Balmorhea | |
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![]() Balmorhea, in Maryland in 2010. | |
Background information | |
Origin | Austin, Texas United States |
Genres | Post-rock, minimal music |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels |
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Members | Rob Lowe Michael Muller Aisha Burns Jeffrey Olson Nino Soberon Sam Pankey |
Past members | Nicole Kern Erin Lance David Wiley Taylor Tehan Mike Bell Travis Chapman Kendall Clark Dylan Rieck |
Website | balmorheamusic |
Balmorhea (pronounced bal-mə-ray) is a six-piece minimalist instrumental ensemble[1] from Austin, Texas, that was formed in 2006 by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller.[2] Balmorhea were influenced by William Ackerman, The Six Parts Seven, Tortoise, Rachel's, Gillian Welch, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and John Cage.[2][3]
History
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Balmorhea_musicians_in_2010.jpg/300px-Balmorhea_musicians_in_2010.jpg)
The band self-released their first album, Balmorhea, in April 2007, and their second album, Rivers Arms, in February 2008, and released a limited EP in the fall of 2008. The group released their third full-length album, All is Wild, All is Silent,[4] on Western Vinyl Records. Their fourth full-length album, Constellations,[5] was released in February 2010 on Western Vinyl, and their fifth, Stranger,[6] was released late October 2012. The band released the "Heir" 7" in 2014 as a companion to the re-release of their 2007 eponymous debut.
The song "Bowsprit," from the album Constellations, was used as the opening theme for the SundanceTV television series Rectify, and the song "Remembrance" from the album All Is Wild, All Is Silent was used within the 2015 Turkish film Delibal.
Balmorhea, called "an exemplary experiment in restraint" by The New Yorker, has toured the US and Europe eight times each, including shows with Tortoise, Thurston Moore, Fleet Foxes, Mono, CocoRosie, Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Efterklang, This Will Destroy You, and others. Additionally the band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Hopscotch Festival, among others. Their music has been featured and reviewed by Pitchfork, the BBC, Paste, Interview Magazine, NME, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, and many more.
Members
Current
- Aisha Burns – violin, vocals
- Rob Lowe – guitar, piano
- Michael Muller – guitar, bass guitar
- Jeff Olson – drums, vibraphone
- Sam Pankey – double bass, bass guitar
- Nino Soberon – cello, guitar
Past
- Mike Bell – drums
- Bruce Blay – drums
- Travis Chapman – double bass, bass guitar
- Kendall Clark – drums, vibraphone
- Jacob Glenn-Levin – bass guitar
- Nicole Kern – cello
- Erin Lance – cello
- Dylan Rieck – cello
- Taylor Tehan – drums
- Dave Wiley – cello
Discography
Studio albums
- Balmorhea (2007)
- Rivers Arms (2008)
- All Is Wild, All Is Silent (2009)
- Guest Room (2009) Soundtrack short movie
- Constellations (2010)
- Stranger (2012)
- Clear Language (2017)
- The Wind (2021)
- Pendant World (2023)
EPs
- Tour EP (2008)
Remix albums
- All Is Wild, All Is Silent Remixes (2009)
- Candor / Clamor Remixes (2010)
- Clear Language Reworked (2018)
Live albums
- Live at Sint-Elisabethkerk (2011)
Singles
- Candor / Clamor (2010)
- Heir (2014)
- Chime / Shone (2018)
- The Most Fleeting (2018)
References
- ^ "Featured Artist: Balmorhea". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Balmorhea - Artist Profile". eventseeker.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ "15 Questions to Balmorhea - Balmorhea USA Experimental". www.tokafi.com. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Balmorhea: All Is Wild, All Is Silent | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
- ^ "Balmorhea: Constellations | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
- ^ "Balmorhea: Stranger". A.V. Club. 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2012-12-18.