Tom Katsimpalis
Biota is an American experimental electronic music ensemble. Musical career Amid a fertile creative environment in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the late 1970s, Biota's first recording projects were produced under the name Mnemonist Orchestra (shortened soon after to Mnemonists). Founded by fellow scientists and community radio engineers Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp, the Mnemonists ensemble of artists, musicians, and college-town bohemians released five self-styled albums between 1980 and 1984 on the group's Dys label. '' Horde'' (1981, Dys), a seminal album of electronically processed music, garnered critical attention — including from the Recommended Records/RēR label, who rereleased the LP in 1984 — for its groundbreaking use of unconventional sound manipulation and musique concrète techniques. After the release of '' Gyromancy'' in 1984, the group split into two collaborative factions: a visual-arts collective, which retained the name Mnemonists, and the musical grou ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver. ..., United States. The city population was 169,810 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, an increase of 17.94% since 2010 United States Census, 2010. Fort Collins is the principal city of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a major city of the Front Range Urban Corridor. The city is the Colorado municipalities by population, fourth most populous city in Colorado. Situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Fort Collins is a midsize college town, home to Colorado State University an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rackabones
''Rackabones'' is the sixth studio album by the free improvisation ensemble Biota, released in 1985 by Dys Records. The album marked the official beginning of Biota as an ensemble separate from the Mnemonists name. (The name Mnemonists has continued to be retained for the group's visual output.) Track listing Personnel Adapted from the ''Rackabones'' liner notes. ;Biota * Carol Heineman – instruments, production * Tom Katsimpalis – instruments, production, illustrations * Mark Piersel – instruments, production, mixing * Steve Scholbe – instruments, production, mixing * William Sharp – instruments, production, mixing * Randy Yeates – instruments, production ;Production and additional personnel * George Harms – photography * Carol Heineman – design * Tom Katsimpalis – illustrations * Bruce Leek – engineering Release history References External links ''Rackabones''at Discogs Disc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Set Fire To Flames
Set Fire to Flames was a Canadian instrumental music ensemble consisting of thirteen musicians from Montreal, Quebec." Set Fire to Flames Sings Reign Rebuilder Review" ''BBC'', Dan Hill, 2002. The band was often considered a side project of , as the two groups shared several members. History Set Fire to Flames was initiated by David Bryant. The group released two s on ...
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Invisible Map
''Invisible Map'' is the twelfth studio album by experimental music ensemble Biota, released on June 5, 2001 by ReR Megacorp. Reception AllMusic.com states, "With its wide range covering delicate post-folkish pop songs to ambient soundscapes, ''Invisible Map'' may be the collective's most accomplished and accessible release to date. All music styles (folk, jazz, blues, rock, musique concrète, free improv, etc.) coalesce to be filtered through the dreamer's ears — background vocals are slightly treated, soloing instruments are heard from a distance, rhythm tracks are deliberately just a bit out of sync. This way, the simple tunes never really come into focus, giving the whole album an aura of mystery." Track listing Personnel Adapted from the ''Invisible Map'' liner notes. ;Biota * James Gardner – Rhodes piano, flugelhorn, trumpet, flute, Irish tin whistle, percussion * Geneviève Heistek – lead vocals, backing vocals, violin * Tom Katsimpalis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Forever Einstein
Forever Einstein is an avant-garde band formed in 1989, and described as a, "very smart trio,"(1992). ''Option magazine'', Issues 42-47, p.106. Sonic Options Network. The band's music is characterized by tightly arranged sections which and rapid mood changes within the same piece. The music is strictly instrumental and draws equally from jazz, rock, surf rock, American folk and other forms. One reviewer described the band's sound as "Mozart on crack." The band consists of original members John Roulat (drums and percussion) and Charles O'Meara, aka C.W. Vrtacek (guitars, keyboards). The band features bassist Kevin Gerety on acoustic and electric fretless basses and Warr Guitar. Past members include original bassist Marc Sichel and Jack Vees. The band was a featured act at the annual MIMI festival of progressive music in France (1991) and Prog Day in North Carolina (2003). They are known for tightly weaving a variety of styles such as folk, surf-rock, jazz, metal, country and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Charles O'Meara
Charles O'Meara (March 13, 1953 – October 20, 2018) better known as C.W. Vrtacek, was an American multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was a founding member of Forever Einstein and group member with Biota. Career Vrtacek took up guitar at the age of 11, and played in the band Dancing Lessons before starting Forever Einstein with Dancing Lessons drummer John Roulat. Vrtacek claimed to be influenced by anything from rock, folk, jazz, blues, ska, punk, avant garde, classical, to Irish music. He also cited unorthodox things such as church hymns, cartoon music, and the sounds made by pinball machines as being inspirational. His solo music drew equally from the dissonances of Stockhausen and Varese as well as the melodies of French impressionists such as Erik Satie and Maurice Ravel, and also used tape loops. In 2013, Vrtacek, along with Nick Didkovsky of Doctor Nerve, conceived and released the " $100 Guitar Project", a recorded project based upon the "journey" of a guitar ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hail (band)
Hail are an American indie/punk band with an avant-garde twist consisting of Susanne Lewis (vocals, guitar, main composer and lyricist) and Bob Drake (bass). The band has also had guest appearances from Mike Johnson, Dave Kerman, Chris Cutler and Bill Gilonis. Ear - Volume 14 - Page 52 1989 BOB DRAKE, Mike Johnson, and Susanne Lewis have recorded in any of their various bands, which include Cage of Reason, Corpses as Bed- mates, and Hail. Discography Albums include ''Gypsy Cat & Gypsy Bird'' (1988), ''Turn of the Screw'' (1990) and ''Kirk'' (1992). In 2006, Lewis and Drake released a new Hail album, ''Hello Debris'', on Recommended Records. Lewis also collaborated with Azalia Snail Azalia Snail is an American avant-garde singer-songwriter and musician. She is a multi-instrumentalist active in neo-psychedelia, psychedelic folk and indie rock, played a prominent role in the 1990s lo-fi music scene, and was dubbed the "Que ... for the Hail/Snail album ''How to Live with a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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News From Babel
News from Babel were an English avant-rock group founded in 1983 by Chris Cutler, Lindsay Cooper, Zeena Parkins and Dagmar Krause. They made two studio albums with several guest musicians (including Robert Wyatt) and disbanded in 1986. History In the wake of English avant-rock group Henry Cow (1968–1978), Art Bears (1978–1981), a song-oriented group, was formed by three of Henry Cow's members, drummer Chris Cutler, multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith and singer Dagmar Krause. In Art Bears' wake, News from Babel emerged in 1983, comprising Cutler, Krause, Henry Cow woodwind player Lindsay Cooper, and United States harpist Zeena Parkins. It was Parkins's first "rock group" and the first time she had recorded with her harp. This new group followed the song-oriented approach of Art Bears, but with a different musical emphasis. Cooper composed the music and Cutler wrote the song texts. News from Babel were purely a studio group, and its formation, name and first album were inspired ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Henry Cow
Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, bassist John Greaves, and bassoonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper were important long-term members alongside Frith and Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial attitude kept them at arm's length from the mainstream music business, enabling them to experiment at will. Critic Myles Boisen writes, " heir soundwas so mercurial and daring that they had few imitators, even though they inspired many on both sides of the Atlantic with a blend of spontaneity, intricate structures, philosophy, and humor that has endured and transcended the ' progressive' tag." While it was generally thought that Henry Cow took their name from 20th-century American composer Henry Cowell, this has been repeatedly denied by band members. According to Hodgkinson, the name "He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Object Holder
''Object Holder'' is the eleventh studio album by the experimental music ensemble Biota, released in 1995 by ReR Megacorp. Track listing Personnel Adapted from the ''Object Holder'' liner notes. ;Biota * James Gardner – piano, flugelhorn, nae แน (hextuple reed instrument) * Tom Katsimpalis – guitar, clavioline, pump organ * Susanne Lewis – lead vocals, backing vocals * Steve Scholbe – bass clarinet, alto saxophone, clarinet, guitar, zither, rubab, Hawaiian tremoloa, hurdy-gurdy * William Sharp – hurdy-gurdy, tape, engineering * C.W. Vrtacek – piano * Gordon H. Whitlow – Rhodes piano, Estepump organ accordion, xylophone, guitar, mandolin, whistle * Larry Wilson – drums, bongos, congas, Madal, Tar, percussion ;Additional musicians * Chris Cutler – electronics and percussion (4, 14, 20, 23) * Andy Kredt – guitar (12, 19, 23) * Randy Yeates – keyboards (2, 13, 18), mbira (1) ;Produc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Almost Never (album)
''Almost Never'' is the tenth studio album by experimental music ensemble Biota, released in 1992 by ReR Megacorp. The album focuses compositionally upon three electroacoustic suites for winds, strings, and processed acoustic/ethnic/antique instrumentation ("Burn Daylight" – "Circling These" – "Old Reason Road"). Track listing Personnel Adapted from the ''Almost Never'' liner notes. ;Biota * James Gardner – Rhodes piano, tape, flugelhorn * Tom Katsimpalis – guitar, bass guitar, banjo, ukulele, harmonica, Rhodes piano, pump organ, percussion, cover art, design * Steve Scholbe – bass clarinet, alto saxophone, guitar, banjo, ukulele, zither, recorder, harmonica, percussion * William Sharp – hurdy-gurdy, tape, engineering * Gordon H. Whitlow – harp, Rhodes piano, Estepump organ concert (low) whistle * Larry Wilson – drums ;Additional musicians * Randy Yeates – mbira and steel drums (13) ;Production and additional ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tumble (album)
''Tumble'' is the ninth studio album by the experimental electronic music ensemble Biota, released in 1989 by ReR Megacorp. Background The album was commissioned by the ReR label for the purposes of "using the maximum available parameters offered" by the nascent compact disc recording medium. Track listing Personnel Adapted from the ''Tumble'' liner notes. ;Biota * Tom Katsimpalis – organ, guitar, bass guitar, banjo, harmonica, flute, cover art, design * Mark Piersel – trumpet, guitar, bass guitar, banjo, sheng, psaltery, ukulele, recorder, balafon, organ, tape, engineering * Steve Scholbe – alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, guitar, organ, autoharp, bells * William Sharp – tape, engineering, design * Gordon H. Whitlow – bass guitar, guitar, piano, organ, accordion, engineering * Larry Wilson – drums, bongos, bodhrán, bells * Randy Yeates – concertina ;Additional musicians * Deborah Fuller  ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |