New York City and Montreal. Eventually, the commune disintegrated, and the foundation moved to create an artists-in-residence program over the next decade.

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Genera ...

recorded at ZBS in 1981, and

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

visited in 1975.

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimalism, being built up from repetitive ...

also worked on the opera ''

Einstein on the Beach ''Einstein on the Beach'' is an opera in four acts composed by Philip Glass and directed by theatrical producer Robert Wilson, who also collaborated with Glass on the work's libretto. The opera eschews traditional narrative in favor of a formali ...

'' at ZBS. The residency program ended in the mid 1980s. The foundation also became the outlet for audio dramas written by writer/producer Lopez. His dramatic programs, notably '' Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe'', ''

The Fourth Tower of Inverness ''The Fourth Tower of Inverness'' is a 1972 radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the first of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of American culture and Old-time radio, with metaphysical concepts such as pa ...

'' and ''Travels with Jack Flanders'', are noted for their meticulous production values and

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

mysticism. Lopez has won numerous awards including the

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international Television, Radio-broadcasting and Web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with th ...

, and his work enjoys a cult following. ZBS did a 1984-85 radio series, ''

The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz ''The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz'' was a 1984 binaural radio drama series produced by Thomas Lopez and the ZBS Foundation for NPR. At the beginning of each show, it was suggested that listeners wear headphones. Production “Fritz” was the nickn ...

'', later releasing some shows in the series on cassettes and CDs. These productions were recorded binaurally using a Neumann Ku81 Kunstkopf microphone. ZBS also produced a widely acclaimed dramatization of

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high ...

's '' The Mist'', recording in binaural sound.

Releases

References

External links

ZBS Foundation

Whirlitzer of Wisdoms

NATF Interview with Thomas Lopez
by the National Audio Theatre Festival, an organization that includes Lopez as one of its advisors.
Artist in Residence program

The Great ZBS Data Collection
{{Authority control Mass media companies of the United States American artist groups and collectives