Pointless Orchestra is a group that combines instruments/tunings from several different cultures with improvisation and extended playing techniques. Founded in 1993, the group continues to resist pop music elements in its work, preferring, instead, to focus on unique ways of structuring music. The result is a unique stew of sounds that challenges the listener to hear music with new ears.

The music of Pointless Orchestra ranges from soundtrack-like collages to multicultural jams to chamber music, with a wide array of stylistic approaches examined along the way. Unlike "New Age" groups that are committed to playing pretty fluff that practically begs to be ignored, the music of Pointless Orchestra is often ominous, intense, and strangely eclectic. A typical performance includes pieces for koto, djembe, sitar, double bass, gu zheng, didgeridoo, english horn, waterphone, tambura, violin, kulintang, cello, and harmonic singing along with an array of multimedia elements.

The group is made up of a constantly changing lineup of musicians from a number of different musical backgrounds. The most regular members are Mike Hovancsek (a therapist and multi-instrumentalist who combines his interest in world music with an assortment of theories about perception and cognitive processing), David Badagnani (a doctoral student in world music who is proficient on a number of instruments from different cultures), and Mark Allender (a percussionist and string player who has worked in a variety of folk and experimental groups in the U.S. and in Korea).

Pointless Orchestra has performed in numerous international music festivals, multimedia events, live radio broadcasts, movie soundtracks, and on a number of international CD releases. They have worked with a wide array of avant-garde music luminaries, including Jin Hi Kim, Amy Denio, Joseph Celli, Illusion of Safety, and Halim El-Dabh. Their first full-length CD on Without Fear Recordings, Approaching Totality reached top airplay status on several radio stations around the world and received critical acclaim in the press.

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