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dredg is comprised of Dino C. (drums), Mark E. (guitar), Gavin H. (voice) and Drew R. (bass) - vividly paints a cultural picture within the music they create. Their musical abilities, desires, and many influences allow them to cover all ends of the musical spectrum; everything from rock to jazz to ambient drum and bass. It is only fitting that the band members grew up in the Bay Area, where computers and the sun have their capital while providing a birthplace for the dredg sound and its many dimensions. Their sound can never be categorized, but it has been best stated as: Audio Scenery.
Dino and Mark, began jamming together in eighth grade, and their older cohorts joined during the next few years. Dredg was all over the place musically at the beginning, starting as a "rapcore" band, which is evident from their first two demo releases, with nothing else really being known about the 1st, but the 2nd, being titled: "Conscious". It contained the tracks: "Juggernaut", "Ignore Me", "Conscious", "Nuhgm". Both of these two demos were released around 1996.
The band began playing clubs while they were still in high school, playing original material with cover songs thrown in. Then in 1997, the band set out to record an EP which was released independently. "Our first two recordings were written to be rhythmically aggressive" Dino says. "We did the third one, Orph E.P., because we wanted to grow up the right way, from our roots with harmony and melody." The "Orph" EP was released in 1997, and contained three tracks: "Is Not Everything", "Orph", and "Kayasuma". This was the first real sign of what was to come two years later! The band relentlessly played area venues, gaining fans one by one. Their unique sound gained interest from all over the Bay Area, and beyond.
"And before the sun runs out, a journey can change the mind."
Then Drew (bass) took a trip around the globe, and when he returned the band set out to the desert to record another album, this one entitled "Leitmotif". With this release in 1999, the band offers a tasteful view of the musical forces that make them so unique in a 45-minute recording of continuous music. The band members openly admit that their home in the Bay Area has become an important factor in the dredg identity. "We have every culture in the world surrounding us everyday plus the technology revolution," says vocalist Gavin, an extensive European traveler. With their album Leitmotif, dredg seems to bring their eclectic mix of rock and world music to a new level. They blend cello, piano, xylophone, and various percussion instruments from around the planet with driving rhythms. Soothing melodies follow the story line concept of the album. The album "Leitmotif" contained the tracks: "Symbol Song", "Movement I: @45 degrees N, 180 degrees W", "Lechium", "Movement II: Crosswind Minuet", "Traversing Through The Artic Cold We Search For The Spirit of Yuta", "Movement III: Lyndon", "Penguins in the Desert", "Movement IV: RR, "Yatahaze", "Movement V: 90 Hour Sleep".
The release quickly gained much recognition and received rave reviews by many popular magazines and websites, while the band toured continuously all over the United States, gaining many fans along the way. "Leitmotif" also happened to catch the ears of several record companies. Dredg was approached in late 2000 by Interscope Records who offered them a contract allowing them full artistic/creative control over their music. The band took the contract and vanished into the desert to write and create new melodies for their listeners ears. They demoed some material for the label, and somehow the songs ended up on the Internet, but were never intended to be heard. It has been now labeled as, "Industry Demo - 2001". The demos were: "Of The Room", "Redrawing The Island Map", "Running Through Propellers", and "Papal Insignia". The band at this point continued to write for their new record. They decided to record their album at Skywalker Ranch (Star Wars anybody!), and then finish it up on the east coast.
When they returned, a few surprise performances were scheduled. Dredg took the stage and played some of the most beautiful and melodic music ever created, but in order to hold listeners over till its release, which had been pushed back many times, the band put out the EP, "Extended Play For The Eastern Hemisphere", which contained a new track, and a few tracks from "Leitmotif", those tracks are: "Of The Room", "Symbol Song", "Movement I: @ 45¡ N, 180¡ W", "Yatahaze", "Movement V: 90 Hour Sleep".
By the spring and summer 2002 the band was touring Europe with Alien Ant Farm, while a tour with Taproot was right around the corner. When they arrived back in the states, mastering on the album finished, retail copies were pressed, and the album was complete. Near the end of the summer, they hit the road with Taproot and Deadsy, playing to sold out crowds in cities all over the country. Soon after, they embarked on their first headlining journey, with Codeseven in tow; the crowd and fan reaction was enormous.
"The flight and the ethereal became one, brushstrokes and sound colliding."
Finally after all the delays, and anticipation, their album 'El Cielo' was released in October of 2002 to rave reviews from their fans and sites like theprp.com. Their goal is not to be famous and make money, the goal for them is to be able to create and evolve as artists and to connect with others who understand and appreciate their art. "El Cielo" was another concept album, and again many of the songs flowed continuously together. The album contained the tracks: "Brushstroke: Debtfoabaaposba", "Same ol' Road", "Sanzen", Brushstroke: New Heart Shadow", "Triangle", Sorry But It's Over", "Convalescent", "Brushstroke: Walk in the Park", "Eighteen People Living in Harmony", "Scissor Lock", "Brushstroke: Reprise", "Of The Room", "Brushstroke: An Elephant in the Delta Waves", "It Only Took a Day", "Whoa Is Me", "The Canyon Behind Her".
In the spring, when the snow dissipated and it was time to tour again, they were invited to join the Sno-Core tour, with Sparta and Glassjaw. Dredg opened the shows, and began to see their fan base go and expand with each performance. As a result of this stint with Glassjaw, they were invited to join them overseas to do makeup dates Glassjaw had needed to do in Europe. However, the tour was cancelled early, due to the singer from Glassjaw having a relapse with his illness; the band began planning their next tour, and the next chapter in the band's history.
During the hectic touring, and all the press and interaction the band had for El Cielo, the group still had time to put out a DVD for the fans, and they handed it out at shows during the spring, summer and fall of 2003. The DVD was called; "Crickets" and contained the video for 'Same ol Road', the b-side "Halong Bay", among other things. They eventually went out on a headlining tour, with former tour-mates, Codeseven in tow, along with Strata. The tour went extremely well, and the band eventually closed up the summer of 2003 by playing alongside The Deftones on many dates around the United States, gaining fans everyday with their infectious songs, and artistic approach to music and its art form.
In August of 2003 the band began writing new material for their next record. They hit the road again, this time with Chevelle, and tested a few of their new songs on the crowds. By the end of 2003, and beginning of 2004 the band played a few dates with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and were beginning to debut a few new tracks. They then hit the studio in May/June 2004 to record their album with producer Terry Date. Afterwards they went on the road with Hoobastank and Phantom Planet for a quick tour, and test more new material. Around this time a demo tracked cd hit the Internet, titled Coquette. The demo consisted of most of the songs the band had been playing live, as well as 2 songs yet to be heard on tour. The album's origin and completeness, and date of recording are not really known for sure, but the band states that this is old and to not judge their new stuff by this leaked recording at all. In October the band played a handful of dates with the Deftones again, and then another few with Chevelle in November. They then took some time off and recorded at least another full song and instrumental in December of 2004. The album was completed in the Spring of 2005 and scheduled for release in June with the title; "Catch Without Arms."
"Is beauty the making one of opposites"
Before the release of their 2nd major label album, dredg hit the road with Circa Survive, playing all across the United States. The band also shot a video for the first single, Bug Eyes. Then on June 21st, the album "Catch Without Arms hit stores. The album contained the songs; Ode to the Sun, Bug Eyes, Catch Without Arms, Not That Simple, Zebra Skin, The Tanbark is Hot Lava, Sang Real, Planting Seeds, Spitshine, Jamais Vu, Hungover on a Tuesday, Matroshka (The Ornament). After its release the band took off for Europe and a few Canadian dates. The first single released was "Bug Eyes" which the band made a video for. They were invited to play on Fuse Music Channel and they recorded 2 acoustic numbers (Bug Eyes and Sang Real). They also performed Bug Eyes on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.
They went on the Taste of Chaos tour and then headlined with Ours and Ambulette. They recorded their May 11th show in San Francisco for a live album. Then for summer of 2006 the band headed to Europe. In November of 2006, the band released "Live at the Fillmore", which was comprised of the May 11th show in San Francisco.
Currently the band has finished up recording their fourth album entitled "The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion" with a release on June 9th, 2009. They are also on a nationwide Spring tour to promote the new album.
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| New Album |
Title: The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
Release: 6/9/09
Label: Ohlone Recordings
Order: Get it Now!
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"Live At The Fillmore" CD
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