Mick Turner (born 1960) is an Australian musician and artist. He is the founding mainstay guitarist for
Dirty Three
Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album ''Horse Stories'' was voted by ''Ro ...
and has had art exhibitions around Australia and internationally. Previously he was a member of the Sick Things,
the Moodists
The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band. They were formed in late 1980 by Dave Graney on lead vocals, Clare Moore on drums and Steve Miller on guitar, all from punk group the Sputniks. They added bass guitarist Chris Walsh in early 1981 ...
(1983–84) and
Venom P. Stinger. He has released four solo studio albums, ''Tren Phantasma'' (1997), ''Marlan Rosa'' (1999), ''Moth'' (2003) and ''Don't tell the Driver'' (2013).
Biography
Mick Turner,
born in 1960, grew up in
Black Rock, Victoria
Black Rock is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Bayside local government area. Black Rock recorded a population of 6,389 at the 2021 census.
...
.
In 1979, Turner (as Mick Sick), on guitar, formed Sick Things in Melbourne alongside Gary Hirst (as Gary Sick) on drums, Dugald Mackenzie (as Dugald Bluuuugh) on vocals and Geoff Martyr (as Geoff Sick) on bass guitar.
Tim Peacock of ''Record Collector'' magazine opined that the group were "Arguably the city's
.e. Melbourne'srawest hardcore outfit".
They recorded a single, "Committed to Suicide" (1985) before Turner and Mackenzie left in 1982.
It also appeared on their posthumous album, ''The Sounds of Silence'' on
Shock Records
Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label.
History
The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...
(1989).
Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017.
As a journalist ...
, has written that "the records featured ferocious guitar riffs and distorted vocals, displaying the band's penchant for flat-out, Black Flag-style hardcore punk."
In 1982 Turner formed Fungus Brains as a proto-grunge and punk rock group with Simon Adams on bass guitar, Peter Maddick on trumpet, Geoff Marks on vocals and saxophone, Simon Sleigh on guitar and drums, and Andrew Walpole on drums and guitar.
Their debut album, ''Ron Pistos Real World'', was released in 1983.
McFarlane described it as "a stylistic collision of punk, Birthday Party trappings, avant no-wave jazzy noise and a dozen other reference points."
That group went into hiatus when Turner joined
the Moodists
The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band. They were formed in late 1980 by Dave Graney on lead vocals, Clare Moore on drums and Steve Miller on guitar, all from punk group the Sputniks. They added bass guitarist Chris Walsh in early 1981 ...
, in April 1983.
The Moodists were a rock group which had formed in 1980, with Turner aboard the line-up was
Dave Graney
Dave Graney is an Australian rock musician, singer-songwriter and author from Melbourne. Since 1978, Graney has collaborated with drummer-multi instrumentalist Clare Moore. The pair have fronted or been involved with numerous bands including Th ...
on lead vocals, Steve Miller on guitar,
Clare Moore on drums and Chris Walsh on bass guitar.
McFarlane writes that Turner was "adding his squalling guitar work to the band's unnerving, avant-garage rock noise." In October 1983, as a member of the Moodists, Turner relocated to London. They issued their debut studio album, ''Thirsty's Calling'', in April 1984. The Moodists toured Europe and the United States before returning to Australia in November that year. They supported the Australian leg of a tour by UK group,
Public Image Ltd
Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band (and incorporated limited company) formed by singer John Lydon (previously known as the singer of Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble, and dr ...
, after which Turner left to reconvene Fungus Brains.
Fungus Brains released a self-titled album in 1986 but Turner at which time Turner was also playing with Venom P. Stinger in 1985 with former Sick Things bandmate Mackenzie on lead vocals, Alan Secher-Jensen (who had played in Brainshack with Mackenzie, as well as Beachnuts) on bass guitar and
Jim White on drums (ex-People with Chairs Up Their Noses, Feral Dinosaurs).
McFarlane explained that the group "took the experimental avant-garde route to its logical conclusion with an unnerving sound that thrived on raw energy, a complex rhythmic base and unconventional song structures."
Their debut album, ''Meet My Friend Venom'', was issued in January 1987, which contained "clattering slices of avant-rock with absolutely no concession to commercial gains."
Marc Masters of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' felt it is "a marvel of primal thrust, tearing through the air so forcefully you often feel like you're just catching its smoke trails."
The album was followed by a single, "Walking About", in July 1988.
By 1989 Fungus Brains were reactivated with Turner and Walpole joined by Paula Henderson on saxophone (ex-White Cross), Ricky Howell on lead vocals and Peter Villiger on bass guitar.
This line-up issued another album, ''I'm So Glad'', in 1990 before Turner returned to Venom P. Stinger.
That group released their second album, ''What's Yours is Mine'', in October 1990. They followed with a four-track extended play, ''Waiting Room'' in November 1991. Venom P. Stinger toured the US and recorded a live album, ''Live (in Davis)'' (1982) in
Davis, California
Davis is the most populous city in Yolo County, California. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 66,850 in 2020, not including the on-campus population of the University of California, Da ...
.
Early in 1992, back in Melbourne, Turner, on lead and bass guitar, and White, on drums, formed an instrumental trio,
Dirty Three
Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album ''Horse Stories'' was voted by ''Ro ...
, with
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
on violin and bass guitar (ex-These Future Kings in 1986).
Their first performance was at the Baker's Arms hotel in
Abbotsford in April 1992.
During late 1992 to early the following year Turner's living room was used as a recording studio, Scuzz Studio, for the group's first cassette album.
Eight of its twelve tracks were produced and engineered by Turner, with the other four tracks by Julian Wu.
Turner runs Dirty Three's record label, Anchor & Hope Records and has provided the cover art for all of their major albums after the first. Since 2003 Turner has had his artwork displayed in galleries in Australia, UK, US, Italy and Ireland.
Outside of his work for Dirty Three, Turner issued his debut solo album, ''Tren Phantasma'', on US label,
Drag City, in September 1997.
Prior to that Venom P. Stinger had issued their final album, ''Tear Bucket'', in 1996.
Turner with White formed an instrumental rock duo,
the Tren Brothers
The Tren Brothers are an Australian instrumental rock duo, consisting of guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White. Turner and White are two-thirds of the critically acclaimed instrumental rock trio Dirty Three; additionally, Turner also ...
, in 1998, which released singles and extended plays.
The Tren Brothers were also the backing band for
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
,
Boxhead Ensemble
Boxhead Ensemble is a musical collective founded by composer Michael Krassner. The project began in 1991 to record music for the independent film ''The Original Pantry Café''. The group features an ever rotating line-up, which as included Edith ...
and
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...
.
Turner's second solo studio album, ''Marlan Rosa'', was issued in 1999. Jessica Billey supplied violins. McFarlane declared that it was " a rough-hewn album of 15 instrumentals with scratchy guitar and mysterious atmospherics."
Alex Nosek of Oz Music Project described its "fifteen semi-improvised bundles of gentle aural bliss. Aside from the guitar, countless other noise making devices have been used. In fact, it is Turners' knack for looping and/or arranging the most delicious of fragile and sometimes unorthodox sound that gives this recording such an amazing feel."
Ed Nimmervoll
Edward Charles Nimmervoll (21 September 1947 – 10 October 2014) was an Australian music journalist, author and historian. He worked on rock and pop magazines ''Go-Set'' (1966–1974) and ''Juke Magazine'' (1975–92) both as a journalist a ...
, an Australian rock music journalist, compared his solo effort with his work for the trio "In Dirty Three, alongside the lashings of storm, there's also moody calm. That's Mick Turner's part in the equation. If music is a sea, Dirty Three is the waves crashing against the rocks in a strong wind. Mick Turner's solo music is the water breaking against the rocks, swirling around restlessly trying to find calm, before being thrown back into turbulance by another onslaught."
Turner has also released two albums with Billey under the moniker, Bonnevill, ''Travels in Constants, Vol. 2'' (1999) and ''Pelican'' (2001).
As well as a single, "Swing Pts. 1&2" (2000), credited to Tren Brothers & Sister which comprises Turner, White and Billey. When Turner performs his solo work, he is accompanied by one of several Melbourne drummers including Ian Wadley (of
Bird Blobs), or Marty Brown (from
Art of Fighting
is a fighting video game trilogy that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the ''Fatal Fury'' series and is set in the same fictional universe as a pr ...
).
Turner's third solo album, ''Moth'' (2002), was described by Pitchfork's William Bowers as Turner "strikes chords with a kind of rolling, prophetic brush. He plucks strings as if he's confidently repairing or cleaning them with nervous tools. Yet there's something 'organic' about his leapfrogging tranquilly up the fretboard's stream. His arpeggios sound like they're stumbling home from ex-lovers' porches. Middle Eastern influences are detectable, but clouded with purposeful imprecisions. Here and there the songs seem composed, but Turner's apparently reading from Polaroids instead of sheet music. The pieces' only flaw is that they're often abbreviated, as if Turner fliply stopped the tape."
In November 2013 Turner played at the
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
festival in Camber Sands, England.
His fourth solo album ''Don't tell the Driver'' (2013), has guest performances from
Caroline Kennedy-McCracken and
Oliver Mann.
Thom Jurek of AllMusic compared it to his previous work, "retains his singular guitar style – an elliptical meld of implied melody gradually coaxed from fingerpicked chords and restrained strummed strings – all told, it's unlike anything he's done before."
In 2020 Turner formed Mess Esque with Helen Franzmann on vocals. Mess Esque released two albums in 2021 "Dream #12" on Bedroom Suck Records Private Eye series and self titled "Mess Esque" on Milk! records in Australia and Drag City Records for rest of the world.
Discography
Albums
;The Sick Things
* ''The Sounds of Silence'' (recorded 1980–81,
Shock Records
Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label.
History
The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...
, 1989)
* ''My Life Is a Mess'' (recorded 1980–81, May 1999)
;The Fungus Brains
* ''Ron Pisto's Real World'' (Dr. Jim's Records, 1983)
* ''The Fungus Brains'' (Crash Records, 1986)
* ''I'm So Glad'' (Magnetic Records, 1989)
;The Moodists
* ''Thirsty's Calling'' (Red Flame Records, April 1984)
* ''Double Life'' (Red Flame Records, 1985)
(UK only)
;Venom P. Stinger
* ''Meet My Friend Venom'' (No Masters Voice, January 1987)
* ''Whats Yours Is Mine'' (Aberrant/Normal Records, October 1990)
* ''Live (in Davis)'', (live album, Anopheles Records, 1992)
* ''Tearbucketer'' (
Siltbreeze
Siltbreeze is an American independent record label based in Philadelphia. It is known for its eclectic roster of artists and releases of experimental, noise, folk, and rock-based music. Founded in 1989 by Ohio native Tom Lax, the label evolved ou ...
/
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...
, 1996)
(US release, import to Australia)
;Solo
* ''Tren Phantasma'', (
Drag City, September 1997)
* ''Marlan Rosa'', (Drag City, 1999)
* ''Moth'' (Drag City, 2002)
* ''Don't Tell the Driver'' (Drag City, 2013)
;Bonnevill
* ''Travels in Constants, Vol. 2'' (
Temporary Residence Records, 1999)
* ''Pelican'' (
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twin ...
, 2001)
;The Marquis de Tren and Bonny Billy
*''Get the Fuck on Jolly Live'' (live album,
Palace Records
Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in the city in 1990 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, its first release was a Royal Trux single ("Hero Zero" - DC1).Howland, Don (1993)Drag Kings: Chicago's ...
, 2001)
*''Get on jolly'' (
Palace Records
Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in the city in 1990 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, its first release was a Royal Trux single ("Hero Zero" - DC1).Howland, Don (1993)Drag Kings: Chicago's ...
, 1999)
*''Solemns'' (
Drag City, 2013)
;Mess Esque
*''Dream#12'' Bedroom Suck Records Private Eye Series
*''Mess Esque'' (
Drag City, 2021)
Compilation albums
;solo/The Tren Brothers
* ''Blue Trees'' (
Drag City, 2007)
;Venom P. Stinger
* ''Venom P. Stinger, 1986-1991'' (2×CD, Drag City, 2013)
Extended plays
;The Moodists
* ''Double Life'' (November 1984)
;Venom P. Stinger
* ''Waiting Room'' (Au Go Go Records, November 1991)
;Solo
*''Seven Angels (Purposeful Availment)'' (
Three Lobed Recordings
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...
, 2002)
;The Marquis de Tren and Bonny Billy
* ''Get on Jolly'' (
Palace Records
Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in the city in 1990 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, its first release was a Royal Trux single ("Hero Zero" - DC1).Howland, Don (1993)Drag Kings: Chicago's ...
, 2000, Palace records PR24)
* ''Solemns'' (
Drag City, 2013, Drag City/Palace Records DC549 /PR55)
Singles
;The Sick Things
*"Committed to Suicide" (1985)
;The Moodists
* "Runaway" (April 1984)
* "Enough Legs to Live On" (October 1984)
;Venom P. Stinger
* "Walking About" / "26 mgs" (Aberrant Records, July 1988)
* "Thickskin" / "Tearbucketer" (Death Valley Records, August 1994)
Ensemble and supporting musician
*Will Oldham – ''
Western Music'', (album), (
Drag City, 1997)
*Palace Music – ''
Lost Blues and Other Songs'', (album), (Drag City, 1997)
*Bonnie 'Prince' Billie – ''Black Dissimulation/No Such As What I Want 7"'', (single) (All City Nomad, 1998)
*Cat Power – ''
Moon Pix
''Moon Pix'' is the fourth album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter, Chan Marshall. It was released in September 1998 on Matador Records.
Much of the album was written in a single night, following a h ...
'', (album) (
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...
, 1998)
*
Boxhead Ensemble
Boxhead Ensemble is a musical collective founded by composer Michael Krassner. The project began in 1991 to record music for the independent film ''The Original Pantry Café''. The group features an ever rotating line-up, which as included Edith ...
– ''
The Last Place to Go'', (soundtrack album), (
Atavistic/
Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Secretly Canadian is a label included in Secretly Group, which ...
, 1998)
*Will Oldham – ''
Guarapero/Lost Blues 2'', (compilation), (
Drag City, 2000)
*Boxhead Ensemble – ''
Two Brothers Two Brothers may refer to:
Films
* ''Two Brothers'' (1929 film), a 1929 German silent film, directed by Mikhail Dubson
* ''Two Brothers'' (2004 film), a 2004 French-British film, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
* ''The Two Brothers'' (film), a ...
'', (album), (
Atavistic, 2001)
*
The Proposition (Original Soundtrack) (2006)
*
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Calle ...
&
Kurt Vile
Kurt Samuel Vile (born January 3, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is known for his solo work and as the former lead guitarist of rock band the War on Drugs. Both in the studio and during li ...
- ''
Lotta Sea Lice
''Lotta Sea Lice'' is a collaborative studio album between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, released on October 13, 2017, on Matador, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records. The album has received positive critical reviews.
Recording
Barnett and Vile ...
'', (album) (
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...
, 2017)
References
;General
* Note: Archived
n-linecopy has limited functionality.
;Specific
External links
Mick Turner's Art pageMick Turner on the Drag City labelset of live Mick Turner Videos at scheduletwo.comlishing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Mick
Australian guitarists
Australian artists
Living people
1960 births
Musicians from Melbourne
Boxhead Ensemble members
Dirty Three members
Bella Union artists
People from Black Rock, Victoria