Also known as Ortho-Tones Active until 1989 | Years active 1979–1984, 1989 | |
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Labels Rift Records, Outatune Label (Quakenbrück, Germany) Associated acts Idiot Savant, Rattlemouth, Fred Frith Past members Paul Watson
Danny Finney
Pippin Barnett
Rebby Sharp
Phil Trumbo
Tom Carson Origin Richmond, Virginia, United States (1979) Genres Experimental rock, Free improvisation, Avant-garde jazz Similar Paul Watson, Skeleton Crew, Tom Cora, ARTE Quartett, Etron Fou Leloublan | ||
Orthotonics luminous bipeds
The Orthotonics were an American experimental rock and free improvisation group from Richmond, Virginia. They began in 1979 as the Ortho-Tones, but changed their name to the Orthotonics in 1982. The group released three albums before splitting up in 1989.
Contents
Eugene Chadbourne at AllMusic said the Orthotonics were "unusual" with material "of great interest from the standpoint of text as well as musically".
Biography
In 1975 Danny Finney (saxophone, vocals), Paul Watson (trumpet) and Pippin Barnett (drums) formed a jazz improvisation group, Idiot Savant. When Rebby Sharp (guitar, vocals) and Phil Trumbo (bass guitar) joined in 1979, they began incorporating elements of art rock into their music, and changed the group's name to the Ortho-Tones. As the Ortho-Tones they recorded a single, "Doo-Doo Cars / Woman Fish" which was released in 1981 by Artifacts Records. In 1982 Tom Carson replaced Trumbo on bass guitar, and the group's name changed to the Orthotonics.
Drawing on experimental rock, free improvisation and avant-garde jazz, the Orthotonics's music was "densely rhythmic [and] beat-intensive", a style that attracted the attention of new wave music fans. In 1983 the group released a cassette-only album, Accessible as Gravity which reflected their interest in the Downtown music scene, and in particular English experimental musician and composer Fred Frith, who was active in New York City at the time. Frith liked the Orthotonics, and had regularly spent time with the group. Their first LP record, Wake Up You Must Remember was released in 1984, and was mixed by Frith.
After Wake Up You Must Remember the group became inactive, but reformed again in 1986 as a trio of Sharp, Finney and Barnett, and recorded a new album, Luminous Bipeds, which Frith produced. AllMusic called this album their "most satisfying recording". In 1989 the Orthotonics split up, and Sharp and Finney later reunited in the alternative rock group, Rattlemouth. Sharp also released a solo album, In One Mouth and Out the Other in 1989, which Frith performed on. Frith's work with the Orthotonics and Sharp led to him using some of Sharp's lyrics on three of his songs on albums by Skeleton Crew and Cosa Brava.
Members
Source: AllMusic
Discography
Source: Discogs