Kinski (band)
Encyclopedia
Kinski is a rock band from Seattle, Washington
, in the United States
. They formed in 1998 in a pub, when bartender and drummer Dave Weeks overheard a conversation between two customers, Chris Martin (guitar) and Lucy Atkinson (bassist) about analog recording
. Weeks joined the discussion, and they found they also shared mutual musical interests, and hence agreed to form a band. They started playing live the same year.
Near the end of 1999, guitarist/keyboardist/flautist Matthew Reid Schwartz was added to the line-up. Kinski issued its first record Space Launch for Frenchie earlier that same year consisting of six tracks running for 45 minutes. The band went on their first US tour with Mainliner
from Japan, where they befriended Kawabata Makoto
, also of Acid Mothers Temple
.
Tours throughout the US would follow the next two years with such bands as Hovercraft
, Silkworm
, and Primordial Undermind
. Their second album, Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle, came out on Pacifico in 2001. The band also toured Japan with Acid Mothers Temple
in late 2001.
In early 2002, after the band finished recording their third album, Weeks left and later went on to join Seattle band Black Panties. That summer, Barrett Wilke took over on drums. The band at this time signed with Sub Pop
, the label famous for signing fellow Seattle group Nirvana
. The album Airs Above Your Station finally came out in 2003.
Later in 2003, Sub Pop
issued a split album with Kinski and Acid Mothers Temple
. Each band contributed their own material for this release, along with two collaborative pieces that were recorded during their earlier tour of Japan. Finally, the three-way "triptych" split, Crickets and Fireflies, was released by the Music Fellowship label with the bands Paik
& Surface of Eceon
.
Around the time that Weeks left the band, the remaining members began performing as an improvisational threesome under the name Herzog. An album, Don't Climb on and Take the Holy Water, was issued in 2004 by the Strange Attractors Audio House label consisting of live recordings from Herzog performances. The band also contributed a track to the Franco Battiato
tribute album, What's Your Function. A brief west coast tour with Mission of Burma
rounded out the year.
In 2005, the band came back with Alpine Static, their sixth album overall and third on Sub Pop
. Tours throughout the US, Europe, and Japan followed, stopping in London for a session with Huw Stephens
on BBC Radio 1
.
Kinski was the opening act during the spring 2007 leg of Tool
's 10,000 Days
tour. Just before leaving for this tour, they finished their seventh album, Down Below It's Chaos with a scheduled Sub Pop release date of August 21, 2007.
Their song "Hot Stenographer" was featured in 2K Sports
' video game title NHL 2K7.
"Hiding Drugs in the Temple (Part 2)" was featured on the soundtrack to Volition
's Saint's Row.
"Punching Goodbye Out Front" appears in EA
's 2010 video game Skate 3
.
Dave Weeks was formerly a member of the band.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They formed in 1998 in a pub, when bartender and drummer Dave Weeks overheard a conversation between two customers, Chris Martin (guitar) and Lucy Atkinson (bassist) about analog recording
Analog recording
Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which among many possibilities include audio frequency, analog audio and analog video information for later playback.Analog recording methods store signals as a continual wave in or on the media...
. Weeks joined the discussion, and they found they also shared mutual musical interests, and hence agreed to form a band. They started playing live the same year.
Near the end of 1999, guitarist/keyboardist/flautist Matthew Reid Schwartz was added to the line-up. Kinski issued its first record Space Launch for Frenchie earlier that same year consisting of six tracks running for 45 minutes. The band went on their first US tour with Mainliner
Mainliner
Mainliner or Mainliners may refer to:* "Mainliner", a person who takes drugs intravenously* "Mainliner", a person of the Mainline * "Mainliner", a person who lives on the Pennsylvania Main Line section of the Philadelphia suburbs...
from Japan, where they befriended Kawabata Makoto
Kawabata Makoto
Kawabata Makoto is a Japanese musician and founding member of the band and "soul collective" Acid Mothers Temple.- Band history :Kawabata is chiefly famous for his leadership of Acid Mothers Temple and its variants; however, he has also played in many other bands since the start of his career in...
, also of Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest...
.
Tours throughout the US would follow the next two years with such bands as Hovercraft
Hovercraft (band)
Hovercraft was an instrumental experimental rock group that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. It was co-founded by its core duo of guitarist/samplist/tape looper Ryan Shinn, and bassist Beth Liebling. Liebling and Shinn would use the pseudonyms "Sadie 7" and "Campbell 2000", respectively,...
, Silkworm
Silkworm (band)
Silkworm was an indie rock band active from 1987 to 2005.The members were Tim Midgett, Joel RL Phelps, Andy Cohen, and Michael Dahlquist. Phelps left the band in 1994. Matt Kadane of Bedhead and The New Year played keyboards on Italian Platinum and It'll Be Cool...
, and Primordial Undermind
Primordial Undermind
Primordial Undermind is a critically acclaimed experimental/psychedelic rock band, begun in 1988 when guitarist Eric Arn of Connecticut's Crystalized Movements moved to California, and continuing today in Austria. Arn initially went to London in 1989 to record demos with the Bevis Frond's Nick...
. Their second album, Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle, came out on Pacifico in 2001. The band also toured Japan with Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest...
in late 2001.
In early 2002, after the band finished recording their third album, Weeks left and later went on to join Seattle band Black Panties. That summer, Barrett Wilke took over on drums. The band at this time signed with Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
, the label famous for signing fellow Seattle group Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. The album Airs Above Your Station finally came out in 2003.
Later in 2003, Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
issued a split album with Kinski and Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple
Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest...
. Each band contributed their own material for this release, along with two collaborative pieces that were recorded during their earlier tour of Japan. Finally, the three-way "triptych" split, Crickets and Fireflies, was released by the Music Fellowship label with the bands Paik
Paik
Paik is a post-rock/space rock outfit originally from Toledo, United States, currently living in Detroit, Michigan, United States, that includes Rob Smith and Ryan Pritts. Bassist Ali Clegg left the band in 2005, and has since been replaced by San Francisco native Anthony Petrovic...
& Surface of Eceon
Surface of Eceon
Surface of Eceon , is a supergroup of sorts whose music has been described as ambient space rock. This unit, which has a penchant for the phantasmagoric, includes members of from Landing and Yume Bitsu, two notable psychedelic rock groups.-Current line-up:* Dick Baldwin: guitar;* Adam Forkner:...
.
Around the time that Weeks left the band, the remaining members began performing as an improvisational threesome under the name Herzog. An album, Don't Climb on and Take the Holy Water, was issued in 2004 by the Strange Attractors Audio House label consisting of live recordings from Herzog performances. The band also contributed a track to the Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
tribute album, What's Your Function. A brief west coast tour with Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
rounded out the year.
In 2005, the band came back with Alpine Static, their sixth album overall and third on Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
. Tours throughout the US, Europe, and Japan followed, stopping in London for a session with Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
Kinski was the opening act during the spring 2007 leg of Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
's 10,000 Days
10,000 Days
10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on April 28, 2006 in parts of Europe, April 29 in Australia, May 1 in the United Kingdom, and May 2 in North America...
tour. Just before leaving for this tour, they finished their seventh album, Down Below It's Chaos with a scheduled Sub Pop release date of August 21, 2007.
Their song "Hot Stenographer" was featured in 2K Sports
2K Sports
2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series...
' video game title NHL 2K7.
"Hiding Drugs in the Temple (Part 2)" was featured on the soundtrack to Volition
Volition
Volition may refer to:*Volition , the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action...
's Saint's Row.
"Punching Goodbye Out Front" appears in EA
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
's 2010 video game Skate 3
Skate 3
Skate 3 is the third installment in the Skate series of video games, developed by EA Black Box, published by Electronic Arts and was released on May 11, 2010. It is a sequel to the 2009 game Skate 2. The player moves to Port Carverton for Skate 3...
.
Band members
Since 2002, Kinski's lineup has consisted of:- Chris Martin (guitar)
- Lucy Atkinson (bass)
- Barrett Wilke (drums)
- Matthew Reid Schwartz (guitar, keyboards, flute)
Dave Weeks was formerly a member of the band.
Discography
- Space Launch for Frenchie - 1999 self-released; reissued 2005 on Strange Attractors Audio House
- Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle - 2001 on Pacifico; reissued 2005 on Strange Attractors Audio House
- Penthouse Suite 7" singleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
- 2001 on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene... - Semaphore EP - 2002 on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
- Airs Above Your Station - 2003 CD on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
; LP on Strange Attractors Audio House - Split w/Acid Mothers TempleAcid Mothers TempleAcid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is a Japanese psychedelic band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career featured many musicians, but by 2004 the line-up had coalesced with only a few core members and frequent guest...
- 2003 on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene... - Crickets and Fireflies split album with PaikPaikPaik is a post-rock/space rock outfit originally from Toledo, United States, currently living in Detroit, Michigan, United States, that includes Rob Smith and Ryan Pritts. Bassist Ali Clegg left the band in 2005, and has since been replaced by San Francisco native Anthony Petrovic...
and Surface of EceonSurface of EceonSurface of Eceon , is a supergroup of sorts whose music has been described as ambient space rock. This unit, which has a penchant for the phantasmagoric, includes members of from Landing and Yume Bitsu, two notable psychedelic rock groups.-Current line-up:* Dick Baldwin: guitar;* Adam Forkner:...
- 2004 on Music Fellowship - Guess I'm Falling In Love 7" singleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
- 2004 on The Great Pop Supplement - Don't Climb on and Take the Holy Water - 2004 on Strange Attractors Audio House
- Alpine Static - 2005 on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
- Down Below It's Chaos - 2007 on Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...