Charlie Looker
- Vocals
- guitar
- keyboards
- Northern Spy[2]
- Profound Lore
- Last Things
- Astral Spirits
Charles A. Looker (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal,[3] contemporary classical,[4] avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms.[5]
Education and career
Looker is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier.[6]
Alongside his work as a solo artist,[3] Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares;[7] performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and Mike Pride;[8] played in Sculptress, a duo with Chuck Stern;[9] and leads the industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside Castevet's Andrew Hock.[10] He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band Extra Life[11] and a former member and co-founder of avant-garde band Zs.[12] He worked with Dirty Projectors and appears on their record Rise Above.[13] Other collaborators include M Lamar,[14] Mariel Roberts, Ty Braxton,[15] Mary Halvorson, Mick Barr, Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin,[16] Earle Brown, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota,[17] Matthew Welch,[18] Stu Watson, William Parker,[19] and Glenn Branca.
He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, The Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.
In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".[20]
Discography
As leader
Year | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Lavender | Get Your Eye[21] | Newsonic |
2006 | Extra Life | Three-Song EP | FuckingA |
2008 | Extra Life | A Split (EP)[5] | Shatter Your Leaves |
2008 | Extra Life | Secular Works[22] | Planaria / I & Ear / LOAF |
2010 | Extra Life | Made Flesh[23] | LOAF / Africantape |
2011 | Extra Life | Ripped Heart (EP)[24] | Last Things |
2012 | Extra Life | Dream Seeds[25] | Northern Spy |
2013 | Seaven Teares | Power Ballads[26] | Northern Spy |
2014 | Psalm Zero | The Drain[27] | Profound Lore |
2016 | Psalm Zero | Stranger to Violence[28] | Profound Lore |
2018 | Charlie Looker | Simple Answers[3] | Last Things |
2020 | Psalm Zero | Sparta[17] | Last Things |
2020 | Charlie Looker | Pleasures Of A Normal Man | Last Things |
2020 | Seaven Teares | Older Than Love | |
2022 | Extra Life | Secular Works, Vol. 2[29] | Last Things |
2024 | Extra Life | The Sacred Vowel[30] | Last Things |
As co-leader
Year | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg Stare | Light | Aristocracy Communication |
2003 | Zs | Zs | Troubleman Unlimited |
2005 | Zs | Buck[31] | Folding Cassettes |
2005 | Zs | Karate Bump (EP)[31] | Planaria |
2006 | PERIOD | PERIOD | FuckingA |
2006 | Seductive Sprigs | Seductive Sprigs[32] | FuckingA |
2007 | Zs | Arms[33] | Planaria |
2008 | Zs | The Hard (EP) | Three One G |
2011 | Sculptress | Cuckold | Last Things |
2012 | Zs | The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007[31] | Northern Spy |
2014 | PERIOD | PERIOD 2[34] | Public Eyesore |
2021 | Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker | A Horizon Made of Canvas[35] | Astral Spirits |
As sideperson
Year | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Alvin Lucier | Vespers and Other Early Works | New World Records |
2002 | Matthew Welch | Ceol Nua | Leo Records |
2005 | Mike Pride | Scrambler[36] | Not Two Records |
2006 | Earle Brown | Folio and Four Systems | Tzadik |
2007 | Dirty Projectors | Rise Above | Dead Oceans |
2016 | Tredici Bacci | Amore Per Tutti[37] | NNA |
2017 | M Lamar | Surveillance Punishment and the Black Psyche[38] | Negrogothic |
2021 | Xiu Xiu | OH NO | Polyvinyl |
2023 | Xiu Xiu | Ignore Grief | Polyvinyl |
References
- ^ "BIO / DISCOGRAPHY". Charlie Looker. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Gompers, Sjimon. "Stream: Seaven Teares, Power Ballads". IMPOSE Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Andy (26 June 2018). "Charlie Looker: Simple Answers". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Walls, Seth Colter (15 June 2018). "Oh! Oh! Ojai: The Week in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ a b Sharp, Elliott (18 January 2013). "Exit Interview: Charlie Looker on the Life and Death of Extra Life". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Margasak, Peter (23 September 2009). "Tirra Lirra, Extra Life, Cool Memories". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (20 August 2014). "Zevious". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher (21 June 2011). "Download: Tracks By Charlie Looker's Extra Life And Sculptress". The Village Voice. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ O'Connor, Andy (22 July 2016). "Review: Psalm Zero Put the Power in Corruption and Lies on 'Stranger to Violence'". SPIN. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Powell, Mike (29 June 2009). "Zs: Music of the Modern White". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Carlson, Jen (22 October 2008). "Charlie Looker, Extra Life". Gothamist. Retrieved 10 February 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". New Sounds. New York Public Radio. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Charlie Looker (Seaven Teares, Psalm Zero, ZS) begins residency at NY's The Stone this month, premieres Twin Peaks cover song". Tiny Mix Tapes. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Extra Life: "I'm really into a certain amount of artifice in music."". Tiny Mix Tapes. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ a b Collo-Julin, Salem (21 February 2020). "Sparta marks a new beginning for NYC's Psalm Zero". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Welch: Ceol Nua". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Puccio, Michael (22 January 2006). "Mike Pride: Scrambler / Bartlomiej Brat Oles: Free Drum Suite". All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40". NPR. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Kendrick, Monica (8 August 2002). "Spot Check". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Extra Life: Secular Works". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Galil, Leor (25 March 2010). "Reviewed: Extra Life's Made Flesh". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Louche, Liz (22 February 2011). "Former Zs member releases Ripped Heart EP with his new(ish) band Extra Life". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Currin, Grayson Haver (18 March 2014). "Psalm Zero: The Drain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (30 July 2016). "Psalm Zero: Stranger to Violence". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Hudson, Nick (5 September 2022). "Extra Life – Secular Works, Vol. 2". Toilet ov Hell. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Nine Songs I Liked This Week in List Form". Machine Music. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Allen, Clifford (4 January 2013). "2002-2007: Zs Score: The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- ^ "Seductive Sprigs". WNYC. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Mackey, Robbie (25 January 2008). "Zs: Arms". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Eidenberger, Julian (17 September 2014). "Period – 2 (Public Eyesore, 2014) ***½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "AMN Reviews: Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker – A Horizon Made Of Canvas (2021; Astral Spirits)". Avant Music News. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "Mike Pride: Scrambler". M.etropolis. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Schneider, Meredith. "Tredici Bacci Rolls Out Imaginary Cinematic Masterpiece in Amore Per Tutti". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". WQXR. New Sounds Live. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
External links
- Charlie Looker Bandcamp
- AllMusic.com credits