Biota (band)
Encyclopedia
Biota are an American avant-rock musical collective. They have released several albums. David Newgarden wrote, "Biota is not even remotely like any other group I can think of" in a review of their 1995 album, Object Holder.
as Mnemonist Orchestra (later Mnemonists) led by Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp and recorded five albums on their own self-produced label, Dys. In the mid 1980s they split into a visual arts group retaining the Mnemonists name and a musical group called Biota.
Almost Never (1992) features three long compositions. The band's line-up was James Gardner, Tom Katsimpalis, Steve Scholbe, Sharp, Gordon Whitlow, Larry Wilson and Randy Yeates. The band's membership remained the same on Object Holder (Recommended Records
, 1995). Artwork for Object Holder was by Mnemonists: Ken DeVries, Bill Ellsworth, Katsimpalis, Dana Sharp, Stan Starbuck, Ann Stretton, E.M. Thomas, Dirk Vallons, Wilson, Kyle Yeates and Randy Yeates. Musical guest appearances on the album are by drummer/lyricist Chris Cutler
, vocalist Susanne Lewis
, Andy Kredt, and Forever Einstein
's Charles Vrtacek
(now known as Charles O'Meara) on piano, who later joined the band fully. Object Holder was their first album to include lyrics.
Genevieve Heistek (of Set Fire to Flames
and HṚṢṬA
) joined the band for Invisible Map (2001), which otherwise included Gardner, Katsimpalis, Andy Kredt, Mark Piersel, Scholbe, Sharp, O'Meara (a.k.a. Vrtacek), Whitlow, Wilson and R. Yeates.
The band have only performed live twice: once in 1981, and in Montreal
in 1990. The latter performance was eventually released as Musique Actuelle 1990.
Musical career
The band formed in 1979 in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
as Mnemonist Orchestra (later Mnemonists) led by Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp and recorded five albums on their own self-produced label, Dys. In the mid 1980s they split into a visual arts group retaining the Mnemonists name and a musical group called Biota.
Almost Never (1992) features three long compositions. The band's line-up was James Gardner, Tom Katsimpalis, Steve Scholbe, Sharp, Gordon Whitlow, Larry Wilson and Randy Yeates. The band's membership remained the same on Object Holder (Recommended Records
Recommended Records
Recommended Records is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected music released on other independent labels.In 1982 Cutler established November...
, 1995). Artwork for Object Holder was by Mnemonists: Ken DeVries, Bill Ellsworth, Katsimpalis, Dana Sharp, Stan Starbuck, Ann Stretton, E.M. Thomas, Dirk Vallons, Wilson, Kyle Yeates and Randy Yeates. Musical guest appearances on the album are by drummer/lyricist Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
, vocalist Susanne Lewis
Susanne Lewis
Susanne Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and artist. She is a solo-artist and a founder or collaborator of a number of bands and music projects. She has a band with Bob Drake called Hail, who have released five albums , a solo-project called Kissyfur, and she also releases music under her...
, Andy Kredt, and Forever Einstein
Forever Einstein
Forever Einstein is an avante-garde band formed in 1989, described as a, "very smart trio," consisting of percussionist John Roulat, bassist Kevin Gerety, and guitarist Charles O'Meara, aka C.W. Vrtacek. Past members include original bassist Marc Sichel and Jack Vees...
's Charles Vrtacek
C.W. Vrtacek
C.W. Vrtacek is a guitarist and composer of tape loops. He is a member of Forever Einstein and has worked with Biota.-Discography:solo*"Victory Through Grace" .*"Days and Days" .*"Learning to be Silent" ....
(now known as Charles O'Meara) on piano, who later joined the band fully. Object Holder was their first album to include lyrics.
Genevieve Heistek (of Set Fire to Flames
Set Fire to Flames
Set Fire to Flames is a post-rock band of thirteen musicians from Montreal, Canada, who have released two albums on Alien8 Recordings, FatCat Records....
and HṚṢṬA
Hrsta
' is a Montreal post-rock band that records on Constellation Records. The band's leader, Mike Moya , was also one of the founding members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Hrsta's sound has been compared to that of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band...
) joined the band for Invisible Map (2001), which otherwise included Gardner, Katsimpalis, Andy Kredt, Mark Piersel, Scholbe, Sharp, O'Meara (a.k.a. Vrtacek), Whitlow, Wilson and R. Yeates.
The band have only performed live twice: once in 1981, and in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1990. The latter performance was eventually released as Musique Actuelle 1990.
As Mnemonist Orchestra
- Mnemonist Orchestra (LP, 1979, DYS 01, Dys Records)
- Some Attributes of a Living System (LP, 1980, DYS 02, Dys Records)
As Mnemonists
- Horde (LP, 1981, DYS 03, Dys Records)
- Roto-Limbs (Cassette, 1981, DYS 06, Dys Records)
- Biota (LP, 1982, DYS 07, Dys Records)
- Gyromancy (LP, 1984, DYS 10, Dys Records)
- "Nailed/Tic" (7", 1984, Recommended RecordsRecommended RecordsRecommended Records is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected music released on other independent labels.In 1982 Cutler established November...
)
As Biota
- Rackabones (2xLP, 1985, DYS 12, Dys Records)
- Bellowing Room (LP, 1987, Recommended Records)
- Tinct (LP, 1988, Recommended Records)
- Bellowing Room/Tinct (subsequently released together on single CD, 1990, by Recommended Records)
- Awry (10", 1989, Recommended Records)
- Tumble (CD, 1989, Recommended Records)
- Almost Never (CD, 1992, Recommended Records)
- Object Holder (CD, 1995, Recommended Records)
- Invisible Map (CD, 2001, Recommended Records)
- Musique Actuelle 1990 (taken from a 1990 live show, CD, 2004, Anomalous Records)
- Half a True Day (CD, 2007, Recommended Records)
Guest appearances
- "Early Rest Home" on Rē Records QuarterlyReR QuarterlyThe RēR Quarterly was an English "quarterly" sound-magazine comprising an LP record and a magazine. It was published at irregular intervals between 1985 and 1997 by Recommended Records and November Books, and edited by English percussionist, lyricist and music theorist, Chris Cutler...
Vol.1 No.3 (LP, Recommended Records Rē 0103, 1986)- also released on RēR Quarterly Selections from Vol. 1 (Recommended Records, 1991)
- "Walk Aside" on Rē Records QuarterlyReR QuarterlyThe RēR Quarterly was an English "quarterly" sound-magazine comprising an LP record and a magazine. It was published at irregular intervals between 1985 and 1997 by Recommended Records and November Books, and edited by English percussionist, lyricist and music theorist, Chris Cutler...
Vol.4 No.1 (LP, Recommended Records RēR 0401, 1994) - Art BearsArt BearsArt Bears were an English avant-rock group formed during the disassembly of Henry Cow in 1978 by three of its members, Chris Cutler , Fred Frith and Dagmar Krause...
: The Art BoxThe Art BoxThe Art Box is a six-CD box set by English avant-rock group Art Bears. It contains all Art Bears album and single releases, plus new material, including live and unreleased Art Bears tracks, and unreleased remixes and reworkings of Art Bears material by other musicians...
(2003, remixes)
External links
- Biota homepage
- Mnemonists/Biota at Piero ScaruffiPiero ScaruffiPiero Scaruffi received a degree in Mathematics in 1982 from University of Turin, where he did work on the General Theory of Relativity. For a number of years he was the head of the Artificial Intelligence Center at Olivetti, based in Cupertino, California. He has been a visiting scholar at...