Gil Mantera's Party Dream
Encyclopedia
Gil Mantera's Party Dream was an electronic synthpop
party band hailing originally from Youngstown, Ohio
, with Gil Mantera living in Columbus, Ohio
as well as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Donny has always lived in Youngstown. Consisting of self-proclaimed brothers Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny, the Party Dream was known for their over-the-top live shows and updated channeling of 1980s synthpop à la Tears for Fears
. Their music blends synth-heavy electronic dance music with heavy basslines, distorted guitar, and even a few progressive rock
influences.
They toured several times with successful artists as varied as Grand Buffet
, An Albatross
, GWAR
, and Art Brut
, and most notably were invited several times to play New York City with The Rapture
. In 2008 they toured across the country with the Van's Warped Tour. Originally a regional phenomenon, the Party Dream signed to Fat Possum Records
, a primarily blues label that is also the home of The Black Keys
and The Fiery Furnaces
, and have begun extensive national touring. In mid-2006, they were invited to play the SXSW concert series in Austin, Texas, garnering enough attention at their three garish live shows to warrant a "Best Show [SXSW]" award from the Village Voice. They were also featured by Spin magazine as a Spin.com band of the day and warranted a recommendation on Timothy McSweeney's
publishing house website.
The Party Dream is well-known among their fans for their pseudo-performance art approach to playing live, with sets that include not only musical performance, but also improvised stage patter, dance, and at times even elements of striptease
. Driven by Gil's synthesizer
arrangements and Donny's wildly over-emotive vocal stylings, the Party Dream produces danceable, electronic music with recognizable hooks that are often performed by Gil, who sings exclusively through a vocoder
. After originally focusing on improvised performance, the Party Dream has now matured into a dance band with recorded musical offerings that while not directly comparable with their frenetic live shows, has placed them in a position to expand on their regional success and join the indie
/post-punk
revival from a decidedly different angle than their peers.
(Tartron). Ultimate Donny described the band as, "A joke band called Party Talk, playing retro '80s-style dance music and pretty much making jackasses of ourselves." http://music.aol.com/artist/gil-manteras-party-dream/757464/biography
The group disbanded after Brian moved to California. With Gil and Donny, Party Talk regrouped a few months later to play a CD release show at the club, despite the fact they had no CD in the works. With the departure of their third member, Party Talk evolved into Gil Mantera's Party Dream, and the duo gained a reputation for their anything-goes live shows. http://www.answers.com/topic/gil-mantera-s-party-dream
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
party band hailing originally from Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, with Gil Mantera living in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
as well as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Donny has always lived in Youngstown. Consisting of self-proclaimed brothers Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny, the Party Dream was known for their over-the-top live shows and updated channeling of 1980s synthpop à la Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
. Their music blends synth-heavy electronic dance music with heavy basslines, distorted guitar, and even a few 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...
influences.
They toured several times with successful artists as varied as Grand Buffet
Grand Buffet
Grand Buffet is a hip-hop funk duo from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made up of Jackson O'Connell-Barlow and Jarrod Weeks . Their music is a unique brand of humorous, often satirical rap...
, An Albatross
An Albatross
An Albatross is a noise rock band based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, known for their chaotic live shows and psychedelic/circus-like presentation.-History:Formed in the fall of 1999 by guitarist Jake Lisowski, vocalist Edward B...
, GWAR
GWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, and Art Brut
Art Brut (band)
Art Brut are a Berlin-based English and German indie rock band. Their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, It's a Bit Complicated, released on 25 June 2007...
, and most notably were invited several times to play New York City with The Rapture
The Rapture (band)
The Rapture is an Indie rock band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre...
. In 2008 they toured across the country with the Van's Warped Tour. Originally a regional phenomenon, the Party Dream signed to Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording hitherto unknown Mississippi blues artists . Recently, Fat Possum has signed younger rock acts to its roster...
, a primarily blues label that is also the home of The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
and The Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces are a U.S. indie rock band formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, New York. The band's primary members are Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger. The siblings are originally from Oak Park, Illinois, a near-western suburb of Chicago.- Band biography :...
, and have begun extensive national touring. In mid-2006, they were invited to play the SXSW concert series in Austin, Texas, garnering enough attention at their three garish live shows to warrant a "Best Show [SXSW]" award from the Village Voice. They were also featured by Spin magazine as a Spin.com band of the day and warranted a recommendation on Timothy McSweeney's
McSweeney's
McSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers.Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: the quarterly literary journal,...
publishing house website.
The Party Dream is well-known among their fans for their pseudo-performance art approach to playing live, with sets that include not only musical performance, but also improvised stage patter, dance, and at times even elements of striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
. Driven by Gil's synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
arrangements and Donny's wildly over-emotive vocal stylings, the Party Dream produces danceable, electronic music with recognizable hooks that are often performed by Gil, who sings exclusively through a vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
. After originally focusing on improvised performance, the Party Dream has now matured into a dance band with recorded musical offerings that while not directly comparable with their frenetic live shows, has placed them in a position to expand on their regional success and join the indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
/post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
revival from a decidedly different angle than their peers.
Biography
Gil Mantera's Party Dream spawned from a three man act called "Party Talk" that played a one night show in August 1998 in Youngstown, Ohio at Cedars Lounge. The act consisted of Richard Elmsworth (Ultimate Donny), Glen Whiteweather (Gil Mantera), and Brian GageBrian Gage
Brian Gage is an American author of satire, fairy tales, and fiction. He was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio.-Bibliography:*Snark, Inc...
(Tartron). Ultimate Donny described the band as, "A joke band called Party Talk, playing retro '80s-style dance music and pretty much making jackasses of ourselves." http://music.aol.com/artist/gil-manteras-party-dream/757464/biography
The group disbanded after Brian moved to California. With Gil and Donny, Party Talk regrouped a few months later to play a CD release show at the club, despite the fact they had no CD in the works. With the departure of their third member, Party Talk evolved into Gil Mantera's Party Dream, and the duo gained a reputation for their anything-goes live shows. http://www.answers.com/topic/gil-mantera-s-party-dream
2010 through present
The group is currently on a hiatus as of June 5, 2010. Little is known on the status of the band, or if they have any plans of reforming. Gil Mantera has remained quiet about the situation, however Ultimate Donny has hinted online that the band is over and that there are no plans in the foreseeable future.Discography
- Best Friends - 2000, self-released CDEP, out of print
- Once Triangular - 2004, self-released CDLP, out of print
- BloodsongsBloodsongsBloodsongs magazine was created by Steve Proposch and Chris A. Masters in 1993 as a vehicle for original horror fiction. It was published by Bambada Press in Melbourne Australia from 1993 to 1997....
- 2005, Audio Eagle CDLP - Ballerina EP - 2008, digital self-release
- DreamscapeDreamscapeDreamscape may refer to:In music:* "Dreamscape", a 2006 song by 009 Sound System, a project by Alexander Perls*Dreamscape, a 1995 Jamaaladeen Tacuma album* Dreamscape, a 2009 album by Gil Mantera's Party Dream...
- 2009, digital self-release and CDLP; Psychic Dog Records