Inner Ear Brigade
INNER EAR BRIGADE (IEB) is an ensemble of musicians based in the San Francisco Bay Area who play a unique mix of progressive rock, electronic jazz, and experimental pop, all delivered through their originally detailed compositions and arrangements. They have released three full length albums, Perkunas, Dromology, and Rainbro.
The music is “fun, happy, accessible, and proggy,” steeped with a vintage analog sensibility, effects processing, and synthesizers. With intricate guitar work and unique electronic textures, IEB crafts a fresh and exciting sound steeped in the lineage of the French band Magma, the spiritual and modal explorations of John Coltrane’s later years, Olivier Messiaen’s enigmatic harmonies, Sun Ra’s cosmic orchestrations, the experimental ethos of John Cage, the free-form jazz of Hermeto Pascoal, Carnatic music, John Zorn, and J.S. Bach. The RIO (Rock in Opposition) movement, the Canterbury scene, Magma Zeuhl, and the eccentric genius of Frank Zappa are other key touchstones.
Over the past decade, the group has built a reputation for incredible live performances that fuse intricate musicality with tremendous energy. At the helm of the ensemble is the Oakland-based guitarist and composer Bill Wolter, who steers the group through vast sonic landscapes.
Wolter’s compositional process is instinctive, involving hours of intensive exploration of the piano and guitar, arriving at a sound that is both deeply familiar and bracingly new. Educated at Mills College under experimental-music luminaries like Fred Frith and Pauline Oliveros, Wolter brings a thoughtful and intriguing approach to the band’s sound.
The group has appeared in many forms since its inception in 2006, with a fluid lineup and dynamic arrangements. They have performed at notable festivals including Switchboard Music Festival, Outsound New Music Summit, Seaprog, Progtoberfest, and many more. Members of IEB have played / worked with the Secret Chiefs 3, Cheer Accident, Fantastic Negrito, and members of the Grateful Dead.
On The Web:
• Inner Ear Brigade Official Website
Music To Check Out:
• Inner Ear Brigade on Bandcamp
• Inner Ear Brigade on Spotify
TOP
ProgDay is not responsible for the content on any external links.
All art on this website © Michael Bennett (www.michaelbennett.com), All rights reserved.
BILL WOLTER
(Guitar, Compositions)
MADELINE TASQUIN
(Vocals, Keyboards, Electronics)
JOSH MARSHALL
(Saxophones)
STEPHEN WRIGHT
(Bass)
EVELYN DAVIS
(Keyboards)
TIME ROWE
(Drums)
"Seven tracks that immediately put a smile on my face, from a stellar crew of musicians who have that rare gift of making 'difficult' sound spontaneous and fresh! There are delightful shades of Hatfield and the North, Thinking Plague, Magma and other icons of the genre, but Inner Ear Brigade creates its own compelling universe, full of unexpected twists and turns, bursts of ear-bending virtuosity, and at all times a deep, grounded self-assurance centered in the stunning vocal performances of Madeline Tasquin. Yes!"
- FRED FRITH (HENRY COW)
"Stylistically, Inner Ear Brigade is in a class of their own, with complex compositions reminiscent of other avant progressive bands like Thinking Plague, Cheer-Accident, and MoeTar, but also a tinge of jazz in the same way that Canterbury bands like National Health and Hatfield and the North did it. The result is thoroughly engaging, and a joy for fans of intelligent music that also connects emotionally. Perkunas is one of the standout releases of the year. Don’t let anyone tell you that music isn’t as good as it used to be."
- JON DAVIS, EXPOSE MAGAZINE