Critters Buggin

Critters Buggin
Critters Buggin New Years Eve 2008 at the Capitol Theatre in Olympia, Washington.
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, USA
Genres	rock, jazz, funk, punk, ambient, electronic
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Ropeadope Records
Website	Crittersbuggin.com
Members	Matt Chamberlain Skerik Brad Houser Mike Dillon
Past members	John Bush

Critters Buggin is a Seattle, Washington-based instrumental group which performs in a jazz, rock and African-influenced, eclectic style. The band is composed of Matt Chamberlain (drums, percussion, piano, programming, synths, loops, samples and digital editing), Skerik (saxophones, keyboards, loops, samples, effects and guitar), Brad Houser (bass, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and electronics) and Mike Dillon (vibraphone and percussion).

Critters Buggin defies categorization because of their diverse musical styles. Reviews tend to describe their music as a combination of jazz, rock, funk and electronica. When asked to describe their music in 1994 Chamberlain stated that it is "jazzy, funky, rocky.... it has African rhythms, too." Houser stated it is "African, industrial, tribal music."

While also reviewed in terms such as unique and adventurous, a recent 2008 review in The Seattle Times described them with such diverse terms as unorthodox, unhinged, tribal, unpredictable, mesmerizing, loud, abrasive, dissonant and ultimately satisfying.

The group began with Matt Chamberlain and Skerik who were later joined by Brad Houser, thus forming a trio in early 1993. John Bush joined soon afterward, and the group gave their first live performance using the "Critters Buggin" name in May 1993 at the Seattle club The Colourbox. Chamberlain, Houser and Bush were all from the then-disbanded Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Skerik came from another Seattle group, Sadhappy. Their live success was followed by the release of their first album which was produced by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam on his then new label Loosegroove. The original Critters Buggin trio continued with several guest musicians, including Mike Dillon. Chamberlain and Dillon had both played in the locally popular Dallas, Texas band Ten Hands in the 1980s. All except Skerik were part of the Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas scene through the early 1990s. By 1998 Dillon had joined Critters Buggin as a fourth member, thus forming the current line-up as of a July 2008 tour.