Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (CFTPA) was the musical solo-project of musician Owen Ashworth (born April 22, 1977) of
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area of Northern California, approximately south of San Francisco and northwest of San Jose, California, San Jose. The city's population was 84,292 accor ...
.
CFTPA was active from 1997 to 2010, and released five studio albums, alongside numerous other releases. CFTPA toured with other indie artists such as
The Donkeys,
Papercuts,
P:ano,
The Dead Science,
David Bazan
David Shannon Bazan (; born January 22, 1976) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona who now resides in Edmonds, Washington. Bazan is the lead singer and creative force behind the band Pedro the Lion and was the lead ...
,
The Rapture
The Rapture is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still a ...
, and
Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu ( ) is an American experimental rock band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart (the only constant member since formation), Angel ...
. Following the end of CFTPA, Ashworth began a new project, Advance Base.
History
Owen Ashworth started CFTPA after dropping out of film school in 1997. The project was initially established under a set of
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 (; Danish for "Dogma 95") was a Danish avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" (). These were rules to create films based on the t ...
-like rules: short songs, played in C, on the white notes of
Casio keyboards.
The band's musical style was characterized by the use of electronically-produced beats, cheap keyboards, and slow, frank lyrics. From ''Etiquette'' onwards, CFTPA widened in musical scope, adding more analog instruments and crafting an overall more organic sound.
In 2010, Ashworth announced that he was retiring Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, as well as the songs he wrote under that name, although he planned to continue making music under the name Advance Base. The project's final show was on December 5, 2010, the thirteen-year anniversary of its first show.
In 2011, Ashworth started the label
Orindal Records, through which he releases his own music as Advance Base, as well as other artists including
Gia Margaret
Gia Margaret (born 1987 or 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. She released her debut studio album, ''There's Always Glimmer'', in July 2018. She is currently signed to Jagjaguwar Records in the Unit ...
and
Dear Nora.
Owen Ashworth's brother is Gordon Ashworth, who makes experimental harsh noise as
Oscillating Innards and ambient works as Concern; Gordon also plays in grindcore/black metal project Knelt Rote.
Discography
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone albums
*''
Answering Machine Music'' - CD/LP (Cassingle USA,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
) (reissue: Tomlab,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
)
*''
Pocket Symphonies for Lonesome Subway Cars'' - CD/LP (Tomlab,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
)
*''
Twinkle Echo'' - CD/LP (Tomlab,
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
)
*''Bobby Malone'' EP - LP (Tomlab,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
)
*''
Etiquette
Etiquette ( /ˈɛtikɛt, -kɪt/) can be defined as a set of norms of personal behavior in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and ...
'' - CD/LP (Tomlab,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
)
*''
Vs. Children'' - CD/LP (Tomlab,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
)
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone compilation albums
*''The First Two Albums by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone'' - CD (Tomlab,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
)
*''Town Topic'' EP - CD EP (Tomlab,
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
)
*''Advance Base Battery Life'' - CD/LP (Tomlab,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
)
Advance Base albums
*''A Shut-In's Prayer'' - CD/LP (
Caldo Verde
''Caldo verde'' (, Portuguese language, Portuguese for "green broth") is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine.
The basic traditional ingredients for ''caldo verde'' are Julienning, julienned collard greens or ''couve-galega'' (essentially a t ...
/ Orindal / Tomlab,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
)
*''Nephew in the Wild'' - CD/LP/CS (Orindal / Tomlab,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
)
*''In Bloomington'' - LP/CS (Orindal / Tye Die Tapes,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
)
*''
Animal Companionship'' - LP (
Run for Cover Records
Run for Cover Records is an American independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Casazza at the age of 17 with a $1,000 loan, the label functioned as a small one-person bedroom operation in Brighton, until Casa ...
,
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
)
*''Live At Home'' - LP/CD (Orindal,
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
)
*''Wall of Tears & Other Songs I Didn't Write'' - CS/CD (Orindal,
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
)
*''Horrible Occurrences'' - CS/CD (Orindal,
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
)
Advance Base compilation albums
*''Instrumentals #1'' - CS (Orindal,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
)
*''Plastic Owen Band'' - CS (Orindal,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
)
Advance Base EPs
*''The World Is In A Bad Fix Everywhere'' - 7"/CS (Orindal,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
)
*''Tomorrow's Homes Today'' - CD/CS (Orindal,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
)
Advance Base Singles
*''Whirlaway the Horse'' - 7" (PIAPTK,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
)
*''Traditionals'' - Split 7" with Concern (Orindal,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
)
*''Our Cat'' - 7" (Orindal,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
)
*''Pamela'' - 7" (Orindal,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
)
*''Christmas Steve'' - MP3 (Orindal,
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
)
*''
Little Sable Point Lighthouse'' - MP3 (Orindal,
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
)
*''How You Got Your Picture on the Wall'' - MP3 (Orindal,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
)
References
External links
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's Official SiteAdvance Base's Official SiteCasiotone for the Painfully Alone
at Last.fm
Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Utilizing a music recommender system known as "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm creates a detailed profile of each user's musical preferences by recording the details of the tracks they ...
2008 Interview with Owen at RadioUTD2007 Interview at Bandega.com
Interview with Owen Ashworth at Drowned in Sound
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone on Five Tunes2015 Chicago Reader feature on Advance Base2015 interview with Owen Ashworth by Rick Moody for The Rumpus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Electronic music groups from California
Lo-fi music groups
Indie pop groups from San Francisco