Amoebic Ensemble
Encyclopedia
Amoebic Ensemble were an instrumental
band in the 1990s, from Providence, Rhode Island
, headed by Alec K. Redfearn
, who wrote the music and arrangements for the group, and played accordion
. The band emerged from the remnants of Redfearn's former band, Space Heater.
Although the band members referred most often to their style as experimental music
, their music has been characterized as free jazz
, and as punk jazz
. Their music has also been compared to that of Frank Zappa
.
Their album Amoebiasis, although recorded in Providence in late 1996 and early 1997, was released on the French record label Stupeur et Trompette! The people who ran the label also organized the Mouvement Internationale des Musiques Innovatrices experimental music festival, and took notice when Amoebic Ensemble performed there in 1996. The album was produced by Tom Buckland, except for "Lay Down in the Road", which was produced by Joe Auger.
Subsequent to Amoebiasiss release, primarily as a result of members being busy in other music projects, percussionists Paige Van Antwerp and Jonathan Thomas, as well as trumpeter Shawn Wallace all left the band. Gerry Heroux took over as trumpeter, and Mark Pedini joined on drums. Matthew Everett changed from bouzouki and mandolin to electric guitar instead.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
band in the 1990s, from Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, headed by Alec K. Redfearn
Alec K. Redfearn
Alec K Redfearn is a musician and composer based out of Providence, Rhode Island. He has composed music for dance, theater, and film. His primary instrument is the accordion...
, who wrote the music and arrangements for the group, and played accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. The band emerged from the remnants of Redfearn's former band, Space Heater.
Although the band members referred most often to their style as experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, their music has been characterized as free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, and as punk jazz
Punk jazz
Punk jazz describes the amalgamation of elements of the jazz tradition with the instrumentation or conceptual heritage of punk rock...
. Their music has also been compared to that of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
.
Their album Amoebiasis, although recorded in Providence in late 1996 and early 1997, was released on the French record label Stupeur et Trompette! The people who ran the label also organized the Mouvement Internationale des Musiques Innovatrices experimental music festival, and took notice when Amoebic Ensemble performed there in 1996. The album was produced by Tom Buckland, except for "Lay Down in the Road", which was produced by Joe Auger.
Subsequent to Amoebiasiss release, primarily as a result of members being busy in other music projects, percussionists Paige Van Antwerp and Jonathan Thomas, as well as trumpeter Shawn Wallace all left the band. Gerry Heroux took over as trumpeter, and Mark Pedini joined on drums. Matthew Everett changed from bouzouki and mandolin to electric guitar instead.
Members
- Alec K. RedfearnAlec K. RedfearnAlec K Redfearn is a musician and composer based out of Providence, Rhode Island. He has composed music for dance, theater, and film. His primary instrument is the accordion...
– accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Shawn Wallace – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Jonathan Thomas – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Matthew Everett – bouzoukiBouzoukiThe bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Laura Gulley – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Steve Jobe – bassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, hurdy gurdyHurdy gurdyThe hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Paige Van Antwerp – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Limbic Rage
- "Chapter 11" - 3:11
- "Birdfight" - 1:06
- "Limbic Rage" - 2:20
- "The Circus Has Been Cancelled" - 2:50
- "Tango" - 3:35
- "Gimme a Buck or I'll Touch You" - 5:54
- "Boilermaker" - 3:52
- "Repet Tive Motion Sickness" - 2:20
- "Three-Ring Bathtub" - 3:24
- "What I Did Last Summer" - 2:58
- "Scratch" - 6:08
- "Owls Are Actually Very Stupid" - 2:39
- "Tertullian Dance" - 2:26
- "Mayday in the Tunnel / Waxing Neuralgic" - 9:00
Amoebiasis
- Wire Up - 1:20
- Big Head Of A Tom - 1:57
- Amoebiasis - 5:24
- Devil's Picnic - 3:08
- Ubu U - 5:00
- Why Are We Whispering? - 2:13
- Downtown - 5:35
- Palindrome - 1:30
- Who's That Glamourpuss? - 1:42
- Lelonia - 2:07
- Lay Down In The Road - 6:41