The Enright House
Encyclopedia
The Enright House was the moniker under which Mark Roberts wrote, recorded and performed music. The project began in Chicago
in 2001, and, after Roberts moved to New Zealand
, was based in Christchurch
from 2004 until 2009. After touring the United States in early 2009, Roberts relocated back to America and currently resides in Brooklyn
, New York
. In 2011 Roberts announced that he was retiring The Enright House
to focus on his new project, We Are Temporary.
Whilst in New Zealand, The Enright House performed in various formations, including solo performances, duos, trios, and, at one point, even a four-piece live band, including Simon Gemmill (drums
/percussion
), Evan Schaare (synthesisers
) and Thomas Lambert (guitar
).
The band's frontman and songwriter Mark Roberts cites influences in post-rock
, electronic
and classical music
, minimalism
, art
and philosophy
, and describes his lyrical style as narrative and autobiographical, often explicitly depicting past personal experiences and memories.
The Enright House made its debut release in 2006 with the extended play
Broken Hands, issued as part of A Low Hum
's monthly magazine, which routinely included compilations and unreleased material by New Zealand artists. The following year, the band would release their first full-length studio album
A Maze and Amazement
on A Low Hum's label.
's novel The Fountainhead
. Roberts recorded his own music under this alias largely independent of any input from others and was apprehensive towards performing live until 2006, when his songs, uploaded to MySpace
, caught the attention of A Low Hum
's founder Ian "Blink" Jogensen
. That year, The Enright House would release its debut EP Broken Hands and recruit Simon Gemmill and Evan Schaare to the band's live lineup, with Thomas Lambert to join mid-2007. The band started playing live as a group in late 2006.
In 2007, The Enright House released the split EP The Enright House Versus Kill the Zodiac on A Low Hum, and later released their full-length debut, A Maze and Amazement
to positive reviews from New Zealand publications.
The band performed at the Southern Amp festival in November 2007, alongside established New Zealand artists such as Shihad
and Evermore, and the following year at the Rhythm & Vines festival. After three New Zealand tours in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Roberts and Schaare showcased at 2009's SXSW, followed by a 9-week US-tour, beginning in March 2009 and commencing in May of the same year.
After the tour, Roberts remained in America, eventually settling in Brooklyn, New York, where he is currently working on We Are Temporary's debut album.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 2001, and, after Roberts moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, was based in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
from 2004 until 2009. After touring the United States in early 2009, Roberts relocated back to America and currently resides in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, 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...
. In 2011 Roberts announced that he was retiring The Enright House
The Enright House
The Enright House was the moniker under which Mark Roberts wrote, recorded and performed music. The project began in Chicago in 2001, and, after Roberts moved to New Zealand, was based in Christchurch from 2004 until 2009. After touring the United States in early 2009, Roberts relocated back to...
to focus on his new project, We Are Temporary.
Whilst in New Zealand, The Enright House performed in various formations, including solo performances, duos, trios, and, at one point, even a four-piece live band, including Simon Gemmill (drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
/percussion
Percussion instrument
A 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...
), Evan Schaare (synthesisers
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...
) and Thomas Lambert (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
).
The band's frontman and songwriter Mark Roberts cites influences in post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and classical music
Classical period (music)
The dates of the Classical Period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1830. However, the term classical music is used colloquially to describe a variety of Western musical styles from the ninth century to the present, and especially from the sixteenth or...
, minimalism
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and describes his lyrical style as narrative and autobiographical, often explicitly depicting past personal experiences and memories.
The Enright House made its debut release in 2006 with the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Broken Hands, issued as part of A Low Hum
A Low Hum
A Low Hum is the on-going project founded by photographer and music impresario Blink , and is based in Wellington, New Zealand. Under the umbrella A LOW HUM, Blink organises tours, releases records, makes music videos, organises one-off events/festivals and publishes magazines & books...
's monthly magazine, which routinely included compilations and unreleased material by New Zealand artists. The following year, the band would release their first full-length studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
A Maze and Amazement
A Maze and Amazement
A Maze and Amazement is the debut album by New Zealand post-rock band The Enright House, released in May of 2007, on A Low Hum Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Mark Roberts – production, performance, vocals, art direction...
on A Low Hum's label.
History
The Enright House was founded in 2000 by guitarist and electronic musician Mark Roberts, whilst studying music and composition in Chicago. The name is a reference to a house in Ayn RandAyn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
's novel The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and brought her fame and financial success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide....
. Roberts recorded his own music under this alias largely independent of any input from others and was apprehensive towards performing live until 2006, when his songs, uploaded to MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, caught the attention of A Low Hum
A Low Hum
A Low Hum is the on-going project founded by photographer and music impresario Blink , and is based in Wellington, New Zealand. Under the umbrella A LOW HUM, Blink organises tours, releases records, makes music videos, organises one-off events/festivals and publishes magazines & books...
's founder Ian "Blink" Jogensen
Ian Jorgensen
Ian Francis Jorgensen is a Wellington-based events manager, editor and photographer. He is the producer of the New Zealand music compilation and magazine series A Low Hum....
. That year, The Enright House would release its debut EP Broken Hands and recruit Simon Gemmill and Evan Schaare to the band's live lineup, with Thomas Lambert to join mid-2007. The band started playing live as a group in late 2006.
In 2007, The Enright House released the split EP The Enright House Versus Kill the Zodiac on A Low Hum, and later released their full-length debut, A Maze and Amazement
A Maze and Amazement
A Maze and Amazement is the debut album by New Zealand post-rock band The Enright House, released in May of 2007, on A Low Hum Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Mark Roberts – production, performance, vocals, art direction...
to positive reviews from New Zealand publications.
The band performed at the Southern Amp festival in November 2007, alongside established New Zealand artists such as Shihad
Shihad
Shihad is a New Zealand hard/alternative rock band, currently based in Melbourne, Australia. During Shihad's recording career, they have produced four number-one studio albums and three top-ten singles in their home country of New Zealand....
and Evermore, and the following year at the Rhythm & Vines festival. After three New Zealand tours in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Roberts and Schaare showcased at 2009's SXSW, followed by a 9-week US-tour, beginning in March 2009 and commencing in May of the same year.
After the tour, Roberts remained in America, eventually settling in Brooklyn, New York, where he is currently working on We Are Temporary's debut album.
External links
- TheEnrightHouse.com – Official website
- WeAreTemporary.com – Official website
- ALowHum.com – label website