Death Grips is an American
experimental hip hop
Progressive rap (or progressive hip hop) is a broad subgenre of hip hop music that aims to progress the genre thematically with socially transformative ideas and musically with stylistic experimentation. Developing through the works of innovati ...
group formed in 2010 in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
. The group consists of Stefan Burnett, also known as
MC Ride
Stefan Corbin Burnett, better known by his stage name MC Ride or simply Ride, is an American rapper, songwriter, and visual artist. He is the frontman of experimental hip hop group Death Grips.
He began his career in the late 1990s, before form ...
(vocals, lyrics),
Zach Hill
Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella.
Art
In ...
(drums, production, lyrics), and Andy Morin (keyboards, production, lyrics). Though he is not the group's frontman, Hill has been credited with being the driving creative force behind the project. Drawing from
punk rock,
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
,
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
, and
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
styles, the band's innovative and often difficult-to-categorize sound has earned critical acclaim and a
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, while their aggressive performance style and cryptic interactions with their fans and the media have gained widespread notoriety.
The group released the mixtape ''
Exmilitary
''Exmilitary'', also known as ''Ex Military'', is the debut mixtape by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free on April 25, 2011, through the band's website.
Background
The mixtape was released for free on April 25, ...
'' in April 2011 and their debut studio album, ''
The Money Store'', a year later; both received critical praise. Shortly after signing to
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
in 2012, the group leaked their second album, ''
No Love Deep Web
''No Love Deep Web'' is the second studio album by American experimental hip hop group Death Grips, originally released via their website on October 1, 2012. Recorded from May to August 2012, it exhibited what the group described as a darker, more ...
'', for free download in breach of their contract and were dropped from the label. They released their third album, ''
Government Plates
''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...
'', in 2013. Following several broken performance commitments, the group announced their disbanding in July 2014 along with the release of their fourth album, a
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
titled ''
The Powers That B
''The Powers That B'' is the fourth studio album, and first double album, by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. The album's first disc, ''Niggas on the Moon'', was released as a free digital download on June 8, 2014. The first disc's instr ...
''. The group leaked the first disc of this double album, ''
Niggas On The Moon
''Nigga'' () is a colloquial and vulgar term used in African-American Vernacular English that began as a dialect form of the word ''nigger'', an ethnic slur against black people. The word is commonly associated with hip hop music and Afric ...
'', in 2014. In early 2015, before releasing the second disc, ''
Jenny Death
Jenny may refer to:
* Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people
* Jenny (surname), a family name
Animals
* Jenny (donkey), a female donkey
* Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...
'', the group released an instrumental "soundtrack" album titled ''
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, where fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media. These events influence the upcoming fashion ...
''. The song titles follow as; "Runway J", "Runway E", and so on; acrostically spelling out the phrase "JENNY DEATH WHEN", which had become a popular phrase coined by fans of the band, who were eagerly anticipating the release of the second disc. ''The Powers That B'' was released in 2015, billed as their final album. However, in March 2015, the group revealed that they "might make some more" music,
and later announced a world tour.
Later in 2015, Death Grips announced their fifth official studio album, ''
Bottomless Pit'', which was released in May 2016. Their sixth studio album, ''
Year of the Snitch
''Year of the Snitch'' is the sixth studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips, released on June 22, 2018, through Third Worlds and Harvest Records.
Background
With the release of '' Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)'', ...
'', was released in June 2018. Their fourth EP, ''
Gmail and the Restraining Orders
''Gmail and the Restraining Orders'' is the fourth EP by the American experimental hip hop group Death Grips, self-released by the band on June 21, 2019, in celebration of Warp Records' 30th anniversary. It first premiered on NTS Radio during thei ...
'', was released in June 2019 in celebration of
Warp Records
Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, A ...
' 30th anniversary.
History
2010–2011: Formation and ''Exmilitary''
Death Grips were formed in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
, on December 21, 2010.
[ On the same day, they recorded their first song, "Full Moon (Death Classic)".] It was released on March 8, 2011, with a video and a free self-titled EP which featured the song alongside five other songs. On April 25, 2011, Death Grips released a free mixtape entitled ''Exmilitary
''Exmilitary'', also known as ''Ex Military'', is the debut mixtape by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free on April 25, 2011, through the band's website.
Background
The mixtape was released for free on April 25, ...
'', containing three tracks from the EP along with new songs. Throughout the spring and early summer in 2011, they played small shows while ''Exmilitary'' was spreading steadily throughout the Internet and receiving favorable reviews from music critics. The band members were largely elusive during this time, with the only confirmed member being Hill.[
]
2012: ''The Money Store'' and ''No Love Deep Web''
Death Grips signed with Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
in February 2012, under the recommendation of Epic's then-executive vice president of marketing, Angelica Cob-Baehler.[ They announced the release of two albums in 2012. Their first studio album, '' The Money Store'', was released in April, got a 10/10 by ]Anthony Fantano
Anthony Fantano ( ; born October 28, 1985) is an American music critic and YouTuber who runs the YouTube channel The Needle Drop and its tie-in website. He discusses and reviews music from a variety of genres in his YouTube videos and on his we ...
, and debuted on the Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
chart at No. 130. Termed as "avant-rap", ''Pitchfork'' called ''The Money Store'' "confrontational, abrasive, and chaotic". The ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' called it "punk rock with a hip-hop face-lift".
October saw the release of ''No Love Deep Web
''No Love Deep Web'' is the second studio album by American experimental hip hop group Death Grips, originally released via their website on October 1, 2012. Recorded from May to August 2012, it exhibited what the group described as a darker, more ...
''. It was described as a darker album by ''NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
'', saying that the group creates a "soundtrack to modern urban living" with lyrics that describe "constant paranoia". The album contains heavily edited vocal performances from Ride. Its cover art drew attention and controversy for consisting of a picture of Hill's erect penis with the album title written across it. The album was recorded within four months in Sacramento.[ Prior to that, an international tour was scheduled to support ''The Money Store'', but was immediately cancelled in order to complete ''No Love Deep Web.'' This caused conflict between the group and their fans, as well as their label Epic Records.] In particular, the album was self-released for legal download via BitTorrent as an effort to bypass their label's original intent to release the album in 2013. Death Grips was cut from their recording contract as a result, and would launch their new label Third Worlds in the following year from "a unique relationship with Harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
/Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
". Material would then be distributed by Caroline Records
Caroline Records is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976, and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. ...
.
The group remixed two Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
songs from her album ''Biophilia'', "Sacrifice" and "Thunderbolt", after receiving an artist-to-artist note of support. The re-workings were featured in her 2012 remix album '' Bastards''. A non-album track titled "True Vulture Bare" was issued in October 2012 and was accompanied with an animated video by Galen Pehrson. This project was created for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
2013–2015: ''Government Plates'' and ''The Powers That B''
In March 2013, the group released a series of videos to their YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
account, collectively called ''No Hands''. On March 20, 2013, a music video for "Lock Your Doors", which was recorded at a live show in SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
, was released. Hill did not attend the show physically, but played the drums via Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
. Hill wrote and directed an original feature film in May, with the involvement of Death Grips in the soundtrack. During this period, Hill was also working on the group's album.
Death Grips were scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
in August, but their performance was cancelled after the group failed to show up for an after-party show the previous night at the Bottom Lounge
Bottom Lounge is a concert hall at 1375 W. Lake St. in Chicago, Illinois. Originally located in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood at 3206 N. Wilton, Bottom Lounge was acquired by the CTA in eminent domain in 2001 and seized for demolition in 2005 ...
, instead putting on a playlist of pre-recorded tracks. Draped over the back of the stage was a huge printout of a fan's suicide note, written to the group in the form of an email. Fans at the show destroyed and stole pieces of the band's equipment after being informed of the cancellation. Their subsequent performance scheduled for Montreal's Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on the next day was cancelled, as well as performances in Boston and New York. The group however, never planned to actually appear at Lollapalooza; they later stated that the drum kit, suicide note, and pre-recorded music "was the show". The drum kit that was destroyed was revealed to be a children's learning kit and not Hill's actual kit.
''Government Plates
''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...
'' (2013) was released for free download on their official website. An ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' review called the record "a challenging listen" but dubbed the album, along with ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'', as "transgressive". The album " ushesfurther away from typical hip-hop" and " oyswith electronic dance music of various eras", according to ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. In January 2014, Warp Music Publishing signed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with the group, covering previous and future releases. In June, Death Grips announced a double album titled ''The Powers That B
''The Powers That B'' is the fourth studio album, and first double album, by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. The album's first disc, ''Niggas on the Moon'', was released as a free digital download on June 8, 2014. The first disc's instr ...
'', along with a download of the first disc, subtitled ''Niggas on the Moon''. The second disc, ''Jenny Death'', was announced to be released later in the year. ''Niggas on the Moon'' features chopped up samples of Björk's vocals. The double album's first half received mixed to positive reviews. ''Pitchfork'' called it the group's least intense effort in their entire discography. A review by MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
stated that it had less of Hill's percussion and claimed that Morin lacked direction in producing the album. Death Grips were scheduled as a supporting act to tour with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
and Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...
in July but the group announced an abrupt disbandment, thus cancelling their appearances. An image of the following message, posted on their Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page, was written on a napkin:
In January 2015, without any prior notification, Death Grips released a free instrumental album entitled ''Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, where fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media. These events influence the upcoming fashion ...
''. The song titles, each beginning with the word "Runway" followed by a letter of the alphabet, spelled out the phrase "JENNY DEATH WHEN" in reference to the then-unreleased second disc of ''The Powers That B''. The album was released in its complete form in March and reached the Billboard 200 chart at No. 72. In the same year, Hill and Morin formed a side project called the I.L.Y's
The I.L.Y's are an American experimental rock duo from Sacramento, California. They were formed in 2015 as a side project by Death Grips members Zach Hill (vocals, drums, guitar, and keyboard) and Andy Morin (guitar and bass). They have release ...
and issued their debut album '' I've Always Been Good at True Love'' through Death Grips' official website; it was initially released with little information about the project.
2015–2019: ''Bottomless Pit'' and ''Year of the Snitch''
In October 2015, the group uploaded a video to their YouTube page titled ''Bottomless Pit''. It features footage from 2013 of American actress Karen Black
Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portrayi ...
reciting lines from a film script Hill wrote months before her death. They also posted on their website and Facebook that this would be the title for their fifth studio album. In March, the group published a 32-minute video to their YouTube page titled ''Interview 2016'', which shares its name with their second EP; the video shows the group being interviewed by Matthew Hoffman of ''Tuesdays With Matthew'', an online volunteer project that aims to combat loneliness in elderly people by recruiting them to act in recreations of famous movie scenes. However, all of the interview's audio is replaced by the album's songs, while the EP's cover art consists solely of a picture of Hoffman looking into the camera. Death Grips uploaded their third EP, '' Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)'', to their YouTube channel in May 2017; the EP consists of a single 22-minute song of the same name. Following this, the group co-headlined an autumn U.S. tour with industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...
band Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
.
In March 2018, Death Grips posted images on social media outlining that they were "working on the new album" titled ''Year of the Snitch
''Year of the Snitch'' is the sixth studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips, released on June 22, 2018, through Third Worlds and Harvest Records.
Background
With the release of '' Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)'', ...
'' with Australian noise artist Lucas Abela, New Zealand film director Andrew Adamson
Andrew Ralph Adamson (born 1 December 1966) is a New Zealand film director, producer, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, where he directed the Academy Award-winning animated films ''Shrek'' and ''Shrek 2''. He was director, executive prod ...
, and English musician Justin Chancellor
Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor (born 19 November 1970) is an English musician best known as the bass player for progressive metal band Tool since 1995. He was also the bassist of the band Peach. After settling in the US, along with his engage ...
(best known as the bassist for Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
). In April, Death Grips uploaded a video to their YouTube channel writing the track listing for the new album with text messages.
In May 2018, Death Grips uploaded the singles "Streaky", "Black Paint", and "Flies". In June, they uploaded a single titled "Hahaha", as well as an accompanying tweet announcing the release date for ''Year of the Snitch'' as June 22. A week later, the group released another two singles: "Dilemma", featuring Andrew Adamson
Andrew Ralph Adamson (born 1 December 1966) is a New Zealand film director, producer, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, where he directed the Academy Award-winning animated films ''Shrek'' and ''Shrek 2''. He was director, executive prod ...
, and "Shitshow". On June 21, ''Year of the Snitch'' was systematically made available on streaming services after the time reached midnight on June 22 in New Zealand, subsequently leading to listeners spreading differing versions of the album hours before its full scheduled rollout. The group also tweeted the album being "leaked". The following day, ''Year of the Snitch'' was officially released.
On June 21, 2019, Death Grips released a 30-minute mix titled ''Gmail and the Restraining Orders
''Gmail and the Restraining Orders'' is the fourth EP by the American experimental hip hop group Death Grips, self-released by the band on June 21, 2019, in celebration of Warp Records' 30th anniversary. It first premiered on NTS Radio during thei ...
'' as part of Warp Records
Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, A ...
' 30th anniversary celebrations.
2019–present: Current activity and 2023 tour
On January 29, 2021, ''Gmail and the Restraining Orders'' and "More Than the Fairy", a 2016 non-album single featuring Les Claypool
Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...
, were released on streaming services.
On May 12, 2022, Death Grips published a cryptic video of a moth with a heavy trance background, as a teaser for new music.
On July 11, 2022, Death Grips released " Live from Death Valley", an EP from 2011, to streaming services.
In November 2022, Death Grips were announced as participants in the Sick New World, Outbreak Fest and Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espany ...
music festivals scheduled for summer 2023. These announcements were followed in December 2022 by the confirmation of a North American tour, the band's first in four years, scheduled from May to October 2023.
Style
Death Grips' music combines a variety of styles including hip hop, punk rock, electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
, noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
, and industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
. Their style has been categorized as experimental hip hop
Progressive rap (or progressive hip hop) is a broad subgenre of hip hop music that aims to progress the genre thematically with socially transformative ideas and musically with stylistic experimentation. Developing through the works of innovati ...
, rap rock
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, resp ...
, electropunk
Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...
, industrial hip hop
Industrial hip hop is a fusion genre of industrial music and hip hop.
History
1980s
The origins of industrial hip hop are in the work of Mark Stewart, Bill Laswell, and Adrian Sherwood. In 1985, former The Pop Group singer Mark Stewart releas ...
, and punk rap
Punk rap is hip hop music influenced by the rebellious ethos, and sometimes musical characteristics, of punk rock. The genre has been described as being influenced by styles such as trap music, punk rock, heavy metal and lo-fi music.
One o ...
.[
] The group is known for Ride's aggressive rapping style, alongside their noisy and often chaotic production style and bleak and cryptic lyrics. They have also received attention for their highly energetic physical performances and stage presence. Their live performances are notable for antics such as the destruction of instruments, their complete absence at one of their scheduled shows, Hill drumming to the point of severe injury or performing in handcuffs, Ride's intense and chaotic stage persona, and Morin's use of live sampling alongside his improvised synthesizer flourishes and violent dancing.
They are also notable for engaging in extended periods of live musical improvisation interwoven into their set as bridges between songs, typically performed on the fly by Morin and Hill. Ride has been known to adopt many different vocal styles on record and during live performances, such as shouting, screaming, spoken word-style talking, and even whispering. Morin's unorthodox style of production and sampling and Hill's noisy, fast, and unconventional drumming styles and patterns are also distinct features of Death Grips' sound. The group is also notable for their distinctive and lo-fi visual style made clear in their music videos, performances, and releases.
In popular culture
The band remixed two of Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
's tracks for her remix album '' Bastards'', released in 2012. She then recorded original vocal samples for the band, which they used on every track of ''Niggas on the Moon
''Nigga'' () is a colloquial and vulgar term used in African-American Vernacular English that began as a dialect form of the word ''nigger'', an ethnic slur against black people. The word is commonly associated with hip hop music and Afric ...
''. Her contribution is credited as "found object". The actor Robert Pattinson
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. Known for starring in both big-budget and independent films, Pattinson has ranked among the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, ''Time'' magazine named him one of the 1 ...
is a fan, friend, and collaborator of the band; he played guitar on the song "Birds" from ''Government Plates
''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...
'', which Hill recorded on an iPhone during a jam session and later sampled into the song. Pattinson also appeared in a 2013 photo with the group and Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
backstage at the latter's concert, which went viral. Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno
Sergio Lorenzo "Serge" Pizzorno (born 15 December 1980) is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the rock band Kasabian. He is Kasabian's primary songwriter since the departure of co-composer Christopher Karl ...
of Kasabian
Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karlof ...
cited them as an influence the band's album '' 48:13''. According to David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
collaborator Donny McCaslin
Donald Paul McCaslin (born August 11, 1966) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has recorded over a dozen albums as a bandleader in addition to many sideman appearances, including on David Bowie's final studio album, ''Blackstar'' (2016).
Early ...
, Bowie was inspired by Death Grips while working on his final album ''Blackstar
''Blackstar'' is an American animated science fantasy television series, produced in 1981 by Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott for Filmation. The series was Filmation's second fantasy epic, the first being '' The Freedom Force'', a segment of ''T ...
''.
Members
*MC Ride
Stefan Corbin Burnett, better known by his stage name MC Ride or simply Ride, is an American rapper, songwriter, and visual artist. He is the frontman of experimental hip hop group Death Grips.
He began his career in the late 1990s, before form ...
– vocals and lyrics
*Zach Hill
Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella.
Art
In ...
– drums, electronic drums, production, lyrics
*Andy Morin – audio engineering, production, keyboards, lyrics
Discography
Studio albums
*'' The Money Store'' (2012)
*''No Love Deep Web
''No Love Deep Web'' is the second studio album by American experimental hip hop group Death Grips, originally released via their website on October 1, 2012. Recorded from May to August 2012, it exhibited what the group described as a darker, more ...
'' (2012)
*''Government Plates
''Government Plates'' is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013, following the release of the single "Birds" in August 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multi ...
'' (2013)
*''The Powers That B
''The Powers That B'' is the fourth studio album, and first double album, by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. The album's first disc, ''Niggas on the Moon'', was released as a free digital download on June 8, 2014. The first disc's instr ...
'' (2015)
*'' Bottomless Pit'' (2016)
*''Year of the Snitch
''Year of the Snitch'' is the sixth studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips, released on June 22, 2018, through Third Worlds and Harvest Records.
Background
With the release of '' Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)'', ...
'' (2018)
References
External links
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{{Authority control
American musical trios
Musical groups established in 2010
2010 establishments in California
Musical groups from Sacramento, California
American experimental musical groups
American industrial music groups
Experimental hip hop
Electropunk musical groups
Punk rock groups from California
Electronic music groups from California
Hip hop groups from California
Rap rock groups
Epic Records artists
Harvest Records artists
Internet memes
Internet memes introduced in 2012