Baths (musician)
Encyclopedia
Baths is the stage name of American electronic
musician Will Wiesenfeld (born 1989). He was born in Tarzana and was raised in Woodland Hills. He currently resides in Chatsworth, California
.
Wiesenfield is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four "to compete with his brother". By twelve he had "completely abandoned it," but continual musical experimenting lead him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. Under a previous moniker, [Post-foetus], he wrote four albums
and three EPs
. He also ventured into a more ambient
style with side-project Geotic, a project which Irish
magazine State.ie
called "gorgeous".
After adopting the name Baths, he released debut album Cerulean
on independent record label
Anticon
. He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. The BBC
's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical sound-a-like is chillwave
musician Toro Y Moi
. Pitchfork
noted Baths' influences, acts such as Björk
and Flying Lotus
, were "obvious" in his work.
Drowned in Sound
noted Baths' use of "unorthodox" sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular "clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps". British
newspaper The Guardian
s Paul Lester commented he was reminded of "J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues" while listening to the album. While much of his music is instrumental
, it can occasionally incorporate vocals, most of them falsetto
.
Cerulean was listed by The A.V. Club
as the 21st best album of 2010. It made Pitchfork
's Album of the Year: Honorable Mention list.
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...
musician Will Wiesenfeld (born 1989). He was born in Tarzana and was raised in Woodland Hills. He currently resides in Chatsworth, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Wiesenfield is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four "to compete with his brother". By twelve he had "completely abandoned it," but continual musical experimenting lead him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. Under a previous moniker, [Post-foetus], he wrote four albums
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...
and three EPs
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...
. He also ventured into a more ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
style with side-project Geotic, a project which Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
magazine State.ie
State (magazine)
State.ie is an Irish website and formerly a monthly music magazine, which launched in March 2008 and folded in January 2009 having published a total of nine issues...
called "gorgeous".
After adopting the name Baths, he released debut album Cerulean
Cerulean (album)
Cerulean is the debut studio album by American electronic artist Baths. It was recorded in a bedroom in 2010 in Will Wiesenfeld's hometown of Chatsworth, California.The album was received positively...
on independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Anticon
Anticon
Anticon is an Oakland based independent record label founded in 1997. It is collectively owned among six founding artists and one manager...
. He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical sound-a-like is chillwave
Chillwave
Chillwave, sometimes also referred to as glo-fi, is a genre of music whose artists are often characterized by their heavy use of effects processing, synthesizers, looping, sampling, and heavily filtered vocals with simple melodic lines....
musician Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi
Chazwick Bundick better known by his stage name Toro Y Moi, is an American recording artist and producer. His music has taken on many forms since he began recording, but he is often identified with the chillwave movement of summer 2010...
. Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork 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...
noted Baths' influences, acts such as Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus, is an experimental multi-genre music producer from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006...
, were "obvious" in his work.
Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
noted Baths' use of "unorthodox" sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular "clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps". British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Paul Lester commented he was reminded of "J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues" while listening to the album. While much of his music is instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
, it can occasionally incorporate vocals, most of them falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
.
Cerulean was listed by The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
as the 21st best album of 2010. It made Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork 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...
's Album of the Year: Honorable Mention list.
Discography
- CeruleanCerulean (album)Cerulean is the debut studio album by American electronic artist Baths. It was recorded in a bedroom in 2010 in Will Wiesenfeld's hometown of Chatsworth, California.The album was received positively...
(AnticonAnticonAnticon is an Oakland based independent record label founded in 1997. It is collectively owned among six founding artists and one manager...
, 2010) - Pop Music/False B-SidesPop Music/False B-Sides (album)Pop Music/False B-Sides is the second album from the American electronic musician Baths and was released during his 2011 tour. In an interview with Blue Indian Baths stated, "It’s original songs that happened after Cerulean...
(AnticonAnticonAnticon is an Oakland based independent record label founded in 1997. It is collectively owned among six founding artists and one manager...
, 2011)
External links
- Q&A with Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS, The Blue Indian, February 4, 2011