Bill Laswell - Citizendia

Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell at Moers Festival 2006, Germany
Background information
Born	February 12, 1955 (1955-02-12) (age 53) Salem, Illinois, U.S.
Genre(s)	Avant-garde Art-rock Ambient Dub Electronic Experimental Punk jazz Industrial hip-hop
Occupation(s)	Musician Producer Arranger
Instrument(s)	Bass
Associated acts	The Golden Palominos Praxis Massacre Material Buckethead Painkiller Divination Sacred System Ashes

Bill Laswell (born February 12, 1955 in Salem, Illinois and raised in Albion, Michigan) is an American bassist, producer and record label owner. The Moers Festival (now officially named mœrs festival) is an international jazz festival in Moers Germany happening yearly every Whitsun. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the city named Salem in Illinois For other places containing the same term see Salem or New Salem. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Art rock is a term describing a subgenre of Rock music that tends to have "experimental or avant-garde influences" and emphasizes "novel sonic texture Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 Punk jazz describes the amalgamation of elements of the jazz tradition (usually the Free jazz and Jazz fusion of the 1960s and '70s with the instrumentation Industrial hip-hop is a fusion of the dissonance and dystopian subject matter of Industrial music with the rhythms of hip-hop A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing In Music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing Music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch such A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by Drummer and Composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Praxis is the name of an ever-changing Bill Laswell musical project Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell Material is a musical group formed in 1979 and led by Bass guitarist Bill Laswell. Brian Carroll, better known as Buckethead, is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Painkiller (also officially known as Pain Killer) is a band originally formed in 1991 Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the city named Salem in Illinois For other places containing the same term see Salem or New Salem. Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A bass player (bassist is a Musician who plays a Double bass, Bass guitar, keyboard bass or wind In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music He is married to Ethiopian singer Gigi. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Ejigayehu Shibabaw, or Gigi as she is popularly known is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide

Laswell ranks among the most prolific of musicians, being involved in hundreds of recordings with many musicians from all over the world. Laswell's music draws upon many different genres, most notably funk, various world music, jazz, dub and ambient styles. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul The term world music includes Traditional music (sometimes called Folk music or roots music of any culture that are created and played by indigenous musicians Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes He has also played or produced music from the noisier, more aggressive end of the rock spectrum, like hardcore punk and metal. Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s According to music critic Chris Brazier, "Laswell’s pet concept is 'collision music' which involves bringing together musicians from wildly divergent but complementary spheres and seeing what comes out. "[1]

Biography

Laswell got his earliest professional experience as a bassist with funk groups in and around Detroit, Michigan. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Laswell's first recording appearance was in 1978, playing bass for Michael Blaise and Cheater on a track titled "Scoring Power". Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)

Moving to New York City in 1978, and soon founding a recording studio with producer/engineer Martin Bisi (of later indie rock renown), Laswell quickly became part of the thriving New York music scene. The City of New York Martin Bisi is an American producer and Songwriter. He is known for recording seminal records by Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Among his earliest efforts was the avant-funk group Material, and the punk-experimentation of Massacre. Material is a musical group formed in 1979 and led by Bass guitarist Bill Laswell. Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell As a collaborator or session player, Laswell played along with John Zorn, Fred Frith, Elliott Sharp, the Golden Palominos, and notably on Brian Eno and David Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record Fred Frith (born February 17, 1949) is an English Multi-instrumentalist, Composer and improvisor. Elliott Sharp (b Cleveland, Ohio, March 1, 1951) is an American Multi-instrumentalist, Composer, and The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by Drummer and Composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a 1981 album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, titled after Amos Tutuola 's 1954 novel of the same His solo debut, Baselines, was issued in 1982. See also 1982 in music (UK Musical groups established in 1982 Record labels established in 1982

His artistic and commercial breakthrough came via Herbie Hancock's Future Shock album (1983); Laswell produced the album, played bass on all the songs, and co-wrote most of the material. Herbert Jeffrey Hancock ("Herbie" born April 12 1940 is a Jazz Pianist and Composer. Future Shock is Herbie Hancock 's thirty-fifth Album and the first of his Electro - Jazz era Major releases Michael Jackson's Thriller, the highest-selling album of all time as well as the best-selling album of 1983 and 1984 was released Its track "Rockit" has frequently been regarded as a pivotal moment in the influence of hip hop and turntablism (via Grand Mixer D.ST). " Rockit " is a hit Song recorded by Herbie Hancock. It was released as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer. DJ Grandmixer DXT (formerly Grandmixer DST, born Derek Showard) is an American Turntablist.

Coaxing Ginger Baker out of semi-retirement, Laswell gave the drummer's career a new boost. Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (born 19 August 1939 Lewisham, South London) is an English Drummer. He likewise brought Sonny Sharrock out of semi-retirement and produced some of the guitarists most acclaimed recordings. Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock ( August 27 1940 &ndash May 25 1994) was an American Jazz Guitarist Laswell and Sharrock went on to co-found the metal and hardcore punk-flavored free jazz supergroup Last Exit along with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and saxophone player Peter Brötzmann. Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s For the Ornette Coleman album after which this genre was named see Free Jazz A Collective Improvisation. This article is about the free jazz band Last Exit For the Newcastle band and other uses see the disambiguation page Last Exit. Ronald Shannon Jackson (born January 12, 1940) is an American Jazz Drummer. Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German Free jazz Saxophonist and Clarinetist.

Even though many Laswell-produced albums have featured dozens of musicians, he tends to work with a small group of collaborators who appear on most of his recordings. Such musicians include bassists Jah Wobble and Bootsy Collins, guitarists Buckethead and Nicky Skopelitis, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell. Jah Wobble (born John Wardle, in Stepney in 1958 is an English Bass guitarist singer Poet and Composer. William "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a Funk Bassist, Singer Brian Carroll, better known as Buckethead, is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Nicky Skopelitis is an American Guitarist and composer from Greek heritage George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell Jr (born April 19, 1944) is an American keyboardist and Composer best known for his work Laswell has also frequently worked with musicians from the sprawling P-funk camp. P-Funk (also spelled P Funk or P Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic

1992 saw the recording debut of another Laswell group, Praxis, featuring enigmatic guitarist Buckethead. This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992 Praxis is the name of an ever-changing Bill Laswell musical project Brian Carroll, better known as Buckethead, is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Laswell continues to hybridize music styles of disparate world cultures. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Tabla Beat Science is one such fusion, joining classical Indian instrumentation with modern electronic production. Tabla Beat Science is a musical group founded in 1999 by Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of Scriptures part of the Hindu tradition the Vedas.

Laswell has remixed the works of Bob Marley (album Dreams of Freedom), Miles Davis (album Panthalassa, 1998 [2]), and Carlos Santana. A remix is an alternative version of a song different from the original version Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. For the Costa Rican football player see Carlos Santana (footballer; for the Mexican academic see Carlos Santana Morales. He has also produced such artist as Jah Wobble, Matisyahu, Ramones, Motörhead, Swans, Public Image Limited and Angelique Kidjo. Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller, June 30 1979) is an American Reggae musician The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group Swans was an influential American Post-punk band active from 1982 to 1997 led by singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. Public Image Ltd ( PiL) were an English musical group formed in 1978 by vocalist John Lydon, Guitarist Keith Levene Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award -winning Beninese Singer-songwriter, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative Music videos He also contributed to French producer Hector Zazou's album Chansons des mers froides. Hector Zazou ( July 11, 1948 — September 8, 2008) was a prolific French Composer and Record producer who has Chansons des mers froides ( French: "songs from the cold seas" is a 1994 album by French musician Hector Zazou. He produced Yoko Ono's Starpeace album, including the hit single 'Hell in Paradise', and also collaborated with ex-Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles member Nona Hendryx. born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. Nona Hendryx (born October 9 1944 in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American Vocalist, Record producer,

In the mid-1990s, Laswell released several albums in the style of Ambient dub, using the umbrella name Divination. Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes In keeping with Laswell's common work method, each album was the result of a collaboration with a revolving group of musicians, some of whom, such as Tetsu Inoue, were more permanent members. Tetsu Inoue is a well-known producer of Electronic music which could be described as Ambient music with a heavy influence from Minimalist music The music of Divination is strongly influenced by ambient and thus occasionally reminiscent of some of Brian Eno's work, but Laswell's and his co-workers' compositions were more rhythmically orientated by injecting heavy bass lines and percussion into the pieces. Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer Laswell released some of the music recorded in those sessions under the name Sample Material as a sample library for other musicians to use as raw material in their own recordings. In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording Other Ambient Dub projects Laswell recorded in the 1990s, included Sacred System, and Axiom Dub, a collaborative project featuring the Orb, Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit and DJ Spooky. The Orb are an English Electronic music group known for popularising Chill out music in the 1990s and spawning the genre of Ambient house. Jah Wobble (born John Wardle, in Stepney in 1958 is an English Bass guitarist singer Poet and Composer. Jaki Liebezeit (born 26 May 1938, Dresden, Germany) is a Drummer probably best known as a founding member of Can, who has DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid (born Paul D Miller,1970 is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental Hip hop musician whose work is often called "

Laswell's new project Method of Defiance is a blend of live instrumentation and electronic production drawing on Avant-garde drum 'n' bass, jazz, and funk. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard

Laswell has also participated on a collaboration with Sony Media Software on a new box set Loop Library: The Bill Laswell Collection. A link of all Bill's work with Sony Media software is available here.

Laswell appears on the Nine Inch Nails album Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D, remixing the Year Zero song 'vessel'. Year Zero Remixed (also known as Halo 25) is the anglicized title of a Nine Inch Nails Remix album, published in a Year Zero is the sixth studio album by American Industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on April 16 2007 by Interscope Records.

External links

Axiom was a Record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1989 with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records