The Skaters (band)
American experimental music duo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Skaters were an American experimental[2] music duo based in San Diego and San Francisco, California, formed by James Ferraro and Spencer Clark.[1][3][4] The group released cassettes, CD-Rs, and LPs of their work between 2004 and 2008 and toured the United States and Europe until 2009.[5][6][7] They have been regarded as part of the "post-noise psychedelia" movement.[8]
(March 2008)
The Skaters | |
|---|---|
Ferraro (right) and Clark, year unknown | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Temple Defectors (March 2008) |
| Origin | California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2004–2009 |
| Labels |
|
| Past members | James Ferraro Spencer Clark |
Music journalist Simon Reynolds described the Skaters, along with Ariel Pink, as the "godparents" of hypnagogic pop, and credited a comment made by Ferraro with inspiring the use of the term "hypnagogic".[9] He had also credited the group with catalyzing an "international post-noise network".[10]
History
In 2004, Ferraro turned 18 and moved from New York to San Diego, where he would meet Clark at an "all-day improvisational noise jam".[1][11] Later moving to San Francisco, the duo would record jam sessions in their apartment, which were described by SF Weekly in 2006 as "vocal-dominated psychedelia" and "noise-drenched cosmic soul". The cover artwork of these releases was typically low-quality, black and white collages.[1][12][13]
Discography
- Dark Rye Bread (2004)
- Humming Lattice Flowers (2004; with Yellow Swans)
- Mountain of Signs (2004)
- Rippling Whispers (2004)
- White Rye Bread (2004; remixes of the Beatles)
- Palm Shaper (November 2004)
- Axolotl / The Skaters (2005; with Axolotl)
- Crowned Purple Gowns (2005)
- Gambling in Ohpa's Shadow (2005)
- Pavilionous Miracles of Circular Facet Dice (2005)
- Receding Smokebath (2005)
- The Skaters / Wooden Wand / The Vanishing Voice (2005; with Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice)
- Live at KDVS 90.3 FM, Sacramento, CA 3-25-2005 (March 2005; with Axolotl and Mouthus)
- Untitled or The Skaters (August 2005)
- Diminishing Shrine Recycles (2006; VHS)
- Live Split (2006; with Tomutonttu)
- Shadow Watcher Levitations (2006; released under the aliases "Acid Eagle" (Ferraro) and "Vodka Soap" (Clark))
- Talking Head (2006)
- Raising Spheres of Crossing Angel Minds (April 2006)
- The Skaters / Axolotl (June 2006; with Axolotl)
- Dripping Avenues / Wind Drapeing Incense (December 2006)
- Dispersed Royalty Ornaments (May 2007)
- Monopoly Child Star Searchers / Angel Snake (2008; released under the aliases "Angel Snake" (Ferraro) and "Monopoly Child Star Searchers" (Clark))
- Wind Drapeing Incense (2008)
- The Temple Defectors / Claypipe (March 2008; with Claypipe, released under the alias "the Temple Defectors")
- Physicalities of the Sensibilities of Ingrediential Stairways (August 2008)
- Mountaineer Skyness of Majestic Planes (October 2008)
- Live at Spooky Action Palace (year unknown; with Axolotl, C. Spencer Yeh, and Lambsbread)
Note: Some Ferraro releases, such as Rerex 1–2 and Body Fusion 1–2, have been referred to by Ferraro as being a part of the Skaters' catalog.[14]