Burke has been experimenting with sound since 1981 following, and inspired by seeing, the final two performances by Throbbing Gristle. He began working with Mitch Enderle soon after. The original formation of IOS began in 1983 when Burke began working with the avant-rock group Dot Dot Dot (Thymme Jones, Chris Block, Jef Bek, Rross Feller). This incarnation of the group was based on free form improvisation. It was Burke's first musical collaboration with others, and for the other members it was a release from conventional musical structures (Jazz & Rock), venturing into noise and textural atmospheres. The first live performance of IOS was on June 17, 1983. This incarnation of IOS did 2 more performances in the Chicago area in 1984. Burke continued to work with Enderle during this time and in 1985 also began to work with Mark Klein and Mark Sorensen.

In 1986 Burke and Thymme Jones founded their Complacency label in order to release the work of IOS and Cheer-Accident (Jones' rock group, and solo music project). In 1986, "Its A Dead Dog" - the first of 12 IOS cassettes - was released on Complacency, and IOS began performing live again. Until 1988, although he continued to work with Jones & Block (ex Dot Dot Dot), most of the recordings and performances were done with the lineup of Burke, Enderle, Klein, & Sorensen (all of whom shared more similar musical inspiration, as well as a background in Visual Arts). In 1988, in association with RRRecords, IOS released their first vinyl LP "More Violence and Geography" on Complacency. In mid 1988 Jim O'Rourke began working with IOS, and soon after Mark Sorensen relocated to the bay area. Over the next few years IOS began to perform more frequently, including some performances outside the Chicago area. In 1991, "Historical", the first IOS CD was released by the Dutch label Staalplaat. The recordings were done by Burke, O'Rourke, Block, Enderle, Jones, & Klein, and feature some of the earliest use of sampling & sequencing technology by the group.

Since this period the lineup for live performance has been fluctuating, but on tour it has been primarily Burke paired with one other member. The recordings have always varied from solo work to full group participation. The use of DAT tape and Sampling/Sequencing technology showed a strong influence on the next six CD releases (Inside Agitator, Cancer, Probe, Distraction, Rules Of The Game, and Water Seeks Its Own Level). In October of 1992 Burke & O'Rourke composed and recorded the "Probe" CD, to be released by Staaplaat, and also did the first European IOS tour. Ten performances were held in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. Early in 1993 O'Rourke stopped working with IOS in order to pursue his own solo projects. During 1993 Burke & Jones began rehearsing for and embarked on the first U.S. east coast tour by IOS. Recordings from these performances became "From Nothing To Less", a CD they released on Complacency in 1995. This period also saw IOS returning to a more organic electro-acoustic approach, still relying on electronics and location recordings, but with far less use of sampled sources, loops, & sequences. In 1994 Burke began working with Kurt Greisch and in April 1995 Burke & Greisch embarked on a Western U.S. tour performing their sample-based composition entitled Fin De Siecle (later released as an LP on Korm Plastics). This was immediately followed by eight performances in Europe consisting of electronic/electro-acoustic improvisation. During this tour they also recorded their Mort aux Vaches CD for Staalplaat and VPRO radio. During 1995-96 performances were given in Chicago with new collaborators including Kevin Drumm, Ben Vida, Darren Gray, and Jeb Bishop, many of these characterized by subtle improvisation and quiet passages.

Performance frequency began increasing at this time reaching a peak in 1997 when 28 performances were held. During 1997, Burke & Klein completed the recordings for Of and The (their double ambient CD, to be released by Soleilmoon), and then embarked on the first 7 shows of the third European tour (in Germany, Sweden, and Austria). Burke then completed the tour doing 14 more solo performances in Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands (where he recorded another Mort Aux Vaches CD for Staalplaat and VPRO radio). The Portland Oregon-based Label Soleilmoon released the Of & The CD later that year and also released their 13th CD, Bad Karma, in 1998. On October 8 1997, Burke returned to the bay area for a performance/lecture at Mills College in Oakland, followed by four performances with Thomas Dimuzio (which were later edited and released on the Sonoris label in France as "Hz"). Staalplaat relesed the second IOS Mort Aux Vauches CD (their 14th) in 1998. The only new recording for release done since that time was a composition for the Viennese label klang galerie compilation CD entitled "Thirteen". Structured by Burke in Early 1999, the track shows a new form for IOS recordings in computer deconstruction, utilizing a live performance in Vienna from 1997 as source material. The track was the feature recording on Immaterial Incorporated- Web Sound Art Projects website for July 2000. As of June 2000, Burke has again begun doing live solo performances as IOS, including 7 performances on tour with Noisegate.

Performance History