Lightning Bolt (band) 195139 224190296 2008-07-07T18:59:38Z J Milburn Bot 7423137 All Music Guide has now been rebranded to Allmusic {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> |Name = Lightning Bolt |Img = Lightning_Bolt.jpg |Background = group_or_band |Origin = [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], [[Rhode Island]] |Genre = [[Noise rock]] |Years_active = [[1994]]–present |Label = [[Load Records|Load]] |URL = [http://www.laserbeast.com/ www.laserbeast.com] |Current_members = [[Brian Chippendale]]<br />[[Brian Gibson (musician)|Brian Gibson]] |Past_members = [[Hisham Bharoocha]] }} '''Lightning Bolt''' is a [[noise rock]] duo from [[Providence, Rhode Island]], composed of [[Brian Chippendale]] on [[drums]] and [[vocals]] and [[Brian Gibson (musician)|Brian Gibson]] on [[bass guitar]]. The band met and formed in 1994, when the members of the then-trio attended the [[Rhode Island School of Design|Rhode Island School of Design]]. The band signed to [[Load Records]] in 1997, and released their [[Lightning Bolt (album)|self-titled debut]] the same year. In total, Lightning Bolt has released four full-length albums, numerous vinyl singles, and appeared on several compilations. Lightning Bolt are known for their guerrilla-style live performances, where they typically play on the ground rather than a stage, with the crowd gathered around them. The band's sound is typically loud and aggressive, though the group cites composers [[Philip Glass]] and [[Sun Ra]] as compositional influences. ==History== The band formed while Chippendale and Gibson attended the [[Rhode Island School of Design]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], and Chippendale had heard about "a new kid" who was a whiz on the [[bass guitar]].<ref name="The Wire">{{cite journal | url = http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/4/print | publisher = ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'' | issue = #262, December 2005 | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | title = Lightning Bolt | last = Licht | first = Alan}}</ref> The two formed Lightning Bolt, with Brian Chippendale on [[drums]], Brian Gibson on [[bass guitar]], and with [[Hisham Bharoocha]] on [[guitar]] and [[vocals]] joining the group after their first show.<ref name="The Wire" /> Bharoocha left the group in 1996, with Chippendale taking over vocal duties. The only officially released music with Bharoocha was a track on the ''Repopulation Program'' compilation.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.goldstarpr.com/artist.php?artistID=75 | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | title = Lightning Bolt – Biography | publisher = Goldstar Public Relations}}</ref> For the first few years, Lightning Bolt was primarily an improvisational band, touring the United States for months at a time and "just playing".<ref name="The Wire" /> The concept of writing songs and recording an album didn't occur to the band until 1997, when Ben McOsker, founder of [[Load Records]], approached the duo to record an album. During these formative years, Chippendale and his freshman-year college roommate [[Matt Brinkman]] began to set up [[Fort Thunder]], a disused warehouse space in the [[Olneyville, Providence, Rhode Island|Olneyville]] district of Providence. The space eventually came to house a number of local avant-garde artists and musicians, including [[Brian Ralph]] and [[Arab on Radar]] as well as Lightning Bolt.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://www.tcj.com/256/e_thunder.html | title = Fort Thunder Forever | first = Tom | last = Spurgeon | publisher = ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' | accessdate = 2008-01-23}}</ref> In 2006, Lightning Bolt was deported from Japan days after they arrived to continue their tour from the UK. Band members were detained on arrival on the grounds that they did not have work permits. Their official appeal was rejected after 48 hours, and they were deported back to the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://laserbeast.com/japan-border.html | publisher = Lightning Bolt | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | title = Japan Tour Canceled}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.drownedinsound.com/content/view/892638 | publisher = Drowned in Sound | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | title = Lightning Bolt rejected from Japan | first = Colin | last = Roberts}}</ref> ==Recordings== Lightning Bolt have released a total of four full-length albums, a number of 7 inch singles and splits, and have appeared on numerous compilations. The band's first full-length album was a self-titled vinyl on the [[Load Records]] label. The record was initially released as a limited-edition vinyl of 750 pressings,<ref name="Load page">{{cite web | title = Lightning Bolt | publisher = [[Load Records]] | url = http://www.loadrecords.com/bands/bolt.html | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref> and a 50-minute companion [[audio cassette|cassette]] titled "Zone" also later released. In 1999 the album was re-released on CD, including "Zone" as bonus tracks and alternate cover art.<ref name="Load page" /><ref>{{cite web | last = Raggett | first = Ned | title = Lightning Bolt - Review | publisher = [[Allmusic]] | url = http://wc08.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:cl7m961ojep2 | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref> Lightning Bolt's second full-length album was ''[[Ride the Skies]]'', released in 2001, followed by ''[[Wonderful Rainbow]]'' in 2003. In 2005, Lightning Bolt released ''[[Hypermagic Mountain]]'', their most critically-acclaimed album to date.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/lightningbolt/hypermagicmountain?q=hypermagic%20mountain | publisher = ''[[Metacritic]]'' | title = Hypermagic Mountain – Lightning Bolt | accessdate = 2008-01-14}}</ref> The band starred in the 2003 tour-DVD ''[[The Power of Salad]]''. Lightning Bolt have also performed in DVD compilations such as ''Pick a Winner'' (2004) and ''Sleep When You are Dead'' by performance artists Mighty Robot (2007). Rumors have persisted concerning the release of an improvisational album entitled ''Frenzy''.<ref name="Stylus">{{cite web | last = Strew | first = Rogue | title = Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain | publisher = [[Stylus Magazine]] | date = [[2005-10-24]] | url = http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=3486 | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref><ref name="NYU News">{{cite web | last = Gornick | first = Matt | title = A bolt of guerilla noise | publisher = [[Washington Square News]] | date = [[2007-01-19]] | url = http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/2007/01/19/Arts/A.Bolt.Of.Guerilla.Noise-2654965.shtml | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref><ref name="Tiny Mix Tapes">{{cite web | title = Lightning Bolt: Head Nothing, Heart Everything | publisher = [[Tiny Mix Tapes]] | date = [[2007-02-14]] | url = http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Lightning-Bolt-Head-Nothing-Heart | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref> A post on Lightning Bolt's official website in early 2004 read "The next Lightning Bolt album, '''Frenzy''', is currently in the works over at Load Records. It is expected to be available at the end of the summer."<ref name="Frenzy news">{{cite web | publisher = Lightning Bolt | title = Lightning Bolt - News | url = http://laserbeast.com/info.html | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20040406063958/http://laserbeast.com/info.html | archivedate = 2004-04-06 | accessdate = 2007-09-08}}</ref> No further word was given, and the next Lightning Bolt album released was in fact ''Hypermagic Mountain'' in 2005. In an early 2007 interview, Chippendale said "When it comes to weird improv stuff, sometimes we're just at a weird stalemate."<ref name="NYU News" /> No official word has since been released. ==Musical and lyrical style== [[Image:Ries-03.jpg|thumb|220px|left||Lightning Bolt Live at the Southgate House in 2005.]] The band's music takes cues from Japanese [[noise rock]] bands such as [[Boredoms]] and [[Ruins (band)|Ruins]], although composers [[Philip Glass]] and [[Sun Ra]] are acknowledged influences.<ref name="The Wire" /> The band's sound consists of Chippendale's frenetic drumming, his usually incomprehensible vocals, and Gibson's rhythmic bass guitar – an example of which is the song "13 Monsters", where Chippendale counts steadily to 13 through heavy distortion over the instrumentals of his drums and Gibson's bass guitar. As the group's vocalist, Chippendale eschews a conventional microphone, instead using the type of microphone built into a household telephone receiver, held in his mouth or attached to a hood,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0122,catucci,25128,22.html | publisher = ''[[The Village Voice]]'' | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | first = nick | last = Catucci | title = Fear of Music}}</ref> which is then run through an effects processor to further alter the sound. Chippendale has also used a KMD 8021 Drum Exciter, a simple drum-[[synthesizer|synth]] module, triggered by the bass drum. Gibson plays his [[bass guitar]] tuned to [[cello]] standard tuning, in intervals of fifths (C G D A), using a [[banjo]] string for the high A. He used this four-string setup for several years, but has recently been seen using a five-string setup, tuned to C G D A E, with banjo strings for the A and E.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2006/12/08/lightning_bolt_gets_a_real_charge_out_of_following_its_own_path/ | accessdate = 2008-01-23 | title = Lightning Bolt gets a real charge out of following its own path | publisher = ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' | first = Mac | last = Daniel | date = [[2006-12-08]]}}</ref> Gibson also uses several effects pedals, including [[Overdrive (music)|overdrive]] pedals, an [[Octave effect|octaver]], a [[delay pedal]], and a [[whammy pedal]] ([[Pitch shifter (audio processor)|pitch shifter]]).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.laserbeast.com/photos/052807/rendeiro-07.jpg | publisher = Lightning Bolt | author = John Rendeiro | title = Lightning Bolt – Photos}}</ref> Like many noise rock bands, Lightning Bolt mostly plays extremely loud, aggressive music. In the film ''[[The Power of Salad]]'', Gibson attributes much of their success to volume: <blockquote>We used to get more negative reactions when [we] didn't have as loud of stuff. It's just, be super loud and you're all set. (laughs) The rock and roll has been revealed. I do feel that that's the message - if there's any message, that's what it is. This is kinda what we do to keep ourselves excited these days. In ''these'' days - everyone knows what I'm talking about. (laughs)<ref name="Power of Salad">{{cite video | people = Peter Glantz, Nick Noe | title = [[The Power of Salad]] | medium = DVD | publisher = [[Load Records]] | location = | date = 2003}}</ref></blockquote> {{Sound sample box align right|Music samples:}} {{Listen|filename=Lightning Bolt - 13 Monsters.ogg|description=An example of Lightning Bolt's rhythmic bass, frantic drums, and distorted vocals, from their 2001 album ''[[Ride the Skies]]''.|title="13 Monsters"|format=[[Ogg]]}}{{sample box end}} The band has reportedly never been a fan of the studio recording process. When they recorded five tracks for their [[Lightning Bolt (album)|eponymous debut album]] released in 1999, they discarded four of them and replaced them with lo-fidelity tracks recorded at various live shows from 1997 and 1998.<ref name="The Wire" /> However, their following two albums, ''[[Ride the Skies]]'' and ''[[Wonderful Rainbow]]'', were recorded more traditionally in a studio. For ''[[Hypermagic Mountain]]'', half the tracks were recorded in studio, while the rest were performed and recorded in a house direct to a 2-track [[Digital Audio Tape|DAT]] master tape, where the audio engineer was unable to tell exactly how the final result would sound.<ref name="The Wire" /> Since the band has only two members and two instruments, their sound has a somewhat limited range, though this is often noted as a positive thing. In one interview, Gibson states that his experiences in Lightning Bolt "has showed [him] the power of an extremely limited palette."<ref name="Ryan">{{cite web | first = Ryan | title = Lightning Bolt: Interview by Ryan | publisher = LOTSOFNOISE.com | url = http://www.lotsofnoise.com/interviews.html | accessdate = 2007-03-21}}</ref> Lightning Bolt's lyrics, when decipherable, are generally tongue-in-cheek, covering such topics as fairy tales, heavy metal clichés, terrorism, anarchy, and superheroes. They delve occasionally into more political subjects, such as the anti-[[George W. Bush|Bush]] "Dead Cowboy" from ''Hypermagic Mountain''. ==Live performances== [[Image:DSCN0476.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Lightning Bolt playing live in Philadelphia.]] Lightning Bolt are known for their so-called "[[guerrilla gig]]s", preferring to play on the floor of the venue rather than the stage, creating a tight circle of spectators around the band.<ref name="Austin TX">{{cite web | last = Vowell | first = Zach | title = Photos: Lightning Bolt (Austin, TX; 04/18/07) | publisher = [[Pitchfork Media]] | date = 2007-04-19 | url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/42471-photos-lightning-bolt-austin-tx-041807 | accessdate = 2007-08-02}}</ref> They have also been known to start playing only a few seconds after the opening band finishes, often taking the audience by surprise.<ref name="The Art of Noise">{{cite web | last = Sisario | first = Ben | title = The Art of Noise | publisher = [[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] | date = 2004-12-02 | url = http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2004/12/art_noise/ | accessdate = 2007-08-02}}</ref> In 2004, Lightning Bolt played on the doorstep of radio DJ [[John Peel]]'s chalet at noon during the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] festival, about which neighbor [[Steve Albini]] of [[Shellac (band)|Shellac]] and [[Big Black]] commented "Best alarm clock I've ever had."<ref>{{cite news | first = Kevin | last = Harley | title = All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands, East Sussex | url = http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/article66787.ece | work = The Independent | date = 2004-03-31 | accessdate = 2007-03-23}}</ref> They have also staged concerts in kitchens,<ref name="Power of Salad" /> on sidewalks,<ref name="Fucking in the Streets">{{cite web | last = Maerz | first = Jennifer | title = Live Wire | publisher = [[The Stranger (newspaper)|''The Stranger'']] | date = 2003-10 | url = http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=15989 | accessdate = 2007-08-01}}</ref> and in parking lots.<ref name="NYU News" /> ==Discography== {{main|Lightning Bolt discography}} ===Albums=== * ''[[Lightning Bolt (album)|Lightning Bolt]]'' (Load) (1997, re-released in 1999 with ''Zone'') * ''Zone'' 50-minute companion [[audio cassette|cassette]] (Load) (1997) * ''[[Ride the Skies]]'' (Load) (2001) * ''[[Wonderful Rainbow]]'' (Load) (2003) * ''[[Hypermagic Mountain]]'' (Load) (2005) ===Video=== * ''[[The Power of Salad]]'' DVD (2003) == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == * [http://laserbeast.com/ Official Website] * [http://www.loadrecords.com/ Load Records] *{{MySpace-music|laserbeast|Lightning Bolt}} *{{allmusicguide|id=11:fnfpxq9kldte|label=Lightning Bolt}} *{{MusicBrainz artist|id=978a36f7-85c6-44ca-a02e-7564e8fa8284|name=Lightning Bolt}} [[Category:Noise music]] [[Category:Noise rock groups]] [[Category:Rhode Island musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1994]] [[de:Lightning Bolt]] [[es:Lightning Bolt]] [[fr:Lightning Bolt]] [[it:Lightning Bolt]] [[pl:Lightning Bolt]] [[ru:Lightning Bolt]] [[sv:Lightning Bolt]]