The Blue Humans
Encyclopedia
The Blue Humans is the name used by experimental
guitarist Rudolph Grey
for the improvised
performances he leads with a variety of other musicians. Grey first came to notice in the late-1970s New York
post punk and art scene which also produced Sonic Youth
and Swans
, and played in the influential no wave
band Mars
. Since then, he has released solo material as well as several Blue Humans records, the latter mostly live recordings. Blue Humans members and collaborators have included Tom Surgal, Arthur Doyle
, Beaver Harris
, Alan Licht
, Charles Gayle
, and Thurston Moore
.
Blue Humans lineups are often trios, sometimes two guitars and drums, sometimes guitar-sax-drums. Their sound is fast-moving, noisy, and aggressively atonal, although on longer pieces such as the 20-minute title track of Clear to Higher Time, they can produce a precisely-controlled build of tension.
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...
guitarist Rudolph Grey
Rudolph Grey
Rudolph Grey is a musician and writer.As an electric guitarist, Grey has recorded and performed under his own name, as well as leading various ad hoc ensembles called The Blue Humans. His music draws on no wave and free jazz....
for the improvised
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
performances he leads with a variety of other musicians. Grey first came to notice in the late-1970s New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
post punk and art scene which also produced Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and Swans
Swans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
, and played in the influential no wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
band Mars
Mars (band)
Mars was a New York City No Wave band formed by vocalist Sumner Crane in 1975. He was joined by China Burg , Mark Cunningham , and artist Nancy Arlen , and briefly by guitarist Rudolph Grey. The band played one live gig under the name China before changing it to Mars...
. Since then, he has released solo material as well as several Blue Humans records, the latter mostly live recordings. Blue Humans members and collaborators have included Tom Surgal, Arthur Doyle
Arthur Doyle
Arthur Doyle is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, zanzithophonist and vocalist. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama.-Arthur Doyle:-Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble:-Recordings as co-leader:...
, Beaver Harris
Beaver Harris
William Godvin "Beaver" Harris was an American jazz drummer, who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.-Biography:...
, Alan Licht
Alan Licht
Alan Licht is an American guitarist and composer, whose work combines elements of pop, noise, free jazz and minimalism. He is also a writer and journalist.-Biography:Licht was born in New Jersey in 1968...
, Charles Gayle
Charles Gayle
Charles Gayle is a free jazz saxophonist, pianist, bass clarinetist, and percussionist.-Biography:Charles Gayle was born in Buffalo, New York. Some of Gayle's history is unclear. He was apparently homeless for approximately twenty years, playing saxophone on street corners and subway platforms...
, and Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
.
Blue Humans lineups are often trios, sometimes two guitars and drums, sometimes guitar-sax-drums. Their sound is fast-moving, noisy, and aggressively atonal, although on longer pieces such as the 20-minute title track of Clear to Higher Time, they can produce a precisely-controlled build of tension.
Discography
| Date | Album | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label... |
New Alliance Records New Alliance Records New Alliance Records was the record label founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon and Mike Watt and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich after the example of Black Flag's SST Records... |
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CBGB CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the... 1990 |
New Alliance Records New Alliance Records New Alliance Records was the record label founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon and Mike Watt and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich after the example of Black Flag's SST Records... |
||
CBGB CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the... opening for Sonic Youth Sonic Youth Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City... |
Shock | ||
Arthur Doyle Arthur Doyle is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, zanzithophonist and vocalist. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama.-Arthur Doyle:-Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble:-Recordings as co-leader:... and Beaver Harris Beaver Harris William Godvin "Beaver" Harris was an American jazz drummer, who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.-Biography:... |
Audible Hiss | ||
| Blast First Blast First Blast First is a sub label of one-time independent record label, Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal Blast, published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914... |
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External links
- [ The Blue Humans bio in allmusic.com]