Julian Koster
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Julian Koster (born July 26, 1972) is an American multidisciplinary artist. As a musician he is a member of the
Elephant 6 Collective The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a loosely defined musical collective from the United States. Notable bands associated with the collective include the Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Circulatory System, Elf Power, the Minders, Neutral Milk Hotel, ...
, the leader of
The Music Tapes The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music and performance art project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster (also of Neutral Milk Hotel). The Music Tapes is characterized by unusual orchestrations (such as singing saw and bowed banjo), the use ...
, and a member of
Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...
. He is known for writing, directing, and acting in audio fiction '' The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air)'', and for performing with the theatrical
troupe Troupe may refer to: General * Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers ** Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers * Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games * Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical perform ...
of the same name. He is also known for his heavy use of the musical saw in recordings, even releasing ''
The Singing Saw at Christmastime ''The Singing Saw at Christmastime'' is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw. Track listing #"The First Noel" - 2:26 #"Frosty th ...
'', his only solo album released under his own name, in 2008.


Early career: Chocolate USA

In 1989, Koster formed Miss America with Liza Wakeman, Alan Edwards, Paul Wells and Keith Block. After legal threats from Miss America, they became Chocolate USA. Chocolate USA released two albums on
Bar/None Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his n ...
before disbanding to follow other projects.


Neutral Milk Hotel

Koster joined
Jeff Mangum Jeff Mangum (born 24 October 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who gained prominence as the founder, songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of Neutral Milk Hotel, as well for his co-founding of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. M ...
,
Scott Spillane Scott Edward Spillane (born September 26, 1965) is an American musician. He is part of The Gerbils and was one of the original members of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, for which he also served as a composer. He also has appeared on albums and in liv ...
and Jeremy Barnes to record the second
Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...
album, ''
In the Aeroplane over the Sea ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'' is the second studio album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998, by Merge Records. The music is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk, and is characterized by an inte ...
'', on which he played bass, banjo and
singing saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque ...
. The success of the album, however, took its toll on Mangum, and the band went on hiatus shortly after its release. They reunited in 2013 for a worldwide tour.


The Music Tapes and other projects

After
Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...
, Koster began to concentrate on his own solo project,
The Music Tapes The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music and performance art project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster (also of Neutral Milk Hotel). The Music Tapes is characterized by unusual orchestrations (such as singing saw and bowed banjo), the use ...
, for which he contributed banjo,
singing saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque ...
,
chord organ Chord organ is a kind of home organ that has a single short keyboard and a set of chord buttons, enabling the musician to play a melody or lead with one hand and accompanying chords with the other, like the accordion with a set of chord button ...
, and vocals, among other instruments. '' 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad'' was released in 1999. Koster, together with Brian Dewan, recorded the story album '' The 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking'', which was distributed by Koster on CD but never officially released for 15 years. After this, nothing was released by The Music Tapes until 2008, when ''
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes ''Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes'' is an album by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, released in 2008 by Merge Records. Koster spent nine years recording the album using mainly antique hard ...
'' arrived, followed by extensive touring (including the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour) and an unprecedented level of public appearance by the formerly reclusive Koster. Koster was a founding member of
Major Organ and the Adding Machine Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an Elephant 6 supergroup led by the elusive and possibly fictional Major Organ.the 2001 album in 2009. In 2008, Koster released ''
The Singing Saw at Christmastime ''The Singing Saw at Christmastime'' is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw. Track listing #"The First Noel" - 2:26 #"Frosty th ...
'', a collection of
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...
s played on the
singing saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque ...
. This was followed by a caroling tour, on which he played songs from ''
The Singing Saw at Christmastime ''The Singing Saw at Christmastime'' is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw. Track listing #"The First Noel" - 2:26 #"Frosty th ...
'' and selected tracks from ''
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes ''Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes'' is an album by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, released in 2008 by Merge Records. Koster spent nine years recording the album using mainly antique hard ...
'' for free wherever fans invited him to play. This evolved into an annual caroling tradition, which transformed into the "Lullabies at Bedsides" house tour of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 which in turn gave way to the long-planned Traveling Imaginary of 2012–2013. After the EP '' Purim's Shadows'' in 2011, in 2012, The Music Tapes released their third full-length LP, ''
Mary's Voice ''Mary's Voice'' is an album by The Music Tapes. Material from the album was previewed during the band's previous caroling tours. In the lead-up to the album, Julian Koster held a Kickstarter campaign for a subsequent tour, with rewards including ...
''. On October 12, 2016, '' The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air)'' podcast was released, with Koster starring as Julian the Janitor. Koster voiced Slime Boy in the animated series ''
High Guardian Spice ''High Guardian Spice'' is an American animated Streaming television, streaming television series created by Raye Rodriguez, who formerly worked for ''Danger & Eggs'' as a character designer. The series is produced by Crunchyroll Studios (formerly ...
''.


Personal life

Koster's father is noted flamenco guitarist Dennis Koster. Koster does not identify as straight. Koster is close friends with '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' co-creator
John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...
, having contributed to early readings of the production and featured the character of Hedwig in some early tours with The Music Tapes. Mitchell is a cast member on Koster's ''Orbiting Human Circus'' podcast.


Discography

As Julian Koster :*''
The Singing Saw at Christmastime ''The Singing Saw at Christmastime'' is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw. Track listing #"The First Noel" - 2:26 #"Frosty th ...
'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
; CD/ LP/ FLAC; 2008) With Chocolate USA :* ''
All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today ''All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today'' is the debut full-length album by the American band Chocolate USA. Released in 1992, it was their first album for Bar/None Records. It was recorded under the band's former name, Miss America. Critical reception ...
'' (
Bar/None Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his n ...
;
Cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
/CD; 1992) (Originally released as ''Miss America''. Re-released as ''Chocolate USA''.) :* '' Smoke Machine'' (
Bar/None Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his n ...
; CD; 1994) With
Major Organ and the Adding Machine Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an Elephant 6 supergroup led by the elusive and possibly fictional Major Organ.Christmas in Stereo'' (
Kindercore Kindercore Vinyl is a vinyl record pressing plant based in Athens, Georgia. It began as an independent record label, founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to help create a unified music scene of Athens. After the dissolution of the rec ...
; CD; 1997) :*''
Major Organ and the Adding Machine Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an Elephant 6 supergroup led by the elusive and possibly fictional Major Organ.Orange Twin Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
; CD; 2001) With
The Music Tapes The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music and performance art project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster (also of Neutral Milk Hotel). The Music Tapes is characterized by unusual orchestrations (such as singing saw and bowed banjo), the use ...
:* '' Please Hear Mr. Flight Control'' ( Elephant Six; 7"; 1997) :* ''
The Television Tells Us The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music and performance art project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster (also of Neutral Milk Hotel). The Music Tapes is characterized by unusual orchestrations (such as singing saw and bowed banjo), the use ...
'' ( Elephant Six; 7"; 1998) :* '' 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
; CD/ LP; 1999) :* ''
The Music Tapes and Dad The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music and performance art project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster (also of Neutral Milk Hotel). The Music Tapes is characterized by unusual orchestrations (such as singing saw and bowed banjo), the use ...
'' (Given free with 'Stop Smiling Magazine' #8; 7"; 2000) :* '' 2nd Imaginary Symphony For Cloudmaking'' (Self-released; CD; 2002) :* ''
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes ''Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes'' is an album by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, released in 2008 by Merge Records. Koster spent nine years recording the album using mainly antique hard ...
'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
; CD/ LP; 2008) :* '' Purim's Shadows: The Dark Tours the World'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
; MP3/
kazoo The kazoo is an American musical instrument that adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. It is a type of '' mirliton'' (which itself is a membranophone), one of a class of instruments which modifie ...
; 2011) :* ''
Mary's Voice ''Mary's Voice'' is an album by The Music Tapes. Material from the album was previewed during the band's previous caroling tours. In the lead-up to the album, Julian Koster held a Kickstarter campaign for a subsequent tour, with rewards including ...
'' (Merge; CD/LP; 2012) :* '' The Orbiting Human Circus'' (Merge; MP3; 2017) :* ''The Sea of Tranquility'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
;
MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
/ FLAC; 2019) With
Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie roc ...
:* ''
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'' is the second studio album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998, by Merge Records. The music is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk, and is characterized by an inte ...
'' (
Merge Merge, merging, or merger may refer to: Concepts * Merge (traffic), the reduction of the number of lanes on a road * Merge (linguistics), a basic syntactic operation in generative syntax in the Minimalist Program * Merger (politics), the comb ...
; CD; 1998) :* '' Ferris Wheel on Fire'' (Neutral Milk Hotel Records; 10" EP; 2011) Other Appearances


References


External links

* The Music Tapes â€
"All Official Announcements"

An interview with Julian Koster: Some other lovely reality intruding into ours
August 31, 2012 via Talk Rock To Me


Sources

*Cooper, Kim "Neutral Milk Hotel's in the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33)", 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Koster, Julian Living people American banjoists American accordionists American mandolinists American rock guitarists American male guitarists The Elephant 6 Recording Company artists 1972 births 21st-century accordionists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians Neutral Milk Hotel members Major Organ and the Adding Machine members American LGBT musicians LGBT men