Amoeba (band)
Encyclopedia
Amoeba is an experimental music group that fuses the pop
and ambient music
genres. They formed in California
, USA in 1992. The core members of the group are ambient musician Robert Rich
and guitarist/bassist Rick Davies.
Rich and Davies have worked together since 1979. Davies had just returned to the United States after working with several experimental rock groups in the United Kingdom
and Spain
. During the next five years, Rich and Davies worked on several collaborative projects. The style of these projects was an aggressive blend of art rock
and pure avant-garde
composition.
In 1983 Rich and Davies formed a trio with bassist Andrew McGowan called Urdu
. Urdu performed several concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area
. One of their last performances was a live radio broadcast in 1984. Some of their recorded material was released as a self-titled album
on cassette in 1985.
In 1992 the first version of Amoeba formed. It was a quartet featuring Robert Rich, Andrew McGowan, guitarist David Hahn and drummer Matt Isaacson. They released a five song EP-CD in 1993 titled Eye Catching
. This lineup dissolved soon after the release of Eye Catching.
In 1994 Rick Davies came to Rich with some of his new musical ideas. They were slow folk inspired pop compositions with strong ambient sensibilities. They decided to incorporate these ideas into a new version of Amoeba. This lineup featured Rich on vocals, synthesizer
s, percussion, lap steel guitar
and flutes and Davies on guitars and bass. They developed a style consisting of slow, hypnotic and largely acoustic pop compositions and Rich’s classic ambient textures and acoustic recordings. Their lyrics range from abstract to darkly emotional. This form of Amoeba has released two albums, Watchful
(1997) and Pivot
(2000). Each of these albums features a number of guest performers including cellist and multi-instrumentalist Hans Christian
.
After the release of Pivot Davies went on to pursue his solo career in Tucson, Arizona
. Rich continues to release ambient solo albums and tour at a prolific rate. Both musicians continue to hold a future Amoeba project as a possibility, though there are difficulties due to the geographic distance between them.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
genres. They formed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA in 1992. The core members of the group are ambient musician Robert Rich
Robert Rich (musician)
Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, United States. With a discography spanning over 30 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, New Age, and even IDM music.-Early life:At an early age he thought he disliked music...
and guitarist/bassist Rick Davies.
Rich and Davies have worked together since 1979. Davies had just returned to the United States after working with several experimental rock groups in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. During the next five years, Rich and Davies worked on several collaborative projects. The style of these projects was an aggressive blend of art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
and pure avant-garde
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
composition.
In 1983 Rich and Davies formed a trio with bassist Andrew McGowan called Urdu
Urdu (band)
Urdu was an experimental pop music group that formed in California, USA in 1983. It was a trio consisting of ambient musician and multi-instrumentalist Robert Rich, guitarist Rick Davies and bassist Andrew McGowan. This group marked the culmination of a five-year period of experimental...
. Urdu performed several concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. One of their last performances was a live radio broadcast in 1984. Some of their recorded material was released as a self-titled album
Urdu (album)
Urdu is the only album released by the experimental pop music group Urdu. Urdu was a trio consisting of Robert Rich, Rick Davies and Andrew McGowan. They worked together under this name from 1983-84...
on cassette in 1985.
In 1992 the first version of Amoeba formed. It was a quartet featuring Robert Rich, Andrew McGowan, guitarist David Hahn and drummer Matt Isaacson. They released a five song EP-CD in 1993 titled Eye Catching
Eye Catching
Eye Catching is the debut album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. It is an EP length CD consisting of five songs....
. This lineup dissolved soon after the release of Eye Catching.
In 1994 Rick Davies came to Rich with some of his new musical ideas. They were slow folk inspired pop compositions with strong ambient sensibilities. They decided to incorporate these ideas into a new version of Amoeba. This lineup featured Rich on vocals, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, percussion, lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
and flutes and Davies on guitars and bass. They developed a style consisting of slow, hypnotic and largely acoustic pop compositions and Rich’s classic ambient textures and acoustic recordings. Their lyrics range from abstract to darkly emotional. This form of Amoeba has released two albums, Watchful
Watchful
Watchful is an album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. This is the first Amoeba album to feature the classic lineup of Robert Rich and Rick Davies. The style of this album consists of subtle and largely acoustic pop compositions with heavy ambient textures.Work on this album...
(1997) and Pivot
Pivot (album)
Pivot is an album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. The style of this album is similar to that of Amoeba’s previous album Watchful except with a somewhat more active and direct approach...
(2000). Each of these albums features a number of guest performers including cellist and multi-instrumentalist Hans Christian
Hans Christian
Hans Christian is a German-born musician and producer now based in the U.S. in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Christian is a multi-instrumentalist usually associated with Indian world music, ethnic fusion, chamber jazz, and sometimes New Age music, but who also plays classical music...
.
After the release of Pivot Davies went on to pursue his solo career in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Rich continues to release ambient solo albums and tour at a prolific rate. Both musicians continue to hold a future Amoeba project as a possibility, though there are difficulties due to the geographic distance between them.
Discography
- 1993: Eye CatchingEye CatchingEye Catching is the debut album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. It is an EP length CD consisting of five songs....
- 1997: WatchfulWatchfulWatchful is an album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. This is the first Amoeba album to feature the classic lineup of Robert Rich and Rick Davies. The style of this album consists of subtle and largely acoustic pop compositions with heavy ambient textures.Work on this album...
- 2000: PivotPivot (album)Pivot is an album by the American experimental pop music group Amoeba. The style of this album is similar to that of Amoeba’s previous album Watchful except with a somewhat more active and direct approach...
External links
- [ "Amoeba"], AllMusic.com.