Battles (band)
Encyclopedia
Battles is an American
experimental rock
group, founded in 2002 in New York City
, comprising guitarist
s Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero
and Storm & Stress
) and Dave Konopka
(formerly of Lynx), and drummer
John Stanier
(formerly of Helmet
).
, the band released their debut album
on the Warp Records
label in February 2006, which was titled EP C / B EP
. It is a compilation of their early releases, EP C
, B EP
and the single "Tras".
The first single from the album, "Atlas", was released on February 21, 2007 as streaming audio, and the accompanying streaming video was released on February 28, 2007.
It was voted "Best Single of the Week" by NME
magazine
, and received a glowing review in the British
Clash Magazine, as well as ranking at number one in the second Dandelion Radio
Festive Fifty
. The song was performed by the band on BBC television's Later With Jools Holland
in November 2007.
"Atlas" was featured in the Media Molecule
' video game LittleBigPlanet
, available for the PlayStation 3
, and appears on the soundtrack for the second season of the Channel 4 program Skins
. The track was also featured in Major League Baseball 2K8
.
The video for the track "Atlas" also appeared in a set of videos from Warp Films shown at the 2009 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The audio track was featured on American Airlines in-flight radio programming and is used for Arto Saari
's segment of Alien Workshop's skateboard video MindField.
Battles released a streaming video for the track "Tonto", in which they collaborated with celebrated lights artists UVA (United Visual Artists). The accompanying single was released in late 2007.
Battles scored their first UK cover feature in April 2007, talking to The Skinny magazine about the making of Mirrored.
The song "Race : In" and a remix of "Atlas" were both used for car advertisements in the UK (for Audi
and Honda
respectively), and "Bad Trails" was featured in the film Big Fan
.
The introduction of the film All Tomorrow’s Parties, which was released in October 2009, features a live performance of "Atlas". This performance was recorded in May 2007 during the All Tomorrow's Parties festival
that took place in Butlins Holiday Camp, Minehead
, Somerset
.
A new song "Sweetie and Shag" was performed in Dublin on 10 December 2009.
The songs "Leyendecker" and "Bad Trails" were both featured in episode 7 of season 4 of the UK teen show Skins.
The song "The Line" is featured on the Twilight Saga: Eclipse OST
soundtrack.
In August 2010 Tyondai Braxton left the band amicably due to commitments to his solo work and his desire not to tour.
, was released on June 6, 2011 featuring guests including Gary Numan
, Kazu Makino, and Yamantaka Eye
, and the band announced a spring tour in support of the record. In December 2011 the band will curate the All Tomorrow's Parties
"Nightmare Before Christmas" festival in Minehead, England alongside co-curators Les Savy Fav
and Caribou
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
group, founded in 2002 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, comprising guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero
Don Caballero
Don Caballero are an American rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group took their name from the character Guy Caballero, portrayed by Joe Flaherty, on the sketch comedy show Second City Television...
and Storm & Stress
Storm & Stress
Storm & Stress is an American experimental/noise rock band. The band's name is derived from the German literary movement Sturm und Drang.-Discography:*Storm and Stress - Touch & Go Records...
) and Dave Konopka
Dave Konopka
Dave Konopka is an American musician who is best known as the guitarist-bassist in Battles. Prior to joining Battles, he was in the Boston-based math rock band Lynx. The band had released their self-titled album on Box Factory Records in 2000....
(formerly of Lynx), and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
John Stanier
John Stanier (drummer)
John Stanier first came into the spotlight in 1989 as the drummer for the band Helmet. He is known for his speed, endurance, and precision as a performer....
(formerly of Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
).
Biography
Following a string of EPsExtended 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...
, the band released their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
on the Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
label in February 2006, which was titled EP C / B EP
EP C / B EP
EP C/B EP is a collection of American math rock band Battles's two previous EPs, EP C, B EP and the Tras single. It was released in 2006 on Warp Records....
. It is a compilation of their early releases, EP C
EP C
EP C is the first EP from the American math rock band Battles. It was released on Monitor Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Dave Konopka – Bass, Guitar, Effects* John Stanier – Drums* Ian Williams – Guitar, Keyboards...
, B EP
B EP
B EP is an EP by the American math rock band Battles. It was the group's third release in three months and has been called "another sketchbook revealing where the group could end up in the future." -Track listing:-Personnel:...
and the single "Tras".
Mirrored
Their first full-length album Mirrored, recorded by Keith Souza at Machines with Magnets, was released on May 14, 2007. The album received positive reviews and appeared on several top album lists for 2007.The first single from the album, "Atlas", was released on February 21, 2007 as streaming audio, and the accompanying streaming video was released on February 28, 2007.
It was voted "Best Single of the Week" by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, and received a glowing review in the 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...
Clash Magazine, as well as ranking at number one in the second Dandelion Radio
Dandelion Radio
Dandelion Radio is an internet radio station founded in June 2006 with the aim of pursuing the musical legacy of the popular and influential BBC Radio 1 disk jockey John Peel...
Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
. The song was performed by the band on BBC television's Later With Jools Holland
Later with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
in November 2007.
"Atlas" was featured in the Media Molecule
Media Molecule
Media Molecule is a British video game developer based in Guildford in Surrey. The studio was founded in January 2006 by former Lionhead Studios employees Mark Healey, Alex Evans, Dave Smith, and Kareem Ettouney...
' video game LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
, available for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and appears on the soundtrack for the second season of the Channel 4 program Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
. The track was also featured in Major League Baseball 2K8
Major League Baseball 2K8
Major League Baseball 2K8 or in shorter terms, MLB 2K8, is a MLB licensed baseball simulation video game developed by Kush Games and published by 2K Sports for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360. It was released on March 4, 2008...
.
The video for the track "Atlas" also appeared in a set of videos from Warp Films shown at the 2009 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The audio track was featured on American Airlines in-flight radio programming and is used for Arto Saari
Arto Saari
Arto Saari is a professional skateboarder. He lives in Huntington Beach, California. He was selected as the "2001 Skater of the Year" by Thrasher magazine. His skating stance is regular. He is known for his big and aggressive skating style and also for his lipslides...
's segment of Alien Workshop's skateboard video MindField.
Battles released a streaming video for the track "Tonto", in which they collaborated with celebrated lights artists UVA (United Visual Artists). The accompanying single was released in late 2007.
Battles scored their first UK cover feature in April 2007, talking to The Skinny magazine about the making of Mirrored.
The song "Race : In" and a remix of "Atlas" were both used for car advertisements in the UK (for Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
and Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
respectively), and "Bad Trails" was featured in the film Big Fan
Big Fan
Big Fan is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Robert D. Siegel, and starring Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Michael Rapaport, and Scott Ferrall. The story revolves around the bleak yet amiable life of the self-described "world’s biggest New York Giants fan",...
.
The introduction of the film All Tomorrow’s Parties, which was released in October 2009, features a live performance of "Atlas". This performance was recorded in May 2007 during the All Tomorrow's Parties festival
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
that took place in Butlins Holiday Camp, Minehead
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
A new song "Sweetie and Shag" was performed in Dublin on 10 December 2009.
The songs "Leyendecker" and "Bad Trails" were both featured in episode 7 of season 4 of the UK teen show Skins.
The song "The Line" is featured on the Twilight Saga: Eclipse OST
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...
soundtrack.
In August 2010 Tyondai Braxton left the band amicably due to commitments to his solo work and his desire not to tour.
Gloss Drop
Battles' second album, Gloss DropGloss Drop
Gloss Drop is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Battles. The band have announced a spring tour in support of the record.It is the band's first release since the departure of Tyondai Braxton...
, was released on June 6, 2011 featuring guests including Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Kazu Makino, and Yamantaka Eye
Yamantaka Eye
, real name , born February 13, 1964 in Kobe, is a Japanese vocalist and visual artist, best known as a member of Boredoms. He has changed his name three times, from Yamatsuka Eye, to Yamantaka Eye, to Yamataka Eye, and sometimes calls himself eYe or EYヨ...
, and the band announced a spring tour in support of the record. In December 2011 the band will curate the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
"Nightmare Before Christmas" festival in Minehead, England alongside co-curators Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav is a New York City indie rock band. Their style is influenced by art rock and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington...
and Caribou
Caribou (musician)
Daniel Victor Snaith is a composer, musician and recording artist under stage names Caribou, Manitoba and Daphni. Under the supervision of Kevin Buzzard, he obtained a PhD in mathematics at Imperial College London.- Career:...
.
Members
- Dave KonopkaDave KonopkaDave Konopka is an American musician who is best known as the guitarist-bassist in Battles. Prior to joining Battles, he was in the Boston-based math rock band Lynx. The band had released their self-titled album on Box Factory Records in 2000....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, 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...
, effects - Ian Williams – 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...
, keyboardsKeyboard 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... - John StanierJohn Stanier (drummer)John Stanier first came into the spotlight in 1989 as the drummer for the band Helmet. He is known for his speed, endurance, and precision as a performer....
– 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 ....
Former members
- Tyondai BraxtonTyondai BraxtonTyondai Braxton is an American composer and performer, largely known as the former guitarist/singer of Battles, and as a prominently featured artist on record label Warp Records...
– 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...
, keyboardsKeyboard 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 (2002–2010)
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
BE Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat. Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Indie. Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
||
| 2007 | Mirrored
|
70 | 67 | — | 7 | 26 |
| 2011 | Gloss Drop Gloss Drop Gloss Drop is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Battles. The band have announced a spring tour in support of the record.It is the band's first release since the departure of Tyondai Braxton... Warp Records Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music.... |
48 | 73 | 98 | — | 19 |
EPs
- EP CEP CEP C is the first EP from the American math rock band Battles. It was released on Monitor Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Dave Konopka – Bass, Guitar, Effects* John Stanier – Drums* Ian Williams – Guitar, Keyboards...
(Monitor RecordsMonitor RecordsMonitor Records is a Hong Kong-based music shop selling various rare and alternative CDs and music items. Monitor Records is also a distributor of Hong Kong indie bands and independent musicians such as the Pancake, Elf Fatima and Alok...
, June 8, 2004) - B EPB EPB EP is an EP by the American math rock band Battles. It was the group's third release in three months and has been called "another sketchbook revealing where the group could end up in the future." -Track listing:-Personnel:...
(Dim Mak RecordsDim Mak RecordsDim Mak Records is a record label founded in 1996 by Steve Aoki and based in Los Angeles, CA. Dim Mak's first release was a 7" by a little known hardcore band from southern California, Stickfigurecarousel.-Roster:Active* Steve Aoki* All Leather...
, September 2004) - EPCEPC (EP)EPC was the third EP released by the experimental rock band Battles. It was released by Dotlinecircle in 2004. In Japan, this EP was well received critically and is the only EP by Battles to be released in Japan alone.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Battles – artwork, mixing, concept*Tyondai Braxton –...
(Japan only special mix edition) (Dotlinecircle, October 2004) - LivesLiVESLiVES is a free software video editing software and VJ tool, released under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. There are binary versions available for most popular Linux distributions...
(Beat Records, September 27, 2007) - Tonto+Tonto+Tonto+ is a 2007 EP by Battles. It consists of a CD and a DVD. The CD contains the title track, remixes, and live performances, and the DVD has videos for the title track and "Atlas", another song off Battles' debut album Mirrored.-Track listing:...
(Warp RecordsWarp RecordsWarp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
, October 22, 2007 World, November 6, 2007 USA)
Compilations
- EP C/B EP (Warp RecordsWarp RecordsWarp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
, February 21, 2006) - Warp20 (Chosen) (September 28, 2009)
Singles
- "Tras" (June 15, 2004, 12"12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
) - "Atlas" (April 2007, 12"12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
) - "TontoTonto+Tonto+ is a 2007 EP by Battles. It consists of a CD and a DVD. The CD contains the title track, remixes, and live performances, and the DVD has videos for the title track and "Atlas", another song off Battles' debut album Mirrored.-Track listing:...
" (October 2007) - "The Line" (August 2010, digital download)
- "Ice Cream" (March 2011, 12"12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
) - "My Machines" (August 2011, 12"12-inch singleThe 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
)
Filmography
- All Tomorrow's Parties (October, 2009)
External links
- Official Battles website
- Live pictures of Battles
- Interview/Photos with ignore Magazine
- Interview from Hate Something Beautiful
- Concert photos
- 'Musical Mathletes' The Guardian Interview May 19 2007
- Battles article June 2007
- Contact Music: interview
- Ignore Magazine: article
- BBC: article
- Battles: Interview & Live performance in Paris