The Six Parts Seven is an American

post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...

band from

Kent, Ohio Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County, Ohio, Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,215 at the 2020 United States ...

. The band was founded in 1995 by brothers Allen and Jay Karpinski (playing guitar and drums, respectively), who had earlier played with Old Hearts Club. In 1997, guitarist Tim Gerak was added to the lineup. As of 2024, they had issued six studio albums as well as other releases such as EPs, remix albums, and compilations.

Background

Most of the group's music is

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

, featuring multiple undistorted electric guitars, with bass and drums, as well as electric lap steel guitar,

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

, and occasionally piano,

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

, or

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

. The band has had a fluid lineup that has included vibraphonist Eric Koltnow and lap steel player Ben Vaughan. The Six Parts Seven's name is based on a 1676 quote from

Virginia Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The governor is head of the executive branch of the government of Virginia and is the commander-in-chief of the Virginia National Guard an ...

William Berkeley: "How miserable that man is that governs a people where six parts of seven at least are poor, indebted, discontented and armed". An interview with another band member claims the name derives from a childhood game between brothers Jay and Allen, however. The band's music has been used by

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'' news program as transition music.

History

The Six Parts Seven released their debut studio album, ''In Lines and Patterns...'', in 1998. They followed it with '' Silence Magnifies Sound'' in 2000, '' Things Shaped in Passing'' in 2002, '' Everywhere, and Right Here'' in 2004, and '' Casually Smashed to Pieces'' in 2007. In 2024, they published a collaborative album with Goodmorning Valentine, titled ''Kissing Distance'', which was originally recorded in 2006.

Band members

Current * Allen Karpinski – guitar, bass, keyboards * Jay Karpinski – drums * Tim Gerak – guitar, banjo,

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 ...

, samples * Mike Tolan – bass, guitar,

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...

* Steve Clements – keyboards * Jake Trombetta – lap steel guitar, guitar, piano * Jennifer Court –

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

Past * Brad Visker – bass * Ben Vaughan – lap steel guitar * Eric Koltnow –

* Matt Haas – lap steel guitar * Mary Mazzer – lap steel guitar * Heather Wiker –

Discography

Studio albums

* ''In Lines and Patterns...'' (1998) * '' Silence Magnifies Sound'' (2000) * '' Things Shaped in Passing'' (2002) * '' Everywhere, and Right Here'' (2004) * '' Casually Smashed to Pieces'' (2007) * ''Kissing Distance'' (2024)

EPs

* '' The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP'' (2003) * ''The Attitudes of Collapse'' (2003)

Remix albums

* ''Lost Notes from Forgotten Songs'' (2003)

Unofficial releases

* ''The Six Parts Seven'' (1995) * ''Untitled EP (Solo Singles Series)'' (2001)

Compilations

* ''Slightest Indication of Change'' (2000) * ''Troubleman Mix-Tape'' (2001) * ''Devil in the Woods 52'' (2002)

References

External links

''BettaWreckonize'' interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Six Parts Seven Suicide Squeeze Records artists American post-rock groups Indie rock musical groups from Ohio Musical groups established in 1995 Musical groups disestablished in 2008 Musical groups from Kent, Ohio