Gastr del Sol was a Chicago band consisting, for most of their career, of David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. David Grubbs (born September 21 1967 Guitarist, Pianist, and Vocalist, was a founding member of Squirrel Bait, Bastro, and Jim O'Rourke (born January 18, 1969) is an American musician and producer Between 1993 and 1998 they put out seven records ranging in genre from post-rock (the scene they were most associated with) to musique concrète. Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms Musique concrète ( French; literally "concrete music" is a style of Avant-garde music that relies on recorded sounds including natural
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Early lineup
Grubbs, a former member of Squirrel Bait and Bastro, formed the band in Chicago in 1991. Squirrel Bait were a mid 1980's (1983-1988 punk band from Louisville Kentucky. Bastro was an American Math Rock / Post Hardcore band in the late 1980s and early 1990s Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. They released their first album, The Serpentine Similar, in 1993. The Serpentine Similar is a 1993 Album by Gastr del Sol released on Drag City. This early lineup saw Grubbs joined by Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire, both members of Bastro's final incarnation, on bass guitar and drums, respectively. John McEntire (born April 9, 1970 in Portland Oregon) is an American Drummer and multi-instrumentalist The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells In 1994 Brown and McEntire left to join Tortoise and guitarist, composer and producer Jim O'Rourke joined. Tortoise is an Instrumental rock band formed in Chicago Illinois, USA in 1990. Jim O'Rourke (born January 18, 1969) is an American musician and producer
Duo lineup
At this point Gastr del Sol became mainly a collaboration between Grubbs and O'Rourke, joined by an ever-changing collection of guests. Though McEntire was no longer a full member, he continued contributing to many Gastr del Sol recordings and concerts.
Most releases by this lineup were on Chicago's Drag City Records, beginning with the acoustic guitar-based Crookt, Crackt, or Fly in 1994. Drag City is a Chicago -based Independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1989 in Chicago Illinois Crookt Crackt Or Fly is a 1994 Album by Gastr del Sol released on Drag City. "Work From Smoke", the centerpiece of this album, fused Grubbs and O'Rourke's penchant for atonal guitar interplay with bass clarinet and Grubbs's increasingly surreal lyrics. The bass clarinet is a Musical instrument of the Clarinet family Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members
A pair of releases followed quickly in 1995. The Mirror Repair EP added elements of electronic music. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production The Harp Factory on Lake Street, released on the Table of the Elements label, was their most experimental work, a piece for chamber orchestra with only occasional voice and piano from Grubbs. The Harp Factory on Lake Street is a 1995 recording by Gastr del Sol released on Table of the Elements. Table of the Elements is an American Record label. It concentrates on re-released and specially-recorded Experimental music, including many of
1996's Upgrade & Afterlife included a would-be film score by O'Rourke, "Our Exquisite Replica of 'Eternity'", and an extended interpretation of the John Fahey piece "Dry Bones in the Valley" featuring guest Tony Conrad on violin. Upgrade & Afterlife is a 1996 Album by Gastr del Sol. Track listing "Our Exquisite Replica of "Eternity"" John Fahey (February 28 1939 – February 22 2001 was an American Fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string guitar as a solo Tony Conrad (born Anthony S Conrad in 1940 in Concord New Hampshire is an American Avant-garde Video artist Experimental filmmaker, musician/composer
With the release of Camoufleur in 1998, Gastr del Sol progressed further into the realm of conventional melodies and chamber pop, creating their most accessible and popular album. Camoufleur is a 1998 Album by Gastr del Sol released on Drag City. BAROQUE POP is a style of music developed in the mid 1960s (often compared to Sunshine Pop, which was a commercial answer to Baroque Pop i Its chord patterns, melodies, and flugelhorn and string-heavy arrangements prefigure O'Rourke's future pop releases. The flugelhorn (also spelled fluegelhorn or flügelhorn) is a Brass instrument resembling a Trumpet but with a wider conical bore The album was co-written with Markus Popp, of the pioneering German glitch group Oval, who contributed to the electronic aspects of the album. Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of experimental Electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s Oval is an Electronic music group founded in Germany in 1991.
After Camoufleur the band split up. Grubbs and O'Rourke have both continued to release albums under their own names in the fields of rock, pop, and experimental music.
Partial discography
- The Serpentine Similar (Teenbeat/Drag City 1993)
- 20 Songs Less (Teenbeat 1993)
- Crookt, Crackt, or Fly (Drag City 1994)
- Mirror Repair (Drag City 1995)
- The Harp Factory on Lake Street (Table of the Elements 1995)
- Upgrade & Afterlife (Drag City 1996)
- Camoufleur (Drag City 1998)
External links
- Work from Smoke: A Gastr del Sol Resource
- Jim O'Rourke discography with details on other Gastr del Sol recordings
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