Opium Den (band)
Encyclopedia
Opium Den was a 90's gothic rock
band out of Boston
. They have also described their music as psychedelic rock
and art rock
. Christian Gilbert's Spanish-classical influenced guitar playing is combined with the poetry of Annette Farrington
's lyrics.
It was formed in the early 90's when Christian Gilbert and Mike Demma were looking for a singer for a psychedelic band they wanted to form. Annette was coming off touring with a Boston theater company and soon joined them. They then auditioned John De Gregorio as a bass player and they liked his unique style and musical creativeness.
maintain a sense of purpose and hope in our lives."
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band out of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. They have also described their music as psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
. Christian Gilbert's Spanish-classical influenced guitar playing is combined with the poetry of Annette Farrington
Annette Farrington
Annette Farrington is a Boston-based acoustic electric psychedelic singer-song-writer. She was previously the lead vocalist for Opium Den, a 90's gothic rock band....
's lyrics.
It was formed in the early 90's when Christian Gilbert and Mike Demma were looking for a singer for a psychedelic band they wanted to form. Annette was coming off touring with a Boston theater company and soon joined them. They then auditioned John De Gregorio as a bass player and they liked his unique style and musical creativeness.
Name
The genesis of the name explained by Annette Farrington "the name invokes a multi layered meaning the social context and the literal meaning of an opium den. I wanted to invoke the state of where I thought the social consciousness lay. As a nation we are asleep in an Opium Den, asleep to consciousness and clarity. The drug being, materialism, greed, lack of connection to spirit. But we also wanted to invoke the transformative nature of being in a state of altered consciousness. We grew up in an apocalyptic society. There was so much fear, internal and outer. We felt a need to express the emotional struggle of finding a way tomaintain a sense of purpose and hope in our lives."
Personnel
- Annette FarringtonAnnette FarringtonAnnette Farrington is a Boston-based acoustic electric psychedelic singer-song-writer. She was previously the lead vocalist for Opium Den, a 90's gothic rock band....
(formerly Annette Kramer), vocals, lyrics, guitar, recorder. - Christian Gilbert, guitars.
- John DeGregorio, bass, flute, acoustic guitar.
- Mike Dema, drums, sounds.
Discography
They produced three CDs:- "Diary of a Drunken Sun," 1993, Dutch East India Trading/Hereafter RecordsDutch East India TradingDutch East India Trading is an independent record label based in Rockville Centre, New York. It has released music by such artists as Sun Dial, The Orb, The Smiths, Soul-Junk, Die Monster Die, Prong, The Cure, Robert Wyatt, A Guy Called Gerald, Bongwater, Opium Den, Indian Bingo, Meat Beat...
. - "Secret Sky," 1994, Dutch East India Trading/Hereafter RecordsDutch East India TradingDutch East India Trading is an independent record label based in Rockville Centre, New York. It has released music by such artists as Sun Dial, The Orb, The Smiths, Soul-Junk, Die Monster Die, Prong, The Cure, Robert Wyatt, A Guy Called Gerald, Bongwater, Opium Den, Indian Bingo, Meat Beat...
. - "Clandestine," recorded 1997, released 2005, Persephone Records.
External links
- http://www.onastick.net/nacht/opiumden/index.htm
- http://www.annettefarrington.com/home.html
- http://www.myspace.com/opiumdenband