Battles is an American

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...

group, founded in 2002 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

by Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress). The current line-up is a duo, composed of guitarist/keyboardist Williams and drummer John Stanier (formerly of

Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without prote ...

, Tomahawk and

The Mark of Cain The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physical ...

). Former members include composer/vocalist Tyondai Braxton and guitarist/bassist Dave Konopka. The band has released four studio albums to date, with the most recent ''Juice B Crypts'' being released in 2019. The band are regarded as one of the most innovative math rock bands of both the 2000s and the 2010s, with critics praising the band's unique sound. In 2007, ''

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 ...

'' wrote that "Battles have done more to extend the idea of a flesh-and-blood band enhanced by computer technology than anyone since the late, lamented Disco Inferno."

Career

Battles released two

EPs EPS, EPs or Eps may refer to: Commerce and finance * Earnings per share * Electronic Payment Services, in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, China * Express Payment System, in the Philippines Education * Edmonton Public Schools, in Edmonton, Al ...

, ''

EP C ''EP C'' is the first EP from the American math rock band Battles. It was released on Monitor Records. Track listing Personnel * Dave Konopka – bass guitar, guitar, effects * John Stanier – drums * Ian Williams – guitar, keyboards * ...

'', ''

B EP B is the second letter of the Latin alphabet. B may also refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Astronomy * Astronomical objects in the Barnard list of dark nebulae (abbreviation B) * Latitude (''b'') in the galactic coordinate syste ...

'', and the single "Tras" before signing to

Warp Records Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, ...

. Warp compiled these early recordings and released them as an album, titled '' EP C / B EP'', in February 2006. Their first studio album, '' Mirrored'', was recorded by Keith Souza at Machines with Magnets, and released on May 14, 2007, preceded by a single, "

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...

". The single was the NME's Single of the Week, and went on to be number one in the Dandelion Radio Festive Fifty. The album received positive reviews and appeared on several top album lists for 2007. The group would go on to play at 2007's

All Tomorrow's Parties festival All Tomorrow's Parties was an organisation based in London that promoted music festivals, concerts and records throughout the world for over ten years. It was founded by Barry Hogan in 2001 in preparation for the first All Tomorrow's Parties F ...

and on BBC television's Later With Jools Holland. Before the end of the year they collaborated with United Visual Artists in a video for track ''"Tonto"''. Battles' music was used in video games such as LittleBigPlanet, short films, television programs, and on the soundtracks of films '' Twilight Saga: Eclipse'' and '' Big Fan'' in the following years. Braxton left the group in August 2010, indicating that he did not wish to tour although Battles already had a touring schedule lined up for the upcoming year. Speaking about the split in 2013 to ''The Brag'', Braxton pointed to a "long standing divide" between himself and his bandmates. Battles' second album, '' Gloss Drop'', was released on June 6, 2011 featuring guests including

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his ...

, Kazu Makino, and Yamantaka Eye, and the band announced a spring tour in support of the record. In December 2011 the band curated the All Tomorrow's Parties "Nightmare Before Christmas" festival in Minehead, England alongside co-curators Les Savy Fav and Caribou. From February to April 2012, a series of four 12" vinyl

were released, titled ''

Dross Glop ''Dross Glop'' is a remix compilation album by American experimental rock band Battles. It was released on April 16, 2012, and compiles remixes by various artists of Battles' songs from ''Gloss Drop'' (2011), eleven of which were originally rel ...

'' (a spoonerism of the album's title) 1 through 4, featuring dance remixes of all the songs on ''Gloss Drop'' by various artists, including Gui Boratto, Kode9 and

Hudson Mohawke Ross Matthew Birchard (born 11 February 1986), better known by the stage name Hudson Mohawke, is a Scottish-American producer, composer, and DJ from Glasgow. He is known for his influential work in 21st century hip-hop and electronic music. A ...

. A compilation album featuring the 11 remixes (plus one not included, "Sundome") was released on April 16, 2012. Third album, In 2014, '' La Di Da Di'', was released on September 18, 2015. This was preceded by a live session through

of them performing four new songs in New York City. The stream was up for 24 hours only, and was set on a constant loop. Konopka left the band in 2018, although the news was not confirmed until May 2019. The band played their first show as a duo in July 2019, at the Dour Festival in Belgium. Their fourth album, '' Juice B Crypts'', was released on October 18, 2019. It features collaborations with Shabazz Palaces, Liquid Liquid's Sal Principato, Xenia Rubinos,

Jon Anderson John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...

and Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus. In December 2021, it was announced the band would tour North America in April and May 2022 as the opening act on Primus' ''A Tribute to Kings'' tour.

Members

;Current members * Ian Williams –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

, keyboards, Ableton Push (2002–present); effects,

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...

, loops (2018–present) * John Stanier –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

(2002–present) ;Former members * Tyondai Braxton – guitar, keyboards,

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

(2002–2010) * Dave Konopka – bass guitar, guitar, effects, loops (2002–2018)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

* ''

'' ( Monitor Records; June 8, 2004) * ''

'' ( Dim Mak Records; September 14, 2004) * ''

EPC EPC may refer to: Government and politics * Eastern Provincial Council, in Sri Lanka * European Policy Centre, a Belgian think tank * European Political Community (1952), a former political organization proposed in 1952 * European Political Co ...

'' (Japan only special mix edition; Dotlinecircle; October 2004) * ''Lives'' (Beat Records; September 27, 2007) * ''

Tonto+ Tonto is a fictional character; he is the Native American (either Tonto Apache, Comanche, or Potawatomi) companion of the Lone Ranger, a popular American Western character created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. Tonto has appeared i ...

'' (

; October 22, 2007 world, November 6, 2007 USA) * '' Dross Glop 1'' (first in a four-part 12" vinyl remix series; Warp Records; February 6/7, 2012) * '' Dross Glop 2'' (second in four-part 12" vinyl remix series; Warp Records; February 20/21, 2012) * '' Dross Glop 3'' (third in four-part 12" vinyl remix series; Warp Records; March 19/20, 2012) * '' Dross Glop 4'' (fourth and final in four-part 12" vinyl remix series; Warp Records;

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

, April 21, 2012)

Compilations

* '' EP C/B EP'' (

, February 21, 2006) * ''Warp20 (Chosen)'' (September 28, 2009) * ''

'' (CD compilation of the four-part 12" vinyl remixes; April 16/17, 2012)

Singles

* "Tras" (June 15, 2004, 12") * "

" (April 2007, 12") * " Tonto" (October 2007) * "The Line" (August 2010, digital download) * "

Ice Cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

" (March 2011, 12") * "My Machines" (August 2011, 12") * "

The Yabba "The Yabba" is a song by American experimental rock group Battles. It was released on August 13, 2015 on Warp Records as the lead single from their third studio album, ''La Di Da Di''. Preceding its commercial release, the song was performed durin ...

" (August 2015, download) * "FF Bada" (September 2015, download) * "Titanium 2 Step" (August 2019, download)

Music videos

*"Atlas" (2007) *"Tonto" (2007) *"Ice Cream" (2011) *"My Machines" (2011) *"The Yabba" (2015) *"Dot Net" (2015) *"Titanium 2 Step" (2019) *"Fort Greene Park" (2019) *"Sugar Foot" (2020)

Filmography

* '' All Tomorrow's Parties'' (October 2009) * Battles: The Art of Repetition (July 2015)

References

External links

Official Battles website

Battles fansite
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battles Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) American musical trios Math rock groups American post-rock groups Musical groups from New York City Musical groups established in 2003 Warp (record label) artists