Hovercraft (band)
| Hovercraft | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Experimental rock, noise rock, post-rock, space rock |
| Years active | 1993–2001 |
| Labels | Blast First/Mute, Repellent |
| Associated acts | Pearl Jam, Magnog, Mike Watt, Foo Fighters |
| Members | Campbell 2000 Sadie 7 Dash 11 |
| Past members | Paul 4 Jerome230 Karl 3-30 |
Hovercraft was an instrumental experimental rock group that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. It was co-founded by its core duo of guitarist/samplist/tape looper Ryan Shinn, and bassist Beth Liebling. Liebling and Shinn would use the pseudonyms "Sadie 7" and "Campbell 2000", respectively, throughout the duration of the band's history. Hovercraft has been cited as one of the most abrasive, non-commercial sounding bands ever to receive major-label distribution for its albums. Though somewhat overlooked and sometimes heavily criticized because of the band's early association with a platinum-selling rock star, the group was largely well respected and well received by critics and developed a cult following.
Beth Liebling and Ryan Shinn met in an anatomy class for surgical students. Prior to forming the trio Hovercraft, Liebling and Shinn played together in Space Helmet. Space Helmet broke up when Shinn moved to New York and the other members of Space Helmet, including Shinn's brother, formed the band Magnog. Shinn's departure for New York was short and upon his return, Hovercraft was formed.
Hovercraft's material consisted of lengthy songs featuring an avant-garde and moody sound that was a direct reaction to the local grunge scene. Hovercraft's sound came to be characterized by the sounds a bee makes, which made heavy use of delay and reverb on Shinn's main guitar, a . The use of looping effects enabled Shinn to often simulate the simultaneous playing of multiple guitarists, though he was always the lone guitarist, both in the studio and onstage. Leibling generally played single-note, ominous, pulsating bass lines, played "clean" (with no effects). Early drum beats were generally sparse, yet jazzy. The band became more complex as the band gradually added more highly skilled drummers over the years.
On January 8, 1995, recordings by Hovercraft and Magnog were played back to back on Pearl Jam's Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, a four-and-a-half-hour-long pirate broadcast out of Seattle, Washington which was available to any radio stations that wanted to carry it. The tracks which followed immediately after Pearl Jam's final set are described by Eddie Vedder as a "cleansing of the palate." The recording would appear on Hovercraft's first release, a seven-inch single on the band's own Repellent Records. Recorded in August 1994, "Zero Zero Zero One" featured Bobby Tamkin aka "Paul 4" on drums and on "box of nails." No track titles were given, but "0001-A" and "0001-B" are etched into either band of the vinyl sides. It was also released as a VHS tape "video single" in a simple black slipcase.
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