American musician
Charlie Looker |
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 The Charlie Looker Ensemble performing at Knockdown Center in Queens, 2017 | |
Birth name | Charles Andrew Looker |
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Born | (1980-05-23) May 23, 1980 (age 45)
New York City |
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Instruments | |
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Labels | |
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Member of | Extra Life |
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Formerly of | Zs, Psalm Zero, Dirty Projectors |
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Website | charlielooker.com |
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Musical artist
Charles A. Looker[1] (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal,[2] contemporary classical,[3] avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms.[4]
Education and career
Looker is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier.[5]
Alongside his work as a solo artist,[2] Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares;[6] performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and Mike Pride;[7] played in Sculptress, a duo with Chuck Stern;[8] and leads the industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside Castevet's Andrew Hock.[9] He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band Extra Life[10] and a former member and co-founder of avant-garde band Zs.[11] He worked with Dirty Projectors and appears on their record Rise Above.[12] Other collaborators include M Lamar,[13]
Mariel Roberts, Ty Braxton,[14] Mary Halvorson, Mick Barr, Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin,[15] Earle Brown, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota,[16] Matthew Welch,[17] Stu Watson, William Parker,[18] and Glenn Branca.
He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.
In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".[19]
Discography
As leader
Year |
Artist |
Title |
Label
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2002
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Lavender
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Get Your Eye[20]
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Newsonic
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2006
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Extra Life
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Three-Song EP
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FuckingA
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2008
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Extra Life
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A Split (EP)[4]
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Shatter Your Leaves
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2008
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Extra Life
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Secular Works[21]
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Planaria / I & Ear / LOAF
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2010
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Extra Life
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Made Flesh[22]
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LOAF / Africantape
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2011
|
Extra Life
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Ripped Heart (EP)[23]
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Last Things
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2012
|
Extra Life
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Dream Seeds[24]
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Northern Spy
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2013
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Seaven Teares
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Power Ballads[25]
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Northern Spy
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2014
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Psalm Zero
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The Drain[26]
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Profound Lore
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2016
|
Psalm Zero
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Stranger to Violence[27]
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Profound Lore
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2018
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Charlie Looker
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Simple Answers[2]
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Last Things
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2020
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Psalm Zero
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Sparta[16]
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Last Things
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2020
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Charlie Looker
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Pleasures Of A Normal Man
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Last Things
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2020
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Seaven Teares
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Older Than Love
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2022
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Extra Life
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Secular Works, Vol. 2[28]
|
Last Things
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2024
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Extra Life
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The Sacred Vowel[29]
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Last Things
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As co-leader
Year |
Artist |
Title |
Label
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2000
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Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg Stare
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Light
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Aristocracy Communication
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2003
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Zs
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Zs
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Troubleman Unlimited
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2005
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Zs
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Buck[30]
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Folding Cassettes
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2005
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Zs
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Karate Bump (EP)[30]
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Planaria
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2006
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PERIOD
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PERIOD
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FuckingA
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2006
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Seductive Sprigs
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Seductive Sprigs[31]
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FuckingA
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2007
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Zs
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Arms[32]
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Planaria
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2008
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Zs
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The Hard (EP)
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Three One G
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2011
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Sculptress
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Cuckold
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Last Things
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2012
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Zs
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The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007[30]
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Northern Spy
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2014
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PERIOD
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PERIOD 2[33]
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Public Eyesore
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2021
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Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker
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A Horizon Made of Canvas[34]
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Astral Spirits
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As sideperson
References
- ^ "BIO / DISCOGRAPHY". Charlie Looker. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Andy (26 June 2018). "Charlie Looker: Simple Answers". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Walls, Seth Colter (15 June 2018). "Oh! Oh! Ojai: The Week in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ a b Sharp, Elliott (18 January 2013). "Exit Interview: Charlie Looker on the Life and Death of Extra Life". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Margasak, Peter (23 September 2009). "Tirra Lirra, Extra Life, Cool Memories". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Gompers, Sjimon. "Stream: Seaven Teares, Power Ballads". IMPOSE Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (20 August 2014). "Zevious". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher (21 June 2011). "Download: Tracks By Charlie Looker's Extra Life And Sculptress". The Village Voice. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ O'Connor, Andy (22 July 2016). "Review: Psalm Zero Put the Power in Corruption and Lies on 'Stranger to Violence'". SPIN. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Powell, Mike (29 June 2009). "Zs: Music of the Modern White". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Carlson, Jen (22 October 2008). "Charlie Looker, Extra Life". Gothamist. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". New Sounds. New York Public Radio. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Charlie Looker (Seaven Teares, Psalm Zero, ZS) begins residency at NY's The Stone this month, premieres Twin Peaks cover song". Tiny Mix Tapes. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Extra Life: "I'm really into a certain amount of artifice in music."". Tiny Mix Tapes. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ a b Collo-Julin, Salem (21 February 2020). "Sparta marks a new beginning for NYC's Psalm Zero". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Welch: Ceol Nua". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Puccio, Michael (22 January 2006). "Mike Pride: Scrambler / Bartlomiej Brat Oles: Free Drum Suite". All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40". NPR. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Kendrick, Monica (8 August 2002). "Spot Check". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Extra Life: Secular Works". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Galil, Leor (25 March 2010). "Reviewed: Extra Life's Made Flesh". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Louche, Liz (22 February 2011). "Former Zs member releases Ripped Heart EP with his new(ish) band Extra Life". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Currin, Grayson Haver (18 March 2014). "Psalm Zero: The Drain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (30 July 2016). "Psalm Zero: Stranger to Violence". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Hudson, Nick (5 September 2022). "Extra Life – Secular Works, Vol. 2". Toilet ov Hell. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Nine Songs I Liked This Week in List Form". Machine Music. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Allen, Clifford (4 January 2013). "2002-2007: Zs Score: The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- ^ "Seductive Sprigs". WNYC. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Mackey, Robbie (25 January 2008). "Zs: Arms". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Eidenberger, Julian (17 September 2014). "Period – 2 (Public Eyesore, 2014) ***½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "AMN Reviews: Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker – A Horizon Made Of Canvas (2021; Astral Spirits)". Avant Music News. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "Mike Pride: Scrambler". M.etropolis. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ Schneider, Meredith. "Tredici Bacci Rolls Out Imaginary Cinematic Masterpiece in Amore Per Tutti". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". WQXR. New Sounds Live. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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