Andrew Benton Hawkins (born April 28, 1965) is a composer, record producer and guitarist from

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

as well as a founding member of the band

Blind Idiot God Blind Idiot God is an American instrumental rock trio formed in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, by guitarist Andy Hawkins, bassist Gabriel Katz and drummer Ted Epstein. The phrase "blind idiot god" comes from horror writer H. P. Lo ...

. He has also recorded as a solo artist under the moniker Azonic, releasing two experimental

drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

albums that were more abstract and feedback-based compared to his more structured work in Blind Idiot God.

Biography

Early life and Blind Idiot God

Andrew Benton Hawkins was born on April 28, 1965 and grew up in St. Louis,

. At the age of thirteen, Hawkins became motivated to play music when he discovered the ballet

Firebird Firebird and fire bird may refer to: Mythical birds * Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures * Bennu, Egyptian firebird * Huma bird, Persian firebird * Firebird (Slavic folklore) Bird species ''Various spe ...

composed by

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

, which he claims to have opened his eyes to the boundless possibilities of music. While still a teenager, he formed Blind Idiot God with

Ted Epstein Theodore Jacob Epstein is an American drummer and founding member of the noise rock band Blind Idiot God. He also improvised in the band Slan, which included saxophonist John Zorn and guitarist Elliott Sharp. He has not been credited with a mus ...

and Gabriel Katz in 1982. They originally played a blend of hardcore and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

music before augmenting their sound to include dub,

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. In 1987, the band released their debut album, the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ously titled ''

'', to great acclaim in the underground musical community. Their second album and third album were produced by composer Bill Laswell and titled '' Undertow'' and '' Cyclotron'' respectively. After Ted Epstein left the band in 1996 and Gabriel Katz followed in 2012, Andy became the only original member still performing in Blind Idiot God. In 2014, he founded the Brooklyn-based label Indivisible Music, with the intention of "promot ngthat which cannot be divided, the elemental idea of music for its own sake." Blind Idiot God released ''

Before Ever After ''Before Ever After'' is the fourth studio album by Blind Idiot God, released by Indivisible Records on February 24, 2015. It marks the first album of new studio material by the band since ''Cyclotron'', released twenty-two years prior. Produced b ...

'' on February 24, 2015, marking the band's first album of new studio material in thirteen years.

Azonic

In 1994, Hawkins released '' Halo'', a solo album recorded with Bill Laswell and bandmate Gabriel Katz. Comprising four lengthy

pieces, the album marked a departure from his recordings with Blind Idiot God. It was well-received from a critical standpoint, with '' The Wire'' crediting it as an understated masterpiece of post-metal. Two Azonic tracks also appeared on '' Subsonic 3: Skinner's Black Laboratories'', a split with guitarist

Justin Broadrick Justin Karl Michael Broadrick (born 15 August 1969) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and i ...

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gree ...

. Brian Olewnick of

allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

described Hawkins' work as a "fuzz-strewn maelstrom that would send most metal guitarists loping home, tail between legs." Azonic, now performing as a duo of Andy Hawkins and

Tim Wyskida Tim Wyskida (born November 13, 1971) is an American drummer, most recognized for his work in the bands Khanate and Blind Idiot God. Biography Tim Wyskida began playing drums at the age of twelve, learning jazz technique and composition. In 2000, ...

, will play its first show in decades on April 14 at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. A second album is set to be released by Indivisible Music on October 20, 2017. The music was recorded at Martin Bisi's BC Studios with producer Bill Laswell overseeing the final mix.

Musical style

With an ability to traverse multiple genres and styles and utilize distortion and drone music, Andy Hawkins' technique has been described as being forceful yet precise. Hawkins has noted the importance of equipment and the role space plays in his sound, saying, "I can't play through a small amp for an entire recording. I've got to have that big-amp impact along with the ambience of the room. There's a lot of complexity in a distorted guitar tone, and it needs some room to breathe." '' The Wire'' described him as "a master of oceanic reverb and sustain, turning riffs from concrete slabs to gentle, body-caressing ripples." Hawkins has cited modern classical composers such

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

, Krzysztof Penderecki and especially

as an influence, crediting The Firebird with kindling his passion for music at an early age.

Personal life

Hawkins currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Discography

* '' Halo'' (1994) * '' Skinner's Black Laboratories'' (1996)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Andy Blind Idiot God members Dub musicians Living people American heavy metal guitarists American punk rock guitarists Lead guitarists Math rock musicians Post-hardcore musicians Noise rock musicians SST Records artists Place of birth missing (living people) Guitarists from Missouri 1965 births American male guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians