Representative Songs: "Fear of Flying," "Black Light," "Freedom Fighter"
Biography
Manhattan-based drone-rock duo Bowery Electric comprised vocalist/guitarist Lawrence Chandler, a former protégé of minimalist composer LaMonte Young, and vocalist/bassist Martha Schwendener. Originally a three-piece rounded out by a series of drummers, Bowery Electric bowed in 1994 with a double 7" on their self-owned Hi-Fidelity Recordings which helped land them on the indie label Kranky, which issued their self-titled debut LP in 1995. With 1996's Beat, the duo's swirling, chaotic sound began to incorporate elements of the electronica movement; a subsequent series of 12" remixes by the likes of Disjecta, CHASM, and Immersion further solidified their new affiliation with electronic music, as did 1997's remix collection Vertigo. The long-awaited Lushlife finally appeared in early 2000. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Bowery Electric's music defies easy classification. Part of the initial wave of American shoegazers and seminal members of the post-rock movement,[1] the duo has earned critical acclaim for experimentation across genres and mixing elements of ambient, drone, electronic and experimental music with '70's soul soundtracks, disco, dub and hip hop. They were one of the first American bands to perform with a laptop, mixer and sampler on stage alongside bass, drums, and guitars.[2]
