Charlie Looker

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Charlie Looker
The Charlie Looker Ensemble performing at Knockdown Center in Queens, 2017
Background information
Birth nameCharles Andrew Looker
Born (1980-05-23) May 23, 1980 (age 45)
New York City
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Labels
Member ofExtra Life
Formerly ofZs, Psalm Zero, Dirty Projectors
Websitecharlielooker.com

Charles A. Looker[1] (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal,[2] contemporary classical,[3] avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms.[4]

Education and career

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Looker is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier.[5]

Alongside his work as a solo artist,[2] Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares;[6] performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and Mike Pride;[7] played in Sculptress, a duo with Chuck Stern;[8] and leads the industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside Castevet's Andrew Hock.[9] He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band Extra Life[10] and a former member and co-founder of avant-garde band Zs.[11] He worked with Dirty Projectors and appears on their record Rise Above.[12] Other collaborators include M Lamar,[13] Mariel Roberts, Ty Braxton,[14] Mary Halvorson, Mick Barr, Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin,[15] Earle Brown, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota,[16] Matthew Welch,[17] Stu Watson, William Parker,[18] and Glenn Branca.

He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.

In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".[19]

Discography

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As leader

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Year Artist Title Label
2002 Lavender Get Your Eye[20] Newsonic
2006 Extra Life Three-Song EP FuckingA
2008 Extra Life A Split (EP)[4] Shatter Your Leaves
2008 Extra Life Secular Works[21] Planaria / I & Ear / LOAF
2010 Extra Life Made Flesh[22] LOAF / Africantape
2011 Extra Life Ripped Heart (EP)[23] Last Things
2012 Extra Life Dream Seeds[24] Northern Spy
2013 Seaven Teares Power Ballads[25] Northern Spy
2014 Psalm Zero The Drain[26] Profound Lore
2016 Psalm Zero Stranger to Violence[27] Profound Lore
2018 Charlie Looker Simple Answers[2] Last Things
2020 Psalm Zero Sparta[16] Last Things
2020 Charlie Looker Pleasures Of A Normal Man Last Things
2020 Seaven Teares Older Than Love
2022 Extra Life Secular Works, Vol. 2[28] Last Things
2024 Extra Life The Sacred Vowel[29] Last Things

As co-leader

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Year Artist Title Label
2000 Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg Stare Light Aristocracy Communication
2003 Zs Zs Troubleman Unlimited
2005 Zs Buck[30] Folding Cassettes
2005 Zs Karate Bump (EP)[30] Planaria
2006 PERIOD PERIOD FuckingA
2006 Seductive Sprigs Seductive Sprigs[31] FuckingA
2007 Zs Arms[32] Planaria
2008 Zs The Hard (EP) Three One G
2011 Sculptress Cuckold Last Things
2012 Zs The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007[30] Northern Spy
2014 PERIOD PERIOD 2[33] Public Eyesore
2021 Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker A Horizon Made of Canvas[34] Astral Spirits

As sideperson

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Year Artist Title Label
2002 Alvin Lucier Vespers and Other Early Works New World Records
2002 Matthew Welch Ceol Nua Leo Records
2005 Mike Pride Scrambler[35] Not Two Records
2006 Earle Brown Folio and Four Systems Tzadik
2007 Dirty Projectors Rise Above Dead Oceans
2016 Tredici Bacci Amore Per Tutti[36] NNA
2017 M Lamar Surveillance Punishment and the Black Psyche[37] Negrogothic
2021 Xiu Xiu OH NO Polyvinyl
2023 Xiu Xiu Ignore Grief Polyvinyl

References

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  1. ^ "BIO / DISCOGRAPHY". Charlie Looker. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c O'Connor, Andy (26 June 2018). "Charlie Looker: Simple Answers". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. ^ Walls, Seth Colter (15 June 2018). "Oh! Oh! Ojai: The Week in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b Sharp, Elliott (18 January 2013). "Exit Interview: Charlie Looker on the Life and Death of Extra Life". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  5. ^ Margasak, Peter (23 September 2009). "Tirra Lirra, Extra Life, Cool Memories". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  6. ^ Gompers, Sjimon. "Stream: Seaven Teares, Power Ballads". IMPOSE Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. ^ Cohan, Brad (20 August 2014). "Zevious". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  8. ^ Weingarten, Christopher (21 June 2011). "Download: Tracks By Charlie Looker's Extra Life And Sculptress". The Village Voice. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ O'Connor, Andy (22 July 2016). "Review: Psalm Zero Put the Power in Corruption and Lies on 'Stranger to Violence'". SPIN. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  11. ^ Powell, Mike (29 June 2009). "Zs: Music of the Modern White". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. ^ Carlson, Jen (22 October 2008). "Charlie Looker, Extra Life". Gothamist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". New Sounds. New York Public Radio. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Charlie Looker (Seaven Teares, Psalm Zero, ZS) begins residency at NY's The Stone this month, premieres Twin Peaks cover song". Tiny Mix Tapes. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Extra Life: "I'm really into a certain amount of artifice in music."". Tiny Mix Tapes. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  16. ^ a b Collo-Julin, Salem (21 February 2020). "Sparta marks a new beginning for NYC's Psalm Zero". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Matthew Welch: Ceol Nua". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  18. ^ Puccio, Michael (22 January 2006). "Mike Pride: Scrambler / Bartlomiej Brat Oles: Free Drum Suite". All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. ^ "The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40". NPR. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ^ Kendrick, Monica (8 August 2002). "Spot Check". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  21. ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Extra Life: Secular Works". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  22. ^ Galil, Leor (25 March 2010). "Reviewed: Extra Life's Made Flesh". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  23. ^ Louche, Liz (22 February 2011). "Former Zs member releases Ripped Heart EP with his new(ish) band Extra Life". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  24. ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  25. ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  26. ^ Currin, Grayson Haver (18 March 2014). "Psalm Zero: The Drain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  27. ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (30 July 2016). "Psalm Zero: Stranger to Violence". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  28. ^ Hudson, Nick (5 September 2022). "Extra Life – Secular Works, Vol. 2". Toilet ov Hell. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Nine Songs I Liked This Week in List Form". Machine Music. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  30. ^ a b c Allen, Clifford (4 January 2013). "2002-2007: Zs Score: The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  31. ^ "Seductive Sprigs". WNYC. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  32. ^ Mackey, Robbie (25 January 2008). "Zs: Arms". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  33. ^ Eidenberger, Julian (17 September 2014). "Period – 2 (Public Eyesore, 2014) ***½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  34. ^ "AMN Reviews: Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker – A Horizon Made Of Canvas (2021; Astral Spirits)". Avant Music News. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  35. ^ "Mike Pride: Scrambler". M.etropolis. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  36. ^ Schneider, Meredith. "Tredici Bacci Rolls Out Imaginary Cinematic Masterpiece in Amore Per Tutti". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". WQXR. New Sounds Live. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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