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Drone, post-rock and minimalism synthesized into a heavy, psychedelic, spaced-out, and sometimes profoundly disturbing concoction by mad scientists. The perfect soundtrack for late night interstellar trysts and self-imposed exiles from reality....
New Orleans' neo-psychedelic band Chef Menteur formed as an outlet for exploring electronica, noise, dub, improvisations, and multi-track experimenting. Using analog keyboards and vintage gear with lo-fi effects, they composed pieces improvisationally and texturally on top of custom beats and obscure voice-samples.
Live at The Mermaid Lounge was recorded during this early period of almost exclusive quiet minimalism forged by swelling Farfisa tones mixed with drum machines and bass guitar textures, as was the subsequent EP, Vive La France!.
Often working with multiple collaborators among their many talented musician friends, they added to their sound and were able to feature more instruments live, including traditional rock sounds like drums and guitar. Heavy drones and multilayered textures lay beneath melodic bass grooves, eastern guitar sounds, and spacey Moogs. The critically-acclaimed We Await Silent Tristero's Empire bridges this period and exists as both a conceptual whole and a document of several years of experimentation.
After Hurricane Katrina, the band returned to New Orleans, adding Dan Haugh to the lineup. Although it took them almost a year to re/build their own recording studio after the flood, they began composing and tracking their next album The Answer's in Forgetting in 2007 and releasing it Nov 27. Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Abbott joined the band at the end of the recording process and contributes to the final track.
Although Chef Menteur has received many accolades for their live improvisational style that falls somewhere between raga and ambient rock, the focus is usually perfecting the sound in the studio, saving the more subtle and complex ideas for tape, where can be tricked out every rabbit in the psychedelic hat, combined with an aresenal of exotic instrumentation including stand-up bass, traditional and electric sitars, harmonium, tanpura, hammered & Appalachian dulcimers, banjo, xylophones, a Quintronics Drum Buddy, and many many others, including some inventions by the band members.
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Listen to tracks by this artist
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Members
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Alec Vance
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guitars, Farfisa, Mellotron, vocals, Juno 60, Theremin, sitar, electric sitar, bass, Rhodes, dulcimer, harmonium, tanpura, vocals, bass, piano
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Dan Haugh
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drums, electric banjo, MiniMoog Voyager, piano, various synths, homemade oscillators and noise boxes, vocals, bass, percussion, hurdy gurdy
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Phil Rollins
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guitar, organ, synths
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.b. aubrey
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bass, synths, guitar, percussion
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Contributing and past members
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Jim Yonkus
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bass, acoustic upright bass, various synths, xylophone
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Bryan Killingsworth
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Pro-1, drum machines, SP-1200 sampler, banjo, percussion
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Chris Sule
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drums, percussion
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Mike Mayfield
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drums, synths, Theremin, drum machines
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Mike Karnowski
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sine wave generator, Theremin (occasional guest in live performances)
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Brian Abbott
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bass, guitar trumpet, keyboards, vocals, banjo, gong
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Mack Hagood
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(early contributor) guitar, samples, beats
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| Official Website: http://www.chefmenteur.org/ |
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