Estradasphere was an American experimental rock band that originated in Santa Cruz, California, during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of six multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds trained in disciplines ranging from classical music and jazz to heavy metal.[1]
In November 2007, members of Estradasphere started touring with Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls,[2] as well as helping to produce her debut solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer.[3]
The band is on a "permanent hiatus"[4] since 2010.
Estradasphere were influenced by many different artists from many different subgenres, such as jazz, funk, techno, classical music, pop, heavy metal, New Age, Latin, Balkan, klezmer, Greek and Romani.[5] They were influenced by artists such as The Beach Boys and Secret Chiefs 3, and have been compared to Mr. Bungle,[6] Frank Zappa and John Zorn.[7] Similarly to Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3, the band mixes several genres in its songs.[8] The band was a self-proclaimed inventor of bizarre genres such as "Bulgarian Surf", "Romanian Gypsy-Metal", and "Spaghetti Eastern"[5] and sounded like "Psychedelic-Sci-fi", "Gypsy-Metal-Jazz" and "Epic-Cinema-Thon", according to its MySpace.[9]
In 1997, members of the group released an avant-garde metal album called Koolaide Moustache in Jonestown under the name Don Salsa.[10]
Estradasphere is a band of multi-instrumentalists from an unlikely variety of musical backgrounds. Timb Harris (violin/trumpet), Jason Schimmel (guitar/banjo/keyboards/vocals), Tim Smolens (upright and electric bass/vocals), Kevin Kmetz (Tsugaru Shamisen/guitar/keyboards), Adam Stacey (accordion/keyboards/clavinet), and Lee Smith (drums/percussion) were trained in disciplines ranging from classical and jazz to metal. This diverse instrumental and stylistic palette enables them to execute a vast array of orchestrations and even forge entirely new genres such as "Bulgarian Surf," "Romanian Gypsy-Metal," and "Spaghetti Eastern."
Estradasphere is a band trained in disciplines ranging from classical and jazz to metal.
Unmistakably derived from the genre-bending loins of experimental rockers Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3, Estradasphere respectfully lives up to the ambitious musical aims of their wildly talented mentors.
Estradasphere returns with another collection of Zappa-esquely varied songs spanning almost every musical genre invented since early Homo sapiens individuals first blew into hollow branches recreationally.
Their hectic mix of jazz, metal, video game themes, and bluegrass was eaten up by hardcore Mr. Bungle fans, but went largely unnoticed elsewhere.
Sounds like a Psychedelic-Sci-fi... Gypsy-Metal-Jazz... Epic-Cinema-Thon.
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