Pelt is a

drone music Drone music, drone-based music, or simply drone, is a minimalist genre of music that emphasizes the use of sustained sounds, notes, or tone clusters called '' drones''. It is typically characterized by lengthy compositions featuring relativel ...

group formed in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

in 1993.

History

The band was originally formed in 1993 by violinist Mike Gangloff.Keenan, David (2012) "Incredible String Band", ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'', October 2012, p. 32-37 The rest of the early lineup left on the verge of series of live dates, and in 1995 Gangloff recruited Patrick Best and guitarist Jack Rose, both of the band Ugly Head, to replace them. Inspirations came from artists in traditional American music and Indian

raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...

along with others such as John Fahey and

The Dead C The Dead C are a New Zealand music and art trio consisting of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats, formed in Dunedin. Russell is a co-lead guitarist, Morley sings and plays guitar or laptop, and Yeats is a drummer. They hav ...

.Wilmoth, Charlie
Pelt Biography
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved October 7, 2012 After releasing ''Burning/Filament/Rockets'' in 1995 they released ''Brown Cyclopedia'' a year later on their own Radioactive Rat label.Foster, Patrick
''Brown Cyclopedia'' Review
,

, retrieved October 7, 2012 It was reissued by

VHF Records VHF Records is an American record label, known for their extensive work with several major experimental artists. The label is based in the Washington, DC suburb of Fairfax, Va., and it initially focused on indie and experimental bands from that reg ...

, the label that the band stayed with until 2009. ''Max Meadows'' followed in 1997, the first of ten albums recorded for VHF, and featured homemade and modified instruments.Foster, Patrick
''Max Meadows'' Review
,

, retrieved October 7, 2012 Current members Mikel Dimmick and Nathan Bowles joined the group in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Rose left the group in 2006 to concentrate on his solo work. He died in December 2009.Keepnews, Peter (2009)
Jack Rose, 38, founding member of noise band Pelt
, ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'', December 10, 2009, retrieved October 7, 2012 The band has recorded in unusual locations to achieve particular sounds, including in caves and grain silos. Their 2012 album ''Effigy'' was recorded in former opera house.

Musical style

The band make drone music using a variety of instruments. They began using electric guitars with a

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

element and influences such as

La Monte Young La Monte Thornton Young (born October 14, 1935) is an American composer, musician, and performance artist recognized as one of the first American minimalist composers and a central figure in Fluxus and post-war avant-garde music. He is best k ...

and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

, but have moved more towards drone and expanded to use instruments such as

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

esraj The or ''esraaj'' (from the Shahmukhi: اسراج) is a stringed instrument found in two forms throughout South Asia. It is a relatively recent instrument, being only about 300 years old. It is found in Pakistan and North India, primarily Pun ...

tanpura The tanpura (; also referred to as tambura, tanpuri, tamboura, or tanpoura) is a long-necked, plucked, four-stringed instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent, found in various forms in Indian music. Visually, the tanpura resembl ...

, Tibetan bols, and

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of pla ...

.Burns, Todd (2003)
Pelt ''Pearls from the River''
, Stylus Magazine, October 13, 2003, retrieved October 7, 2012Wilmoth, Charlie
''Ayahuasca'' Review
,

, retrieved October 7, 2012 Best said of the band's relationship with traditional music: "Folk music has always used drone as a technique for adding depth to the music. Drone is just so fundamental to all music that is good." Bowles described their music as "improvisational but not necessarily experimental", with the compositional process based around their choice of instruments for a particular piece, sometimes deciding in advance on "a specific scale, rhythm, or method of attack".

Side projects

Gangloff also formed the Old-time band Black Twig Pickers, with which Rose also recorded, Best played in GHQ, and Rose recorded extensively as a solo artist both while a member of the band and after leaving.Masters, Marc (2010)
Jack Rose ''Luck in the Valley''
,

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

, February 24, 2010, retrieved October 7, 2012Mortifoglio, Richard
''Jack Rose & the Black Twig Pickers'' Review
,

, retrieved October 7, 2012 Best and Dimmick also performed as The Spiral Joy Band, which has also featured Karl Precoda of

Dream Syndicate The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1981 to 1989, and reunited since 2012. The band is associated with neo-psychedelia and the Paisley Underground music movement; of the b ...

.Shanahan, Joel (2011)
Interview: Pelt’s Patrick Best and Mikel Dimmick
, ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'', June 15, 2011, retrieved October 7, 2012 In 2003, the Rose-Gangloff-Best lineup of Pelt,

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...

, and drummer

Chris Corsano Chris Corsano is an American improviser based in Chicago, Illinois. Early life Corsano picked up the drums after seeing his half-brother Tony playing. Corsano's first drum set had Animal from the Muppets on the bass, and he largely is self-ta ...

, under the name of The Din, were the backing band for

Dredd Foole Dan Ireton (born February, 1950, in Camden, New Jersey), known professionally as Dredd Foole, is a vocal improviser and songwriter based in New England whose various collaborative backing bands have been known as The Din. Mission of Burma Din ...

on his album ''The Whys of Fire''. All of Dredd Foole's backing bands are known as The Din.

Discography

*'' Brown Cyclopaedia'' (1995), Radioactive Rat *'' Burning/Filament/Rockets'' (1995), Econogold *''

Max Meadows ''Max Meadows'' is the third album by Pelt, released on March 24, 1997 through VHF Records. Track listing Personnel ;Pelt *Patrick Best – instruments *Mike Gangloff – vocals, instruments * Jack Rose – instruments ;Produ ...

'' (1997), VHF *'' Empty Bell Ringing in the Sky'' (1999), VHF *''

For Michael Hannas ''For Michael Hannas'' is a compilation album by Pelt, released in 1998 through VHF Records. It contains various unreleased recordings by the band. Track listing Personnel ;Pelt * Patrick Best – instruments * Mike Gangloff – v ...

'' (2000), VHF *''

Técheöd ''Técheöd'' is the fourth studio album by drone rock band Pelt. It was released on April 1, 1998, through VHF Records. Track listing Personnel ;Pelt *Patrick Best – instruments, photography *Mike Gangloff – vocals, instrume ...

'' (2000), VHF *''

Ayahuasca AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...

'' (2001), VHF *'' Pearls from the River'' (2003), VHF *''

Pelt A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

'' (2005), VHF *'' Skullfuck'' (2006), VHF *'' Dauphin Elegies'' (2008), VHF *'' A Stone For Angus MacLise'' (2009), VHF *''

Effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...

'' (2012), MIE Music *''The Eighth Day, The Eleventh Month, The Two-Thousand & Twelfth Year (2012)

References

{{Authority control 1993 establishments in Virginia Rock music groups from Virginia Musical groups established in 1993 Musicians from Richmond, Virginia