Hovercraft (band)
Hovercraft | |
---|---|
Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Genres | Experimental rock, noise rock, post-rock, space rock |
Years active | 1993–2001 |
Labels | Blast First/Mute, Repellent |
Past members | Campbell 2000 Sadie 7 Dash 11 Paul 4 Jerome230 Karl 3-30 |
Hovercraft was an American instrumental
History
Early history
Beth Liebling and Ryan Shinn met in an anatomy class for surgical students.[2] Prior to forming the trio Hovercraft, Liebling and Shinn played together in Space Helmet. Space Helmet broke up when Shinn moved to New York and the other members of Space Helmet, including Shinn's brother, formed the band Magnog. Shinn's departure for New York was short and upon his return, Hovercraft was formed.
Hovercraft's material consisted of lengthy songs featuring an
On January 8, 1995, recordings by Hovercraft and Magnog were played back to back on
The single was initially handed out at gigs; stickers affixed to the plastic slip of ones sold in stores and put on by the distributor boasted, "Featuring Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam". However, the single featured Bobby Tamkin on drums, not Vedder as rumored. All the singles were pulled out of the stores at the demand of Repellent Records, and the stickers removed. "Paul 4" is the pseudonym of early member Bobby Tamkin, currently with his own band, Xu Xu Fang, and former drummer of The Warlocks and Kerosene 454. In 1995, Hovercraft accepted a slot opening for Mike Watt on his U.S. tour, joined by Vedder and Tamkin on drums.[2] Hovercraft, and Dave Grohl's new band Foo Fighters, played short sets before both Grohl and Vedder would join headliner Watt as members of his band. This was Hovercraft's first tour, as well as the first major tour for Grohl since the suicide of Kurt Cobain. Hovercraft toured later that year with Sky Cries Mary.
Though Vedder donned a long wig in order to conceal his face somewhat, his true identity soon become widely known. Subsequent Hovercraft tours would often be flooded with fans of the Pearl Jam frontman. During the Watt tour, Vedder was replaced by Bobby Tamkin's return to the band. Tamkin left the band following the tour, and was soon replaced by former Pearl Jam drummer,
Angular momentum (live performances, motifs)
Live shows were marked by a stage prepared in advance of entrance by crowds. When the band did enter, not a word was uttered, and eye contact was never made with spectators. The stage was shrouded in darkness as a projector played black & white scientific films and space-themed documentary clips from the
The group's artwork, album and song titles ("
- "I think that we've always wanted to be doctors and psychiatrists. I was really sick when I was a kid so I grew up in a lot of hospitals. Sadie was in a couple of institutions... so I think we all had our eyes wide open. So I guess we've always wanted to see it from the other side." – Shinn, 1997 interview[6]
Group photos distributed to the press were also shot in silhouette, contributing further to the group's shadowy mystique, though a photo of the group does appear inside Akathisia, though Liebling is obscured by darkness. Recorded on two days in March and April 1996, the ten-inch format of Stereo Specific Polymerization, also released on the Liebling-run Repellent, allowed for recordings that more closely approximated their live sound.
In August 1996, the band appeared on a hidden track on the
After running the small club circuit of the North America a few times on their own, the band supported Unwound on a European tour. Hovercraft even opened for classic rockers The Who on a short series of stadium concerts in the Northwestern United States in late 1996.
Enter the black hole (signing to Blast First)
In 1997, the band were signed to
The vinyl etchings on the four sides of Akathisia were as follows:
- Side A: "Do You..."
- Side B: "Dare To..."
- Side C: "Enter The..."
- Side D: "Black Hole?"
(This was the slogan of the cult classic 1980s
The new lineup played at the first
Final drummer, final album
1998 brought yet another change of drummer as Ric Peterson took the stool as "Dash 11". His much harder-hitting, more visceral style was the apparent catalyst in the band's shift from ethereal 15-minute songs to more concise, angular arrangements. The track "Epoxy" from the band's upcoming album first premiered for the world on Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench Radio broadcast, on January 31, 1998.[9]
One year in the making, Hovercraft's final album,
Schema, DJ Spooky remixes and disbandment
Hovercraft teamed up with Stereolab guitarist/backing vocalist Mary Hansen, forming the band Schema. Schema featured vocals and instrumentals in approximately equal measure, adding some synthesizer. An eponymous maxi-EP/mini-album was released in 2000 on avant-garde Kill Rock Stars imprint, 5 Rue Christine.[11] A second album and a tour was planned. However, while riding her bicycle in London on December 9, 2002, the 36-year-old Hansen was struck by a truck and killed.[12]
Hovercraft and
Discography
Studio albums
Year | Album details |
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1997 | Akathisia
|
1998 | Experiment Below
|
Extended plays
Year | Album details |
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1996 | Hovercraft
|
1997 | Scanner Remixes
|
2000 | Schema (collaboration with Mary Hansen)
|
Singles
Year | Single | Album |
---|---|---|
1995 | "Zero Zero Zero One" | Non-album single |
Videos
Year | Video details |
---|---|
1995 | 0001
|
Other appearances
Year | Song | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1996 |
"Shutdown Reprise" |
A Small Circle of Friends: A Germs Tribute
|
Grass |
1997 |
"De-Orbit Burn" (remix) (with Scanner) |
Newman Passage – A Souvenir Compilation | Mute |
"Stereo Specific Polymerization" (Mad Psychotic Hyper-Accelerated Lower East Side mix) (with DJ Spooky) |
Electric Ladyland, Vol. 4 | Mille Plateaux
| |
"Hymn" (with Eddie Vedder) |
Kerouac – kicks joy darkness | Rykodisc | |
1998 |
"Stereo Specific Polymerization" (Beneath the Underdog mix) (with DJ Spooky) |
DJ Spooky Vs. Spectre | Word Sound |
"Haloparidol" (short version) |
Chicago Cab: Soundtrack | Loosegroove |
References
- Pitchfork Media.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
- ^ Gaar, Gillian G. "Radio Free Vedder". Rolling Stone. February 23, 1995.
- ^ "Saturday Night Special" Archived April 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Monkeywrenchradio.org.
- ^ Murphy, Jennifer. "Soundbites". Tucson Weekly. November 16–22, 1995.
- ^ a b c "Hovercraft". Frequency. 1997.
- ^ "A Small Circle of Friends: A Germs Tribute". Bradleycomer.com.
- Allmusic.
- ^ "Experiment Below". Bradleycomer.com.
- Allmusic.
- ^ Schild, Matt. "Schema EP". Aversion.com.
- ^ "Stereolab Singer Killed". BBC News. December 11, 2002.
- ^ "Hovercraft: Tour History". Bradleycomer.com.
External links
- Hovercraft database formerly known as The Aurora Lab; includes mp3 download of a live show and tour chronology
- Hovercraft at AllMusic