Anomie Belle (an·o·me bel) is an American multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and '' artivist'' from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

. Originally a classically-trained violinist and songwriter, Belle began writing and recording music as a child. Belle has since developed an

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

and

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

musical style that incorporates aspects of

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 ...

, classical,

art pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a ...

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...

glitch A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system, such as a transient fault that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among ...

, and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

. Belle's music grapples with issues ranging from critiques of power to intimacy and sexuality, and often explores the emotional experiences of "beautiful alienation" created by the isolation and passive guilt of unsustainable lifestyles that are destructive to human well-being and the natural environment. Belle has also highlighted these issues in collaboration with artists across disciplines, including '' Culture Jammers'' such as

The Yes Men The Yes Men are a culture jamming activist duo and network of supporters created by Jacques Servin and Igor Vamos. Through various actions, the Yes Men primarily aim to raise awareness about problematic social and political issues. To date, t ...

and transgender choreographer,

Sean Dorsey Sean Dorsey is a transgender and queer choreographer, dancer, writer and trans rights activist. He is widely recognized as the United States' first acclaimed transgender modern dance choreographer. Dorsey founded his San Francisco-based dance comp ...

. Belle is openly queer and blurs typical representations of sexuality and gender.

History

Belle released a debut album '' Sleeping Patterns'' in November 2008. In support of the release, Belle toured with

Little Dragon Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1996. The band consists of Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards). Little Dragon' ...

and Manuok. '' Sleeping Patterns'' garnered further commercial success after the song ''How Can I Be Sure'' appeared in the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...

game

Alan Wake ''Alan Wake'' is an action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment. The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional ...

. Belle toured extensively in 2009, 2010, 2011 in the US and Canada, first with

The Album Leaf The Album Leaf is an American musical project founded in San Diego, California, in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer, and Rhodes piano. His performances often feature projected visual art. History Inc ...

, and then with Tricky, and later with

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for composing his film scores with his collaborator and acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, which composed the ...

's band

Bajofondo Bajofondo is a Río de la Plata-based music band consisting of eight musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, which aims to create a more contemporary version of tango and other musical styles of the Río de la Plata region. It was founded in the ear ...

. Live performances feature Belle performing vocals, violin, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, drum machine, samplers and programming by looping herself live. During a second tour with

and Sea Wolf, Belle also performed with

for their entire set. Belle's second album, '' The Crush'', released in September 2011. It includes collaborations with

Mr. Lif Jeffrey Haynes (born December 28, 1977), better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American rapper from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux and one ...

Jon Auer Jonathan Paul "Jon" Auer (born September 29, 1969) is an American musician who co-founded the power pop band The Posies, along with Ken Stringfellow. Auer and Stringfellow also participated in the rejuvenated Big Star and in 2003 released ''Priv ...

The Posies The Posies were an American power pop group. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are ...

, and

Trespassers William Trespassers William was an American indie rock band formed in 1997 from Orange County, California. The band released three albums from 1997 to 2006, relocating to the SoDo/Capitol Hill area of Seattle, Washington before their third album ''Having ...

lead vocalist

Anna-Lynne Williams Anna-Lynne Williams (born February 8, 1978), better known by the stage name Lotte Kestner, is an American singer and songwriter. She started her musical career as vocalist for the indie rock band Trespassers William in 1997, and adopted the Lotte ...

, all of whom Belle has performed with on stage during their respective live performances. Belle followed ''The Crush'' with several EPs, featuring members of the

Sneaker Pimps Sneaker Pimps are an English electronic music band, formed in Hartlepool in 1994. They are best known for their debut album, '' Becoming X'' (1996), and its singles " 6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". The band takes its name from an article ...

, remixes, and covers of ''

Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album '' Just As I Am,'' produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arran ...

'' and ''

Everything in Its Right Place "Everything in Its Right Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their fourth album, ''Kid A'' (2000). It features synthesiser, manipulated vocals, and lyrics inspired by the stress singer Thom Yorke experienced while ...

''. In 2012 Belle contributed vocals and production to several tracks on ''Eighty One'', the album from

Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an English independent record label based in London. It has a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded by Matt Black and Jonathan More (better known as Coldcut) and managed by Peter Quicke and others. Inspired by a visit ...

artist

Yppah Joe Corrales Jr., also known as Yppah (pronounced "Yippah"), is an American electronic/rock musician. He is currently signed to Future Archive Recordings and resides in Long Beach, California, United States. In 2020, Joe Corrales Jr. earned a ...

. The two artists met when they performed together on tour with Bonobo. Over the next two years, Belle toured in support of the album as a featured artist during live Yppah performances, performing on guitar, keys, violin, drum machine and vocals. ''Flux'', Belle's third album, features an interdisciplinary art project exploring disillusionment and the search for identity, and was released in the US in August 2016, and worldwide in 2017. Fourteen visual art pieces accompany the album in an

artbook Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...

, featuring new works from

Marco Mazzoni Marco Mazzoni (born 17 January 1982) is a Milan-based Italian artist, originally from Tortona. He is generally considered a portrait artist and only uses coloured pencils in his work. Mazzoni's work holds a strong interest in flora and fauna, and of ...

, Redd Walitzki, Mark Demsteader, Kari-Lise Alexander,

Casey Weldon William Casey Weldon (born February 3, 1969) is a former professional American football player. Weldon is best known for being the quarterback for Florida State in the late-1980s and early-1990s. During his senior season in 1991, Weldon finishe ...

, Meredith Marsone, Alessandra Maria, Alex Garant, Alpay Efe, Januz Miralles, Maria Teicher, Antonio Velfín, Alexandra Becker-Black and Zin Lim. Each piece is a portrait of Belle and her music, and was displayed a
Modern Eden Gallery
Belle followed ''Flux'' with several EPs, including a cover of King of Carrot Flowers, and a full-length remix album, ''Flux Remixed'', including remixes by

Antibalas Antibalas (Spanish for "bulletproof") is an American, Brooklyn-based afrobeat band that is modeled after Fela Kuti's Africa 70 band and Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra. Although their music generally follows the musical architectu ...

Prefuse 73 Guillermo Scott Herren is an American producer who has been based in Atlanta, Barcelona and New York City. Herren releases music under the aliases Prefuse 73, Delarosa & Asora, Ahmad Szabo, and Piano Overlord, and is also part of the groups S ...

, Blockhead, DJ Nobody, Alex Banks, Diasuke Tanabe,

Robot Koch Robert Koch (born 7 October 1977), best known by the stage name Robot Koch, is a German, Los Angeles-based artist, composer, and record producer. Koch made a name for himself as a member of the band Jahcoozi before launching as a solo artist. H ...

, El Huervo,

Cuushe Mayuko Hitotsuyanagi, better known by her stage name Cuushe, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer from Kyoto. She is based in Tokyo. She is one half of the duo Neon Cloud along with Geskia. Her music has be ...

, Monokle, Aiko Aiko, Lushloss, and Televangel of Blue Sky Black Death; with cover art by Minjae Lee (aka GrenoMJ). In 2018 Belle created original music (alongside musicians Alex Kelly, Jesse Olsen Bay, Ben Kessler, Grey Reverend) for

's dance-theater work, ''Boys in Trouble'', which was awarded an Isadora Duncan Award for Best Music/Sound. The work is performed by the 5 dancer-performers o
Sean Dorsey Dance
and unpacks contemporary American masculinity with unflinching honesty and from unapologetically trans and queer perspectives. ''Boys In Trouble'' premiered in April 2018 at San Francisco's Z Space before launching a 2-year, 20-city international tour.

Discography

Albums

*2008 ''Sleeping Patterns'' *2011 ''The Crush'' *2017 ''Flux'' (Diving Bell Co.) *2018 ''Flux Remixed'' (Diving Bell Co.)

Singles and EPs

*2011 ''How Can I Be Sure'' EP *2011 ''Inky Drips'' EP *2011 ''Machine'' EP *2012 ''Picture Perfect'' (single) (Japan only) *2018 ''Carrot Flowers'' EP *2018 ''The Good Life'' EP *2018 ''Right Way'' (single) *2018 ''Lovers'' (single) *2018 ''Saturday Gives'' (single)

Appearances

*2012

- ''Eighty One'' (

) *2012 ''D. Song (feat Anomie Belle)'' (

) *2012 ''Film Burn (feat Anomie Belle)'' (

) *2012 ''Believe Me'' by

(Saint Marie Records) *2013 ''Cliff'' by

Lotte Kestner Anna-Lynne Williams (born February 8, 1978), better known by the stage name Lotte Kestner, is an American singer and songwriter. She started her musical career as vocalist for the indie rock band Trespassers William in 1997, and adopted the Lotte ...

(Saint Marie Records) *2018 ''The Setup (Anomie Belle Remix)'' by El Huervo (Swedish Columbia) *2019 ''Chasms (feat Ásgeir)'' by Alex Banks (Mesh)

Compilation appearances

*2009 ''No Lip Vol. 3'' (Mohawk Bomb Records) *2010 ''Alan Wake - OST Limited Edition Soundtrack'' *2013 ''Plush - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' ( Varèse Sarabande Records)

Contributor

* ''The First Time I Heard David Bowie'' (2012) by

Scott Heim Scott Heim (born 1966) is an American novelist from Hutchinson, Kansas, currently living in Massachusetts. Heim's first novel, ''Mysterious Skin'', was published in 1995. Biography Scott Heim was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1966. He attende ...

* ''HOME'' (2015) by

TV, Film and Video Game uses

* Belle wrote and recorded the song "Violence" for the Catherine Hardwicke film

Plush Plush (from French ) is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or s ...

* "February Sun", "How Can I Be Sure", "On TV", "American View", "Before You Leave Me", and "Bedtime Stories" appeared on episodes of

Jersey Shore (TV series) ''Jersey Shore'' is an American reality television series that ran on MTV from December 3, 2009, to December 20, 2012. The series follows the lives of eight housemates at a vacation home in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore ...

* "How Can I Be Sure" appeared on an episode of

United States of Tara ''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara ( Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative iden ...

* "Inky Drips", "Privilege", "Before You Leave Me", "How Can I Be Sure", and "February Sun" appeared on episodes of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

Friendzone (TV series) ''Friendzone'' is a dating/relationship reality television series produced by 495 Productions495 Productions IMDB site: https://www.imdb.com/company/co0192481/ and airing on MTV. The show follows people who have romantic feelings for one of thei ...

* Belle scored the short film Dark Material * "American View" appeared on an episode of Roadtrip Nation * "How Can I Be Sure" appeared on

and

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

game

* Belle wrote and recorded original music for Shaun Scott's film Seat of Empire * "Down" appeared in the film L.A., I Hate You * "John Q Public" appeared on

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

game APB: All Points Bulletin * "Down" appeared in the independent film Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together * "February Sun" appeared in the film Todo el Mundo tiene a Alguien Menos Yo ("Everybody's Got Somebody But Me") * "Unwind" and "How Can I Be Sure" appeared in the film Good Kisser

Notes and references

External links

Anomie Belle official websiteOfficial FacebookOfficial YouTube channelOfficial SoundCloudOfficial Twitter
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belle, Anomie Living people American multi-instrumentalists American electronic musicians American women in electronic music American experimental musicians Trip hop musicians American women singer-songwriters Avant-garde singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American singers American film score composers American classical violinists American women guitarists Intelligent dance musicians Postmodern composers Musicians from Seattle American LGBT musicians LGBT rights activists from the United States Anti-consumerists Youth empowerment people Whitman College alumni Singer-songwriters from Washington (state) Guitarists from Washington (state) 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers Beaverton High School alumni 21st-century classical violinists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American violinists