Gregor Samsa (band)
Encyclopedia
Gregor Samsa is a band from Virginia
formed in 2000 and fronted by Champ Bennett. It takes its name from the main character of Franz Kafka
's novella The Metamorphosis
.
The band's sound, although rooted in the post-rock
genre, differs from that of other bands in the genre in that it employs dual vocals by Bennett and Nikki King, a feature which relates them to the shoegazing
and slowcore genres. Gregor Samsa has stated on its website that "the early history of the group has been lost in a wash of noise, strange beeps, and outright lies”.
Reviews of their album compared it to acts such as Brian Eno
, Sigur Rós
, Múm
, Godspeed You! Black Emperor
, and Low
.
In support of its latest release, the band played twenty-one eastern US venues in March before then venturing a 23-date tour of the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, and Germany during April. Historically, the band has chosen to tour and perform alongside a wide array bands and genres including Spokane, Kayo Dot
, Barzin
, Part Chimp
, Calla
, Engine Down
, Isis
, Pelican
, Explosions in the Sky
, Interpol
, and many others.
The band completed their most recent album, "Rest", in late 2007 and released it in April 2008.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
formed in 2000 and fronted by Champ Bennett. It takes its name from the main character of Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
's novella The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It is often cited as one of the seminal works of short fiction of the 20th century and is widely studied in colleges and universities across the western world...
.
The band's sound, although rooted in the 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...
genre, differs from that of other bands in the genre in that it employs dual vocals by Bennett and Nikki King, a feature which relates them to the shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
and slowcore genres. Gregor Samsa has stated on its website that "the early history of the group has been lost in a wash of noise, strange beeps, and outright lies”.
Reviews of their album compared it to acts such as Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
, Múm
Múm
múm are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.- History :...
, Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band which originated from Montreal, Quebec in 1994...
, and 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 ....
.
In support of its latest release, the band played twenty-one eastern US venues in March before then venturing a 23-date tour of the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, and Germany during April. Historically, the band has chosen to tour and perform alongside a wide array bands and genres including Spokane, Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot is an American avant-rock/experimental music group that was formed in 2003 by Toby Driver. They released their debut album Choirs of the Eye on John Zorn's Tzadik Records label that year. Tzadik's descriptive label on that album reads: "Kayo Dot powerfully integrates elements of modern...
, Barzin
Barzin
Barzin is the name of a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his slow and melancholic songs. Barzin has released three albums in his career, and his style has been compared to such bands as Mojave 3 and Mazzy Star.-Biography:...
, Part Chimp
Part Chimp
Part Chimp is a band from Camberwell in London that were formed by Tim Cedar, Jon Hamilton and Nick Prior in 2000. Current line-up is Tim , Jon , Joe McLaughlin and Iain Hinchliffe ....
, Calla
Calla (band)
Calla is an indie rock band formed in North Texas in 1997. The band has been based in Brooklyn, New York for most of its existence. They have been on hiatus since 2007, after touring to support their album Strength In Numbers.-Band members:...
, Engine Down
Engine Down
Engine Down was a four-piece rock band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1996-2005. They were a part of the Washington, D.C. area post-hardcore movement, along with bands like The Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U, and Faraquet...
, Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
, Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
, Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
, Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
, and many others.
The band completed their most recent album, "Rest", in late 2007 and released it in April 2008.
Current members
- Champ Bennett - guitarGuitarThe 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...
, 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...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Billy Bennett - drums, videoVideoVideo is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
- Nikki King - Rhodes pianoRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Jeremiah Klinger - guitar, baritone guitarBaritone guitarThe baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. It first appeared in the classical music realm...
, clarinet, theremin - Cory Bise - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Bobby Donne - Synth
- Mike Ashley - 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 ....
- Mia Matsumiya - 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....
Past members and contributors
- Brandon Evans - guitar, keyboard, lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe 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....
- Jason LaFerrera - bass guitar
- Earl Yevak - drums
- Bobby Donne - bass guitar
- Rick AlversonRick AlversonRick Alverson [R. Alverson] is an American filmmaker and musician from Richmond, Virginia.-Films:He has made four feature films in conjunction with the independent label Jagjaguwar. His first, The Builder , is an existential character study of an Irish immigrant at odds with the promise of America...
- guitar - Jason Wood - bass guitar
- Eric Yevak - guitar
- Amber Blankenship - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, violin - Jon SullivanJon SullivanJonathan Harold "Jon" Sullivan , an Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010, representing the seat of Longman for the Australian Labor Party and previously, a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 1998, representing the...
- double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Nick Wurz - bass guitar (sometimes played with a bowBow (music)In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
) - Nathan Altice - guitar, keyboard
- Tony Thaxton - drums
- Toby DriverToby DriverToby Driver is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and artist, best known for his work as the frontman of the experimental bands maudlin of the Well and Kayo Dot....
- clarinet and vibraphone
Albums
- 55:1255:12-Gregor Samsa:*Champ Bennett – guitar, vocals, keyboards*Nikki King – Rhodes piano, keyboards, vocals*Jason LaFerrera – bass, keyboards*Billy Bennett – drums, vibraphone, percussion...
(CDLP 2006) - RestRest (album)Rest, released April 1, 2008, is the second full-length album by Virginian post-rock band Gregor Samsa. The band posted the tracks online at Imeem before the album was released...
(CDLP 2008) - Over Air (CD 2009)
EPs
- Gregor SamsaGregor Samsa (EP)Gregor Samsa was the debut EP released in 2002 by Virginian Post Rock band, Gregor Samsa.-Contributors:*Champ Bennett - guitar, vocals*Nikki King - Rhodes piano, keyboard, vocals*Nick Wurz - bass, bowed electric bass*Nathan Altice - guitar, keyboard...
(CDEP 2002) - 27:3627:36-Gregor Samsa:*Champ Bennett – guitar, vocals*Nikki King – Rhodes piano, keyboard, vocals*Nick Wurz – bass guitar*Nathan Altice – guitar, keyboard*Earl Yevak – drums-External links:*[ Preview 27:36 on All Music Guide]...
(CDEP 2003) - 27:36+2dot (LP 2004)