Dysrhythmia
Encyclopedia
Dysrhythmia is an American instrumental progressive metal
band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1998. The band's music combines avant-garde
elements of progressive rock
and jazz
with heavy metal
. They are currently located in Brooklyn
, New York
.
Their most recent release, Psychic Maps
, was released in July 2009 via Relapse Records
.
and bassist Clayton Ingerson, who were joined six months later by drummer Jeff Eber. The band entered the studio in early 2000 to record their debut album, Contradiction, which was recorded, like every other Dysrhythmia album to follow, completely live with minimal overdubs. Shortly thereafter, the band reentered the studio in 2001 to record the No Interference
record. The new album helped to define and expand the band's sound, and was followed by extensive touring. In 2002, the band released two split albums, a 10" vinyl record with Thoughtstreams and a 7" split with Technician.
The band signed to Relapse Records
in October 2002. Entitled Pretest
, their first album with Relapse was released May 13, 2003 to positive critical acclaim. Metal Hammer Magazine named Pretest one of the Top 10 Essential Mathcore albums of all time, while Revolver Magazine ranked the album among the top 20 albums of 2003 alongside of records by Radiohead
, Metallica
and others. The band began touring with bigger named acts such as Mastodon
, Cephalic Carnage
and The Dillinger Escape Plan
, and playing large music festivals including the 2003 and 2004 Relapse Contamination tour, the Relapse Records South by Southwest
showcase in Austin
, Texas
, and the New England Metal and Hardcore festival, where the band was profiled by both MTV2
and Fuse
. Ingerson left the group in November 2004.
To replace Ingerson, Dysrhytmia recruited Colin Marston, a member of the group Behold...The Arctopus (in which he plays a 12-string Raptor Warr guitar
). Dysrhythmia next embarked on tours with Isis
and These Arms are Snakes
. They recorded and released their fourth full-length album, Barriers and Passages
, at B.C. Studios in Brooklyn with engineer Martin Bisi, who had previously worked with John Zorn
and Sonic Youth
. Barriers and Passages was released on May 2, 2004 in North America and May 9 internationally. The band continued touring throughout 2006 and 2007, and released a split album with Rothko
in late 2007.
Dysrhythmia stayed relatively quiet in 2008 as Hufnagel and Marston pursued their own individual projects. Marston continued recording and touring with Behold...The Arctopus and Krallice
, while Hufnagel released a full-length solo album entitled Songs for the Disappeared via his own imprint Nightfloat Recordings. Both Hufnagel and Marston also joined the long-standing technical death metal
band Gorguts
.
After the short break, Dysrhythmia entered their own Menegroth Studios in Queens, New York to record their fifth full length release, Psychic Maps
. The album was engineered and produced by Marston and was released July 7, 2009 in North America and July 13 internationally via Relapse. They began touring in October 2009 in support of the new album.
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1998. The band's music combines avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
elements of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
with heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. They are currently located in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Their most recent release, Psychic Maps
Psychic Maps
Psychic Maps is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dysrhythmia. The album was released through Relapse Records, on July 7, 2009.-Track listing:# "Festival of Popular Delusions" – 4:22# "Triangular Stare" – 5:47...
, was released in July 2009 via Relapse Records
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...
.
History
The band was formed in August 1998 by guitarist Kevin HufnagelKevin Hufnagel
Kevin Hufnagel is an American musician. He is known for fronting the progressive metal band Dysrhythmia, and for being a member of Gorguts.-Byla:*2005: Byla - Byla *2007: Byla + Jarboe - Viscera...
and bassist Clayton Ingerson, who were joined six months later by drummer Jeff Eber. The band entered the studio in early 2000 to record their debut album, Contradiction, which was recorded, like every other Dysrhythmia album to follow, completely live with minimal overdubs. Shortly thereafter, the band reentered the studio in 2001 to record the No Interference
No Interference
No Interference is an album by Dysrhythmia. It was rereleased in 2005 on Translation Loss Records with live bonus tracks.- Track listing :# Body Destroyed, Brain Intact - 3:01# Craving for Transformation - 4:15# No Interference - 7:20...
record. The new album helped to define and expand the band's sound, and was followed by extensive touring. In 2002, the band released two split albums, a 10" vinyl record with Thoughtstreams and a 7" split with Technician.
The band signed to Relapse Records
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...
in October 2002. Entitled Pretest
Pretest
Pretest is an album by progressive rock band Dysrhythmia. It is their third full-length overall and their first release on Relapse Records.-Track listing:# "Bastard" – 6:20# "My Relationship" – 2:29# "And Just Go" – 6:16# "Heat Sink" – 4:21...
, their first album with Relapse was released May 13, 2003 to positive critical acclaim. Metal Hammer Magazine named Pretest one of the Top 10 Essential Mathcore albums of all time, while Revolver Magazine ranked the album among the top 20 albums of 2003 alongside of records by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and others. The band began touring with bigger named acts such as Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
, Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American grindcore band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos...
and The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, and playing large music festivals including the 2003 and 2004 Relapse Contamination tour, the Relapse Records South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
showcase in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the New England Metal and Hardcore festival, where the band was profiled by both MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
and Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
. Ingerson left the group in November 2004.
To replace Ingerson, Dysrhytmia recruited Colin Marston, a member of the group Behold...The Arctopus (in which he plays a 12-string Raptor Warr guitar
Warr guitar
Warr Guitars is a company that manufactures the Warr Guitar, a guitar like musical instrument developed by the company's founder, Mark Warr.-Description:The Warr Guitar resembles a standard electric guitar, albeit with a very low action and more strings...
). Dysrhythmia next embarked on tours with Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
and These Arms are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes was an American post-hardcore band that formed in 2002 and featured former members of Botch and Kill Sadie. The band was known for their intense live shows, which often feature vocalist Steve Snere crowd surfing and spending a large portion of the live performance in the...
. They recorded and released their fourth full-length album, Barriers and Passages
Barriers and Passages
Barriers and Passages is the fourth album by Progressive rock band Dysrhythmia. It is their first to feature bassist Colin Marston.-Track listing:# "Pulsar" - 1:13# "Appeared At First" - 3:06# "Bypass The Solenoid" - 3:14...
, at B.C. Studios in Brooklyn with engineer Martin Bisi, who had previously worked with John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
and Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
. Barriers and Passages was released on May 2, 2004 in North America and May 9 internationally. The band continued touring throughout 2006 and 2007, and released a split album with Rothko
Rothko (band)
Rothko were a London-based instrumental ambient group. The group mainly used bass guitars and keyboards to create their soundscapes. They derived their name from the painter Mark Rothko...
in late 2007.
Dysrhythmia stayed relatively quiet in 2008 as Hufnagel and Marston pursued their own individual projects. Marston continued recording and touring with Behold...The Arctopus and Krallice
Krallice
Krallice is an experimental black metal band formed by New York City musicians Colin Marston, Mick Barr and Lev Weinstein.-History:Krallice was first mentioned by Marston in February 2008 as a collaboration between himself and Mick Barr. Marston, a member of the instrumental metal groups Behold.....
, while Hufnagel released a full-length solo album entitled Songs for the Disappeared via his own imprint Nightfloat Recordings. Both Hufnagel and Marston also joined the long-standing technical death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Gorguts
Gorguts
Gorguts is a technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The band's only constant member is Luc Lemay.-History:Gorguts were formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay , Sylvain Marcoux , Éric Giguère and Stephane Provencher...
.
After the short break, Dysrhythmia entered their own Menegroth Studios in Queens, New York to record their fifth full length release, Psychic Maps
Psychic Maps
Psychic Maps is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dysrhythmia. The album was released through Relapse Records, on July 7, 2009.-Track listing:# "Festival of Popular Delusions" – 4:22# "Triangular Stare" – 5:47...
. The album was engineered and produced by Marston and was released July 7, 2009 in North America and July 13 internationally via Relapse. They began touring in October 2009 in support of the new album.
Current members
- Jeff Eber – 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 ....
(1998–present) - Kevin HufnagelKevin HufnagelKevin Hufnagel is an American musician. He is known for fronting the progressive metal band Dysrhythmia, and for being a member of Gorguts.-Byla:*2005: Byla - Byla *2007: Byla + Jarboe - Viscera...
– 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...
(1998–present) - Colin MarstonColin MarstonColin Marston is an American musician and record producer residing in NYC. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music technology in 2004, and runs The Thousand Caves Recording Studios, located in Woodhaven, Queens, while not on tour with one of his four active...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2004–present)
Albums
- Contradiction (2000), self-released
- No InterferenceNo InterferenceNo Interference is an album by Dysrhythmia. It was rereleased in 2005 on Translation Loss Records with live bonus tracks.- Track listing :# Body Destroyed, Brain Intact - 3:01# Craving for Transformation - 4:15# No Interference - 7:20...
(2001), self-released (re-released in 2005 by Translation Loss Records with bonus tracks) - PretestPretestPretest is an album by progressive rock band Dysrhythmia. It is their third full-length overall and their first release on Relapse Records.-Track listing:# "Bastard" – 6:20# "My Relationship" – 2:29# "And Just Go" – 6:16# "Heat Sink" – 4:21...
(2003), Relapse RecordsRelapse RecordsRelapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado... - Barriers and PassagesBarriers and PassagesBarriers and Passages is the fourth album by Progressive rock band Dysrhythmia. It is their first to feature bassist Colin Marston.-Track listing:# "Pulsar" - 1:13# "Appeared At First" - 3:06# "Bypass The Solenoid" - 3:14...
(2006), Relapse Records, Eyeofsound - Fractures, split w/ RothkoRothko (band)Rothko were a London-based instrumental ambient group. The group mainly used bass guitars and keyboards to create their soundscapes. They derived their name from the painter Mark Rothko...
CD (2007), Acerbic Noise Development - Psychic MapsPsychic MapsPsychic Maps is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dysrhythmia. The album was released through Relapse Records, on July 7, 2009.-Track listing:# "Festival of Popular Delusions" – 4:22# "Triangular Stare" – 5:47...
(2009), Relapse Records
External links
- Official website (now defunct)
- Official blog
- Official MySpace profile
- Interview with kevin Hufnagel by James Gilmore at Aural States (Aug 2009)