Charlie Looker (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in
experimental metal,
contemporary classical
New Classical architecture, New Classicism or the New Classical movement is a contemporary movement in architecture that continues the practice of Classical architecture. It is sometimes considered the modern continuation of Neoclassical architec ...
,
avant-jazz, and
Renaissance and
Medieval musical forms.
Education and career
Looker is a graduate of
Wesleyan University, where he studied with
Anthony Braxton and
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in Mi ...
.
Alongside his work as a solo artist,
Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares; performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes
Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and
Mike Pride; and leads the
industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside
Castevet's Andrew Hock.
He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band
Extra Life and a former member and co-founder of
avant-garde band
Zs.
He worked with
Dirty Projectors and appears on their record ''
Rise Above''. Other collaborators include
M Lamar
M Lamar is an American composer, performer, and artist. He is an operatic countertenor and pianist whose work incorporates film, sculpture, installation, and performance.
Lamar is the identical twin of actress Laverne Cox, and played his siste ...
,
Mariel Roberts,
Ty Braxton
Tyondai Adaien Braxton (born October 26, 1978) is an American composer and musician. He has been writing and performing music under his own name and collaboratively under various group titles and collectives since the mid-1990s, including ...
,
Mary Halvorson
Mary Halvorson (born October 16, 1980) is an American avant-garde jazz composer and guitarist from Brookline, Massachusetts.
Among her many collaborations, she has: led a trio with and Ches Smith, and a quintet with the addition of Jon Irabago ...
,
Mick Barr
Krallice is an American black metal band formed by New York City musicians Colin Marston, Mick Barr, Nick McMaster and Lev Weinstein. They play an experimental, highly technical style of black metal. The band has released twelve studio albums a ...
,
Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin, Earle Brown, The Dead Science, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran (musician), Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota (musician), Lingua Ignota,
Matthew Welch, Stu Watson, William Parker (musician), William Parker, and Glenn Branca.
He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, The Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.
In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".
Discography
As leader
As co-leader
As sideperson
References
External links
Charlie Looker BandcampAllMusic.com credits
Dirty Projectors members
Musicians from New York City
Wesleyan University alumni
Living people
1980 births
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