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Acrobatic Tenement
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
| Acrobatic Tenement | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 18, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | July 1996 | |||
| Studio | Commercial Soundworks (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:20 | |||
| Label | Flipside | |||
| Producer | Blaze James, Doug Green | |||
| At the Drive-In chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+[2] |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10[3] |
| Pitchfork | 6.5/10[4] |
Acrobatic Tenement is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1996, on Flipside.[5] The album was reissued by Fearless Records in 2004, along with the band's subsequent albums In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command, and was re-released again in 2013.
Only one track from Acrobatic Tenement appeared on the band's 2005 retrospective compilation album This Station Is Non-Operational, with "Initiation" appearing as a live BBC recording.
Background and recording
[edit]Then bass player Omar Rodríguez-Lopez has noted that the recording of Acrobatic Tenement was the band's first time recording at a twenty-four track studio, that they only had a total of three days in the studio, and the band engaged in alcohol and cannabis use, all of which he argues had a detrimental effect on the album.[6] The album has been noted for its lack of guitar distortion, due to guitarist Jim Ward believing that his distortion-free recorded parts would not be used for the final master.[6][7] Acrobatic Tenement was recorded at Commercial Soundworks in Hollywood for only $600 (equivalent to $1,232 in 2025) after the band concluded a tour of the United States.[3]
Acrobatic Tenement was initially released on August 18, 1996, exclusively on compact disc through the Los Angeles–based independent record label/fanzine Flipside, after some of its editors saw the band perform in Los Angeles.[8]
Reflecting upon the aftermath of recording Acrobatic Tenement, frontman Cedric Bixler recalled in 2013: "Before [the album's release], the band had broken up. We did a U.S. tour and we decided to split up. I always needed Jim to be there, but he'd had a falling out with Omar. We'd made a bunch of dumb moves at the time—kicked the drummer [Ryan Sawyer] who was on the record out, and then the other guitar player [Adam Amparan]—but then Tony [Hajjar] and Paul [Hinojos] came and played. Omar switched to guitar at the time, because he played bass on that album, so when we played live, it was a lot different."[9]
Much of the album, particularly the track "Embroglio," was inspired by the life and suicide of Julio Venegas, a friend of the band. Venegas' death later inspired the concept album storyline of De-Loused in the Comatorium, the debut album by Bixler and Rodríguez' subsequent project the Mars Volta.[10]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Star Slight" | 1:18 |
| 2. | "Schaffino" | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Ebroglio" | 2:47 |
| 4. | "Initiation" | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Communication Drive-In" | 1:44 |
| 6. | "Skips on the Record" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Paid Vacation Time" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Ticklish" | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Blue Tag" | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Coating of Arms" | 2:46 |
| 11. | "Porfirio Diaz" | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 32:20 | |
Personnel
[edit]- Cedric Bixler-Zavala – lead vocals
- Jim Ward – guitar, backing vocals
- Adam Amparan – guitar
- Omar Rodríguez-López – bass guitar
- Ryan Sawyer – drums
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r350159
- ^ Bray, Ryan (March 7, 2013). "At The Drive-In – Acrobatic Tenement [Reissue]". consequence.net. Consequence Of Sound. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ a b Tarry, Lucy. "Album Review: At The Drive-In Acrobatic Tenement". drownedinsound.com. Drowned In Sound. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2002.
- ^ Cohen, Ian. "Double Review of Acrobatic Tenement and Relationship Of Command". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ "At the Drive-in". Archived from the original on April 22, 2000. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ a b "At the Drive-In". Buddyhead. 1999. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005.
We didn't know what we were doing. We gained a lot of fans because they liked the way it sounded. They liked the tones and clean guitars but it was a complete accident. For example, Jim did his guitar tracks all on clean and he thought he was going to be able to go back because he thought they were scratch tracks essentially and it wasn't. The engineer said "No. We're done with your tracks." I guess Jim was under the impression he was going to go back and do them and then we were like "No, those were your tracks." It was our first time in a studio using all 24 tracks before that it was 2 track live. Our first experience and we only had 3 days to do it. We basically didn't know what we were doing. We went in there, we recorded, we drank beer, we smoke pot; everything we should not have done. We didn't take it 100% serious I guess.
- ^ Cepeda, Eddie (2017-06-14) (June 14, 2017). "At the Drive-In's 'El Gran Orgo' EP Captured a Band Struggling to Survive". noisey.vice.com. Vice. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ DaRonco, Mike. "All Music Guide Biography". allmusic.com. All Music Guide. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Cedric Bixler-Zavala Talks At the Drive-In Reissues, His Real Mars Volta Role". April 24, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ Diaconescu, Sorina (June 26, 2003). "Secrets Of The Sun". laweekly.com. LA Weekly. Retrieved July 26, 2003.
Acrobatic Tenement
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Background and development
Band formation
At the Drive-In was formed in El Paso, Texas, in 1993 by guitarist Jim Ward and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, emerging as a post-hardcore band shaped by the vibrant local punk scene.[7][8][9][10] Drawing from the underground energy of El Paso's DIY ethos, the duo sought to channel raw intensity and social commentary into their music, reflecting the border town's cultural tensions and youthful rebellion.[11] The band's early lineup featured drummer Bernie Rincon, bassist Kenny Hopper, and guitarist Jarrett Wrenn, alongside Ward and Bixler-Zavala, establishing a core dynamic driven by aggressive rhythms and dual guitar work.[12][13] Their initial musical direction was heavily influenced by post-hardcore pioneers like Fugazi, whose socially conscious lyrics and angular riffs resonated with the group's ethos, blended with the gritty, unpolished sounds of El Paso's punk community.[14][11] The band made their debut performance on October 14, 1994, at The Attic, a local venue that served as a hub for the scene, where they honed their chaotic, high-energy live presence.[15] Tragedy struck early when drummer Bernie Rincon died by suicide in 1995, a devastating loss that profoundly impacted the band and fueled their emotional intensity in subsequent years.[10] Rincon's brief tenure had been marked by fervent contributions to their formative sound, and his death prompted lineup adjustments while underscoring the personal stakes of their artistic pursuit. Following this stabilization, the group prepared to record their debut album Acrobatic Tenement.[10]Pre-album activity
Following the release of their debut EP Hell Paso in November 1994, At the Drive-In embarked on their first tour, a 2,000-mile journey across Texas in December of that year.[7] The three-track 7-inch EP, self-released on the band's own Western Breed Records label through DIY efforts funded by guitarist Jim Ward's college savings, featured "Grand Mox Turkin," "Red Planet," and "Emptiness Is a Mule," capturing their raw post-hardcore sound in a 9-minute runtime.[16][17] In early 1995, the band suffered a profound loss with the suicide of original drummer Bernie Rincon, prompting a lineup shift as they recruited Davy Simmons on drums to continue activities.[10] This period led to the release of their second EP, ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!, in June 1995, another DIY production on Western Breed featuring five tracks: "Bradley Smith," "Instigate the Role," "Ludvico Drive-In," "Circuit Scene," and "Plastic Memories."[10][18] Buoyed by the EP, they undertook a more ambitious 42-day U.S. tour covering 10,000 miles in a 1981 Ford Econoline van, performing 25 shows that built their grassroots following.[16] Further lineup adjustments occurred ahead of recording their debut full-length, with Ryan Sawyer joining on drums and Adam Amparan on guitar.[10] A pivotal moment came during the 1995 tour with a Los Angeles performance attended by just nine people, including representatives from Flipside Records, whose impressed reaction resulted in an offer to record and release Acrobatic Tenement.[10]Recording and production
Studio sessions
The recording sessions for Acrobatic Tenement took place in late July 1996 at Commercial Soundworks in Hollywood, California, spanning just a few days.[19] Producers Blaze James and Doug Green oversaw the sessions, prioritizing a raw production approach to preserve the band's intense, live performance energy rather than polished studio effects.[19][20] The project operated on a shoestring budget of $600—equivalent to approximately $1,240 in 2025 dollars—which underscored the album's alignment with DIY punk principles, limiting resources for extensive mixing or overdubs.[3]Lineup and contributions
The core lineup for Acrobatic Tenement consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala on lead vocals, Jim Ward on guitar and backing vocals, Adam Amparan on guitar, Omar Rodríguez-López on bass guitar, and Ryan Sawyer on drums.[4][21][22] Ward and Amparan's dual guitar work generated the album's chaotic riffs and occasional solos, contributing to its raw, post-hardcore energy, as heard in tracks like "Ticklish" where their interplay builds tension through layered rhythm and lead lines.[23] Rodríguez-López's bass lines drove the rhythmic foundation, often providing subtle accents in post-chorus sections despite the lo-fi production that sometimes buried the instrument.[23] Sawyer's drumming added an energetic pulse, with steady beats, cymbal crashes, and dynamic rolls—exemplified in "Initiation" and the close of "Paid Vacation Time"—that propelled the songs' intensity.[23][24] Bixler-Zavala's vocal delivery stood out for its emotional intensity, featuring shouted yelps, ad-libbed phrases, and metaphorical lyrics that conveyed urgency and unease, such as the stalking-themed narrative in "Initiation."[23] Acrobatic Tenement marked the final recording for both Amparan and Sawyer with the band, as they departed shortly after its release, leading to subsequent lineup changes that introduced Tony Hajjar on drums and shifted Rodríguez-López to guitar.[20][22] The album's production was handled by Blaze James and Doug Green, who served as engineers and oversaw the mixing process at Commercial Soundworks but did not perform on the tracks.[19][25]Music and themes
Musical style
Acrobatic Tenement is primarily classified within the post-hardcore genre, incorporating elements of emo and punk rock that contribute to its chaotic energy and underlying melodic structures. The album's sound is characterized by angular, frazzled guitar riffs that drive the intensity, often paired with rapid tempo shifts and dynamic fluctuations that create a sense of urgency and unpredictability. This raw approach is amplified by the album's low-budget production, recorded for approximately $600, which lends a gritty, live-performance feel emphasizing the band's youthful aggression and DIY ethos from the El Paso punk scene.[26][27][28] Influences from seminal post-hardcore acts such as Fugazi are evident in the dual-vocal interplay between Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Jim Ward, mimicking the strident, overlapping style of Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, while the album also draws from the emotional rawness of bands like Indian Summer and Swing Kids. The production's murkiness—featuring tinny guitar tones and occasional technical flaws, such as missing distortion in tracks like "Ticklish"—highlights the album's punk roots and unpolished charm, fostering a visceral, basement-show atmosphere. Melodic undertones emerge in slower passages, providing brief respites amid the disheveled riffs and persistent percussion that underscore the compositions' passionate delivery.[3][27][26] Spanning 32:20 across 11 tracks, Acrobatic Tenement exemplifies short, intense compositions that capture the band's early evolution, blending hardcore fury with emo's emotional depth without fully resolving into more structured forms seen in later works. The chaotic style aligns with the lyrics' oblique, metaphorical intensity, reinforcing the album's overall sense of restless agitation.[4][28]Lyrics and songwriting
The lyrics of Acrobatic Tenement delve into themes of alienation, urban decay, and personal turmoil, drawing heavily from the band's experiences in El Paso, Texas, where the stark border environment and socioeconomic struggles shaped a sense of isolation and unrest.[3][23] Much of this content was inspired by the suicide of Julio Venegas, a close friend of vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, whose death in 1996 profoundly influenced tracks like "Embroglio," which serves as an emotional eulogy grappling with loss and denial through imagery of funeral processions and unspoken grief.[6][29][3] Songwriting on the album was a collaborative effort primarily between Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Jim Ward, who shared vocal duties and crafted abstract, poetic lyrics delivered in a raw mix of screamed and spoken-word styles that amplified the chaotic energy of post-hardcore.[23][3] These lyrics often eschew linear narratives in favor of impressionistic vignettes of youthful angst, as seen in "Embroglio," where confusion and the urge for escape are evoked through cryptic lines like "It's all a facade" amid bursts of emotional intensity.[23] While reflecting the band's bilingual Chicano heritage—evident in occasional border motifs and subtle Spanish phrasing, such as the repeated "burning on the border" in "Blue Tag"—the album's lyrics remain predominantly in English, prioritizing visceral expression over explicit cultural fusion.[30] This approach complements the album's post-hardcore instrumentation by layering conceptual depth onto its frenetic sound.[3]Release and promotion
Initial release
Acrobatic Tenement was initially released on August 18, 1996, by Flipside Records in CD format.[1] The band secured the deal with the independent label following an explosive performance at a Los Angeles dive bar, where Flipside staff, aligned with the label's punk rock ethos rooted in its origins as a DIY fanzine documenting the Southern California scene, offered them a recording contract on the spot.[20] As the group's debut full-length album after a series of EPs, it was produced in a limited run with minimal promotion budget, reflecting the raw, grassroots approach of early post-hardcore releases on small labels like Flipside.[31] The album's packaging featured a simple design, with the front cover showcasing a painting by Emberly Modine that evoked the tenement living theme central to the record's title and aesthetic.[4] This understated artwork, combined with basic liner notes, underscored the album's unpolished, DIY spirit amid its limited initial distribution primarily through independent channels.[2]Touring and reception
Following the release of Acrobatic Tenement, At the Drive-In embarked on the "100 Days Tour" across the United States from February to June 1997, an extensive promotional effort that covered thousands of miles and played numerous shows with other underground acts, helping to cultivate a growing buzz in punk circles.[32] After completing the album's recording sessions in 1996, the band experienced a temporary breakup amid internal tensions and substance issues, with founding guitarist Jim Ward departing following a contentious meeting.[32] The group reformed specifically for the tour, incorporating new members such as drummer Tony Hajjar and bassist Paul Hinojos, whose additions brought fresh dynamics that shaped the band's evolving sound and subsequent recordings.[32] In DIY punk scenes, the album garnered enthusiastic early reception from fans drawn to its raw intensity, with live performances during the tour amplifying its chaotic energy and forging strong connections in grassroots venues despite lukewarm hometown support in El Paso.[32] The tour's momentum extended into September 1997 with the release of the follow-up EP El Gran Orgo on Off Time Records, which captured the band's transitional phase and served as a direct continuation of their promotional activities, though label delays meant they toured without physical copies initially available.[32]Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Upon its 1996 release, Acrobatic Tenement received limited coverage in mainstream music publications, consistent with At the Drive-In's underground status in the post-hardcore scene. Initial responses were primarily confined to punk zines, where the album garnered positive nods for its raw energy and unfiltered intensity. A notable early review appeared in the May 1997 issue of Maximum Rocknroll, where contributor LH described the album as "really fantastic," highlighting its "strange post-punk musical concoctions mixing styles like VOMIT LAUNCH and ZOUNDS and even JOY DIVISION." The reviewer emphasized the standout vocals as "great yelled vocals so out of control they’re always on the verge of being shouts," yet praised them as "very tuneful and genuinely interesting," calling the record "cool" overall despite uncertainty about the cover art. This feedback captured the chaotic innovation that defined the band's promising debut.[33]Retrospective assessments
In the years following its initial release, Acrobatic Tenement has been reevaluated in the context of At the Drive-In's career trajectory, particularly during the 2013 reissue by Transgressive Records, which prompted fresh analyses of its role as an early milestone in post-hardcore. Pitchfork awarded it a 6.5 out of 10, describing the album as a "naïve and scrawny" effort that captures the band's raw, youthful energy influenced by Fugazi, positioning it as a foundational precursor to their more polished peaks like Relationship of Command.[3] The review highlighted tracks such as "Initiation" and "Star Slight" for demonstrating post-hardcore potential despite the lo-fi, anemic production resulting from its $600 budget.[3] Consequence of Sound gave the reissue a C+ grade, acknowledging the dated production quality but praising the enduring passion in the performances, which evidenced the band's early grasp of their chaotic, progressive punk identity.[34] Earlier, in 2002, Drowned in Sound rated the original release a perfect 10 out of 10, emphasizing its historical importance as a raw artifact of El Paso punk that laid the groundwork for the band's explosive evolution.[35] Retrospective praise often credits Acrobatic Tenement with influencing the emo and post-hardcore revival of the 2000s, cited for its emo-adjacent elements like cleaner guitars and emotional intensity that echoed contemporaries such as Cap'n Jazz while foreshadowing bands like The Fall of Troy.[36] However, some critiques note that the album's lineup instability—featuring a pre-stabilized rhythm section with Jim Ward on bass—contributed to occasional lapses in cohesion, making it feel more like a promising sketch than a fully realized statement.[3] Over time, aggregated user ratings reflect growing appreciation, rising from niche underground status to cult classic: 3.22 out of 5 on Rate Your Music (based on over 3,800 ratings) and 81 out of 100 on Album of the Year, surpassing many contemporary responses that overlooked it amid the band's rapid lineup shifts.[21][37]Track listing and personnel
Track listing
All tracks are written by At the Drive-In.| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Star Slight" | 1:18 |
| 2. | "Schaffino" | 2:48 |
| 3. | "Ebroglio" | 2:47 |
| 4. | "Initiation" | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Communication Drive-In" | 1:44 |
| 6. | "Skips on the Record" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Paid Vacation Time" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Ticklish" | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Blue Tag" | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Coating of Arms" | 2:46 |
| 11. | "Porfirio Diaz" | 2:58 |
Personnel
The personnel credited on Acrobatic Tenement are as follows:[4][6] Band members- Cedric Bixler-Zavala – lead vocals[4][6]
- Jim Ward – guitar, backing vocals[4][6]
- Adam Amparan – guitar[4][6]
- Omar Rodríguez-López – bass guitar[4][6]
- Ryan Sawyer – drums[4][6]
- Blaze James – producer[4][6]
- Doug Green – producer[4][6]