The Six Parts Seven
Encyclopedia
The Six Parts Seven was an American post-rock
band formerly based in Kent
, Ohio
. The band was founded in 1995 by brothers Allen and Jay Karpinski (playing guitar and drums, respectively), who had earlier played with Old Hearts Club, a band of similar style (but with vocals). In 1998, Tim Gerak was added to the core member line-up, playing guitar and also credited with additional engineering on the band's later recordings.
Most of the group's music is instrumental
, featuring multiple "clean" (undistorted) electric guitar
s, with electric bass
and drums
, as well as electric lap steel guitar
, viola
, and occasionally also piano, vibraphone
, or trumpet
. Rather than relying primarily on strummed chords, songs are generally built by combining single-note melodic lines. Most songs are slow, subdued, and introspective, calling to mind the sound of similarly restrained groups such as Bedhead
, Low
, and American Football
, as well as Louisville groups such as Slint
and Rodan
. Songs are often long (over five minutes), featuring much repetition and little contrast, creating a meditative atmosphere. Though the drumming of Jay Karpinski is often syncopated and jazzy, the group favors duple meter as opposed to the more complex meters favored by math rock
bands. The Six Parts Seven's precise, intricate pattern-based sound also calls to mind the work of King Crimson
guitarist Robert Fripp
as well as minimalist
composers such as Steve Reich
. More recent performances of certain songs have featured Allen playing a four-string Fender Jazz Bass
strung with normal electric guitar strings in place of his usual guitar set-up; and this appeared on their latest studio album, entitled Casually Smashed to Pieces
, and was credited as "mid-range bass".
The band has been through a plethora of line-up changes, and minor positions in the band have proved to be a revolving chair, while retaining the core force of the Karpinski brothers and Tim Gerak. Former vibraphonist Eric Koltnow left the band after the Everywhere and Right Here era, as well as former lap steel player Ben Vaughan (formerly of the Dirty Lords, Tusco Terror, and Silent Command) after becoming a father. Minor positions, such as the newly added trumpet (Keith Freund from Trouble Books), have been filled by members of other bands from the Akron, Ohio
area. Allen Karpinski recently revealed in an interview that his brother Jay had left the band.
The Six Parts Seven's name is apparently based on a literary reference, quite possibly from the Howard Zinn
book A People's History of the United States
. The quote is from Virginia Governor William Berkeley in 1676: "How miserable that man is that governs a people where six parts of seven at least are poor, endebted, discanted and armed." A recent interview with another band member claims the name derives from a childhood game between brothers Jay and Allen Karpinski.http://media.www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2007/04/05/ArtsEntertainment/Muse-A.OnePart.Series.On.Six.Parts.Seven-2825220.shtml Although its name is similar, The Six Parts Seven should not be confused with the British band Six by Seven
.
The group has toured the United States several times and performed in March 2006 at the South by Southwest
festival in Austin, Texas
. Since the early 21st century its music has been used frequently by National Public Radio's All Things Considered
news program as between-segment music.http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22six+parts+seven%22+site%3Anpr.org Group leader Allen Karpinski was interviewed about the group's music on the same program in September 2004.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3922327
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...
band formerly based in Kent
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The band was founded in 1995 by brothers Allen and Jay Karpinski (playing guitar and drums, respectively), who had earlier played with Old Hearts Club, a band of similar style (but with vocals). In 1998, Tim Gerak was added to the core member line-up, playing guitar and also credited with additional engineering on the band's later recordings.
Most of the group's music is instrumental
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
, featuring multiple "clean" (undistorted) electric guitar
Electric guitar
An 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...
s, with electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and 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 ....
, as well as electric 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....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and occasionally also piano, vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, or trumpet
Trumpet
The 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...
. Rather than relying primarily on strummed chords, songs are generally built by combining single-note melodic lines. Most songs are slow, subdued, and introspective, calling to mind the sound of similarly restrained groups such as Bedhead
Bedhead
Bedhead were a Texas-based indie rock band active in the 1990s . Bedhead's music was generally subdued, with a polyphonic sound based on the interlocking of single-line melodies played by three electric guitars and one electric bass guitar , nearly always using clean tones, prompting comparisons...
, Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
, and American Football
American Football (band)
American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band was formed by guitarist/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella and drummer Steve Lamos American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band...
, as well as Louisville groups such as Slint
Slint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
and Rodan
Rodan (band)
Rodan was an American math/post-hardcore band in the early to mid 1990s. The best known lineup of the band consisted of Jeff Mueller , Jason Noble , Tara Jane O'Neil , and Kevin Coultas .-History:...
. Songs are often long (over five minutes), featuring much repetition and little contrast, creating a meditative atmosphere. Though the drumming of Jay Karpinski is often syncopated and jazzy, the group favors duple meter as opposed to the more complex meters favored by math rock
Math rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
bands. The Six Parts Seven's precise, intricate pattern-based sound also calls to mind the work of King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
guitarist Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
as well as minimalist
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....
composers such as Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
. More recent performances of certain songs have featured Allen playing a four-string Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
strung with normal electric guitar strings in place of his usual guitar set-up; and this appeared on their latest studio album, entitled Casually Smashed to Pieces
Casually Smashed to Pieces
Casually Smashed to Pieces is the fifth studio album from Ohio post-rock band The Six Parts Seven. It was released January 23, 2007...
, and was credited as "mid-range bass".
The band has been through a plethora of line-up changes, and minor positions in the band have proved to be a revolving chair, while retaining the core force of the Karpinski brothers and Tim Gerak. Former vibraphonist Eric Koltnow left the band after the Everywhere and Right Here era, as well as former lap steel player Ben Vaughan (formerly of the Dirty Lords, Tusco Terror, and Silent Command) after becoming a father. Minor positions, such as the newly added trumpet (Keith Freund from Trouble Books), have been filled by members of other bands from the Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
area. Allen Karpinski recently revealed in an interview that his brother Jay had left the band.
The Six Parts Seven's name is apparently based on a literary reference, quite possibly from the Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
book A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States
Chapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
. The quote is from Virginia Governor William Berkeley in 1676: "How miserable that man is that governs a people where six parts of seven at least are poor, endebted, discanted and armed." A recent interview with another band member claims the name derives from a childhood game between brothers Jay and Allen Karpinski.http://media.www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2007/04/05/ArtsEntertainment/Muse-A.OnePart.Series.On.Six.Parts.Seven-2825220.shtml Although its name is similar, The Six Parts Seven should not be confused with the British band Six by Seven
Six by Seven
Six By Seven were a Nottingham-based rock band who consisted of Chris Olley on vocals and guitars, James Flower on keyboards, Sam Hempton on guitar and Christian Davis on drums...
.
The group has toured the United States several times and performed in March 2006 at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Since the early 21st century its music has been used frequently by National Public Radio's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
news program as between-segment music.http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22six+parts+seven%22+site%3Anpr.org Group leader Allen Karpinski was interviewed about the group's music on the same program in September 2004.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3922327
Current
- Allen Karpinski - guitar, electric bass guitar, keyboards
- Jay Karpinski - drums
- Tim Gerak - guitar, banjo, lap steel, samples
- Mike Tolan - electric bass guitar, guitar, organ, banjo
- Steve Clements - grand piano, keyboards
- Jake Trombetta - electric lap steel guitar, guitar, piano
- Jennifer Court - clarinet
- Keith Freund - trumpet
Former
- Brad Visker - electric bass guitar
- Ben Vaughan - electric lap steel guitar
- Eric Koltnow - vibraphone
- Matt Haas - electric lap steel guitar
- Mary Mazzer - electric lap steel guitar
- Heather Wiker - viola
Studio albums
- 1998 - In Lines and Patterns... CD (Donut Friends)
- 2000 - Silence Magnifies SoundSilence Magnifies SoundSilence Magnifies Sound is the second studio album from Ohio post-rock band The Six Parts Seven. It was released November 14, 2000 and was released on Troubleman Unlimited. It includes the songs 'Spaces Between Days ' with parts 3 and 4 on the following album, Things Shaped in Passing...
CD (Troubleman Unlimited) - 2002 - Things Shaped in PassingThings Shaped in PassingThings Shaped in Passing is the third studio album from Ohio post-rock band The Six Parts Seven. It was released August 31, 2004 and is their first release on their label, Suicide Squeeze. It includes the songs 'Spaces Between Days ' with parts 1 and 2 on their previous studio album, Silence...
CD & 2xLP (Suicide SqueezeSuicide squeezeSuicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
) - 2004 - Everywhere, and Right HereEverywhere, and Right HereEverywhere, and Right Here is the fourth studio album from Ohio post-rock band The Six Parts Seven. It was released August 31, 2004.-Track listing:# "What You Love You Must Love Now" – 5:22# "Already Elsewhere" – 5:01...
CD & LP (Suicide SqueezeSuicide squeezeSuicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
) - 2007 - Casually Smashed to PiecesCasually Smashed to PiecesCasually Smashed to Pieces is the fifth studio album from Ohio post-rock band The Six Parts Seven. It was released January 23, 2007...
CD & LP (Suicide SqueezeSuicide squeezeSuicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
)
EPs
- 2003 - The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EPThe Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EPThe Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys is a split-EP by Ohio bands The Six Parts Seven and The Black Keys. Released in 2003, it featured "A Blueprint Of Something Never Finished" by The Six Parts Seven and three live tracks from The Black Keys...
CD-EP (Suicide SqueezeSuicide squeezeSuicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
) - 2003 - Attitudes of Collapse One-Sided LP (Burnt Toast VinylBurnt Toast VinylBurnt Toast Vinyl is an independent record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:Burnt Toast Vinyl was founded by a Drexel University student who had initially been involved with concert promotion at the school...
)
Unofficial releases
- 1995 - The Six Parts Seven Cassette
- 2001 - Untitled EP (Solo Singles Series) CD (Troubleman Unlimited)
Compilations
- 2000 - Slightest Indication of Change CD & LP (Slowdance RecordsSlowdance RecordsSlowdance Records was an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon.-Bands:* The '89 Cubs* * The Evening Episode* * The Intima* * The New Trust* * Rescue* The Roots of Orchis* The Velvet Teen* Logan Whitehurst-External links:* *...
), SLOW-007 - 2001 - Troubleman Mix-Tape 2xCD (Troubleman Unlimited, 2001, TMU-050)
- 2002 - Devil In the Woods 52 7" vinyl (Devil in the Woods records), DIW-52
External links
Reviews
- Review of Silence Magnifies Sound by John Dark, Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
- Short story review of Casually Smashed To Pieces [The Wheel's Still In Spin]
- Review of Casually Smashed to Pieces by Thomas Lloyd, The Silent Ballet