About David
San Francisco-based bandleader, composer, improviser, and sonic architect. Being born with cerebral palsy has affected his body and speech, giving him a distinct view into his creative arts/music process and being largely a self-taught multi-instrumentalist.
He has performed and/or recorded with: Wadada Leo Smith, Pamela Z, Eddie Gale, Kidd Jordan, Paul Wexler, John Bergamo, Doug Ellington, Muruga Booker, James Gurley, Perry Robinson, Sikiru Adepoju, Jon Raskin, Timothy Orr, Patrick Cress, Sheila Bosco, amongst others.
zBug – improv-jazz unit
zBug is multi-instrumentalist David Leikam’s psychedelic jazz quartet. The group features David Leikam – NS Design CR6-string fretless bass guitar & cello, Moog Rogue synthesizer; Patrick Cress – saxophones; Doug Ellington – trumpet; and Timothy Orr – drums, percussion.
2022 Outsound New Music Summit: zBug (Celebrating Tom Nunn)
Endorsements
Sonic gear that David Leikam actively endorses and composes with live and in the recording studio.
Clayton USA offers a wide range of guitar accessories, including: guitar picks, custom guitar picks, guitar slides, guitar straps, guitar capos, and guitar polishes.
NS Design was founded in 1990 by the award winning instrument designer Ned Steinberger to design and produce bowed electric instruments that advance the state of the art.
Since its foundation in the early 1980s, Schertler Audio (SA) has launched a programme of passionate research that aims to achieve the highest levels of accuracy in the reproduction of acoustic stringed instrument sound.
Media
John Cage | Musicircus
Godwaffle Set
Discography
2017: delicateVIEWpoint ( s) – David Leikam, Joe Straub, Pamela Z
Debuts the live studio/radio broadcast sonic collaboration of David Leikam, Joe Straub, and Pamela Z from 2012 with additional mastering treatments in 2017.
2014: After the Ice Cream – David Leikam, Muruga Booker
The long awaited official release of David Leikam and Muruga Booker’s After the Ice Cream recorded in the summer of 2011 over a two week session at Sage Court Studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dedicated to John Bergamo (May 28, 1940 – October 19, 2013). Featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue, 4-string fretted electric bass, electronics (1-3); Muruga Booker – drums, beats, synthesizers (1-3); John Churchville – tabla (3).
2014: Lunar Frequencies / Solar Rhythms – David Leikam, Muruga Booker
The long awaited official release of David Leikam and Muruga Booker’s Lunar Frequencies / Solar Rhythms duet album recorded in the summer of 2011 over a two week session at Sage Court Studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue synthesizer and Muruga Booker – Nada Drum, atmosphere.
2014: Splitting Glass / Twilight Sunrise – zBug
Two live concert engagements in San Francisco, California at The Lab and Meridian Gallery featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue synthesizer, 4-string fretted electric bass; Sheila Bosco – drum set, percussion, electronics; Fred Malouf – electric guitar, electronics.
2011: Conduction of Friday Night Music (FNM 2001 – 2003) – David Leikam
Friday Night Music (FNM) was a creative arts collective based in the San Francisco Bay Area (1979-1994, 1999-2006) which David Leikam joined in 1985. This compilation covers pieces that he produced/conducted between 2001.05.25 through 2003.06.06 with featured members of FNM including Muruga Booker, Eddie Gale, James Gurley, Bill Leikam, Fred Malouf, and Craig Latta.
2011: The Wild Beast (Bootleg Series Vol. 1) – zBug
This is a bootleg recording from The Wild Beast Pavilion, CalArts z_Bug concert on 2010-10-09 featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue synthesizer, 4-string fretted electric bass, Zachary Morris – drum set, Sheila Bosco – drum set, Sean Price – electronics, laptop. This is the final performance with Zachary Morris in the zBug.
2011: Discovery of Systems – David Leikam, Joe Straub
LeiStra (David Leikam and Joe Straub) explores the delicate fabric of structured improvisational landscapes and atmospheric compositions. Discovery of Systems is a collection of duet improvisational compositions recorded live at Maybeck Studios in Berkeley, CA and there are no overdubs or mixing involved.
2009: Duets: A State of I – David Leikam
A collection of structured improvisational duet compositions with David Leikam featuring Eddie Gale, Areni Agbabian, Jason Shanks, Thomas Merácz, and Wadada Leo Smith.
2009: Passings of A Window Sil – zBug
Passings of A Window Sil is the second album recording by the industrial jazz unit zBug featuring guests Eric km Clark – amped violin and William C. Leikam – spoken words. Originally broadcast live on October 31, 2007 at KZSU 90.1FM, Stanford University but later reconstructed by David Leikam, mastered by Robert Rich, and a limited release in early 2009. Featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue synthesizer, 4-string fretted electric bass; Zachary Morris – drum set; Eric km Clark – amped violin; William C. Leikam – spoken words.
2008: Dance Clippings Volume 1 – David Leikam
This is a compilation of audio tracks composed specifically for modern dance choreography while David Leikam was studying music collaboration at CalArts (2004-06) except for Traffic Walk (1997) which was a sound design piece composed while he was studying audio engineering at the Musicians Institute (1996-97). Featuring David Leikam – electronics, piano, rhythms, textures.
2007: Mopus . 1 . . 2 . . . 3 – Tippo
Three quintet improvisations featuring David Leikam – Moog Rogue synthesizer; Zachary Morris – drum set; Areni Agbabian – piano, voice; Craig Latta –
2007: A Splic _ ing – David Leikam
Featuring David Leikam Trio, David Leikam Sextet, David Leikam Octet (Birth of zBug), Thomas Merácz and David Leikam, Areni Agbabian and David Leikam.
2007: 3, 2, 1 . . . Live! – zBug
The debut live in-studio recording of z_bug at KZSU 90.1FM, Stanford University in late 2007 as part of The Day of Noise Festival and debut of Sheila Bosco as a member of zBug.
2003: She Loves Another (and That’s OK ? ) – David Leikam
This is a 24:05 minute electric bass solo inspired by jEnny D. and transferred direct from analog cassette in mid-2003. Recorded and mixed on 2003.06.03. Sonic source: electric bass, crate amplifier, room space, mic. Sonic alterations: vox fuzz box, reverb, imaging. David Leikam – electric bass, ambient room.
2002: Tweak Twitch Smile / Waudiopaper I – David Leikam
This is the second album by David Leikam that was independently released in mid-April, 2002. It comprises of a early January 2001 42:55 techno brap and four other long form loops composed in late 2001.
2002: Meeting Thomas and Others Along The Way. . . (1996 – 2001) – David Leikam
The debut compilation album by David Leikam independently released in early 2002 that covers the years between late 1996 to early 2001 while studying audio engineering at the Musician’s Institute (1996-1997) and music composition at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts, 1998-2001).
1988: Opus 1 for Solo Piano – David Leikam
This is the debut recording of David Leikam’s solo studio composition Opus 1 at Friday Night Music in January of 1988. “Your piano playing sounds a lot like Keith Jarrett.” -Harry Lane Coleman, Creative Arts Improviser/Friday Night Music
Featured on:
2007: Moe! Staiano’s Moe!Kestra! – Two Rooms of Uranium Inside 83 Markers (Edgetone Records)
This album documents two live performances at the former venue, the Oakland Box Theater, in Oakland California. David Leikam is featured on track 2.
2002: Eddie Gale and his InnerPeace Orchestra : Concert For World Peace (Tracks: 7)
NOTE: David has been performing live and recording music in studio since 1987 (solo debut JAN 1988) with the local SFBA arts/music collective, Friday Night Music (1979-1994, 2000-2006) and other music/sonic engagements worldwide.