Baths (musician)

Last updated
Baths
Baths Portland ME concert.jpg
Baths in concert 27 April 2014
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Boris Wiesenfeld
Also known as
  • Geotic
  • [Post-Foetus]
BornApril 16, 1989 (1989-04-16) (age 35) [1]
Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • producer
Years active2007–present
Labels
Website bathsmusic.net

William Boris Wiesenfeld (born April 16, 1989), better known by his stage name Baths, is an American electronic musician. [6] He was born in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles and was raised in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He currently resides in Culver City, Los Angeles, California. Southern California Public Radio described him as "LA's big new electronica musician" in 2010. [7] Previously signed with Anticon, [8] he now releases music through his own label Basement's Basement.

Contents

History

Will Wiesenfeld is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four "to compete with his brother". [9] By twelve he had "completely abandoned it," but continual musical experimenting led him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. He released a few projects, including an album entitled The Fabric, as his previous moniker, [Post-foetus]. He also ventured into a more ambient style with side-project Geotic, which Irish magazine State.ie called "gorgeous". [10]

Will Wiesenfeld derives his current alias from his childhood memory of taking in art and music by dwelling on it in his bathtub, which he claims he was very fond of. Baths released the debut album Cerulean under Anticon in 2010. [11] He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. [6] It was listed by The A.V. Club as the 21st best album of 2010. [12] It also made Pitchfork 's "Album of the Year: Honorable Mention" list. [13]

His second album, Obsidian , was released in May 2013. [14]

On March 6, 2014, during a concert in Hong Kong, Wiesenfeld unveiled one of his latest tracks from his EP "Ocean Death", released on May 6, 2014.

On November 16, 2017, Baths released his third album, Romaplasm .

On May 29, 2020, Baths released his fourth album Pop Music/ False B-Sides II on his own label, Basement's Basement. The album was supported by the singles "Wistful (Fata Morgana)" and "Mikaela Corridor".

On December 11th, 2024, Baths released a new single, "Sea of Men", and announced a 2025 release date for his forthcoming full-length album Gut [15] .

Style

The BBC's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical soundalike is chillwave musician Toro y Moi. [16] Drowned in Sound noted Baths' use of "unorthodox" sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular "clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps". [11] British newspaper The Guardian 's Paul Lester commented he was reminded of "J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues" while listening to Cerulean . [6] [17]

In a 2017 interview with Ethan Gach from Kotaku , Baths said that he drew some inspiration from anime and video games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Dragon Age: Inquisition . [18]

Discography

As Baths

Studio albums

TitleDetails
Cerulean
  • Released: July 6, 2010
  • Label: Anticon
Obsidian
  • Released: May 28, 2013
  • Label: Anticon
Romaplasm
  • Released: November 17, 2017
  • Label: Anticon
Gut
  • Released: February 21, 2025
  • Label: TBD

Compilations

TitleDetails
Pop Music/False B-Sides
  • Released: May 31, 2011
  • Label: Anticon
Pop Music/False B-Sides II
  • Released: May 29, 2020
  • Label: Basement's Basement

Singles and EPs

  • The Nothing (2011)
  • Ocean Death (2014)
  • "Yeoman" (2017)
  • "Out" (2017)
  • "Extrasolar" (2017)
  • "Clarence Difference" (2019)
  • "Wistful (Fata Morgana)" (2019)
  • "Mikaela Corridor" (2020)
  • "Be That" (2020)
  • "Slut Hymn" (2023)
  • "Projecting A Life" (2023)
  • "Do I Make the World Worse" (2023)
  • "Sea of Men" (2024)

Music videos

  • "Lovely Bloodflow" (2010)
  • "Out" (2017)
  • "Mikaela Corridor" (2020)
  • "Projecting A Life" (2023)
  • "Sea of Men" (2024)

As Geotic

Full length releases

  • Eyes (2008)
  • Duchenne Smile (2009)
  • Hearth (2009)
  • Realms (2010)
  • Mend (2010)
  • Morning Shore (Eon Isle) (2014)
  • Sunset Mountain (Eon Isle) (2014)
  • Neptune (2015)
  • Abysma (2017)
  • Traversa (2018)
  • Oxperls (2020)
  • To Not Now, Nor To Ever, Despair (2022)
  • Oversight (2023)
  • The Anchorite (2024)

Compilations

  • Various / Singles (2014)

Singles and EPs

  • Winter Loops (2008)
  • Bless The Self (2011)
  • "Troperens" (2019)

Music videos

  • "Actually Smiling" (2017)
  • "Nav" (2017)
  • "Gondolier" (2018)
  • "Knapsack" (2019)

As [Post-foetus]

Guest appearances

Remixes

Soundtrack work

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dntel</span> American electronic musician and DJ

James Scott Tamborello, also known by his stage name Dntel, is an American electronic music artist and DJ. Aside from his main solo project, Tamborello is also known as a member of the groups The Postal Service, Headset, Strictly Ballroom, and Figurine, where he is sometimes cited as James Figurine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anticon</span> American independent record label

Anticon was an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1998 by seven musicians and manager Baillie Parker. It was collectively owned among six musicians, co-founder Parker, and manager Shaun Koplow. The original musicians signed to Anticon were once referred to as the Anticon collective. Following the death of one of its founding members in 2018, the label dissolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why? (American band)</span> American band

Why? is an American alternative hip hop and indie rock band. The band was founded in 2004 by Cincinnati rapper and singer Yoni Wolf, who had been using Why? as his stage name since 1997. In addition to Wolf, who serves as lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, the band consists of multi-instrumentalists and backing vocalists Doug McDiarmid and Matt Meldon, and drummer and backing vocalist Josiah Wolf, who is Yoni Wolf's older brother.

<i>Life Is Full of Possibilities</i> 2001 studio album by Dntel

Life Is Full of Possibilities is the third studio album by American electronic music producer Dntel. It was released on October 30, 2001 by Plug Research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daddy Kev</span> American DJ and audio engineer (born 1974)

Kevin Marques Moo, better known by his stage name Daddy Kev, is an American record producer, DJ, Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, songwriter and executive from Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Alpha Pup Records and the founder of Low End Theory. As an audio engineer, Daddy Kev has mixed and mastered albums by Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, and Leon Bridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daedelus (musician)</span> American record producer

Alfred Darlington, better known by their stage name Daedelus, is an American record producer based in Los Angeles, California. They are a member of the groups The Long Lost and Adventure Time. Daedelus is also affiliated with the internet radio station Dublab.

Jeffrey James Logan, better known by his stage name Jel, is an American hip hop producer and rapper. He is co-founder of the record label Anticon. He has been a member of Presage, Themselves, Subtle, and 13 & God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hrishikesh Hirway</span> American musician, podcaster, and TV host

Hrishikesh Hirway is an American musician, producer, and podcast and television host. He has made four albums under the name The One AM Radio, and has a side project with Lakeith Stanfield called Moors. He is the creator and host of the podcasts Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly, Home Cooking, and Partners. He is the executive producer and host of the Netflix television adaptation of Song Exploder. As a composer, Hirway scored the Netflix television show Everything Sucks! and the films Our Nixon and Save the Date.

Martin Chavez Dosh, better known mononymously as Dosh, is a multi-instrumentalist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

David Cohn, better known by his stage name Serengeti, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco (musician)</span> American electronic musician (born 1980)

Thomas Fec, better known by his stage name Tobacco, is an American electronic musician. He is the frontman of the psychedelic rock band Black Moth Super Rainbow, in addition to working as a solo artist. As of late 2018, he has teamed up with rapper Aesop Rock to become the music duo Malibu Ken, releasing their self-titled debut album in January 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pictureplane</span> American fashion designer

Travis James Egedy, better known by his stage name Pictureplane, is an American electronic musician, visual artist and fashion designer based in Brooklyn, New York. He first appeared in the music scene of Denver, Colorado, making a name for himself at Rhinoceropolis, the DIY space where he also lived. He has been credited for coining the term "witch house". He is also a founder of the fashion brand Alien Body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoni Wolf</span> American singer

Jonathan Avram "Yoni" Wolf is an American alternative hip hop and indie rock musician and co-founder of the record label Anticon.

<i>Cerulean</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Baths

Cerulean is the debut studio album by American electronic musician Baths. It was released on June 22, 2010, by Anticon.

<i>Pop Music/False B-Sides</i> 2011 compilation album by Baths

Pop Music/False B-Sides is a compilation album by American electronic musician Baths. It was released during his 2011 tour.

Elvin Estela, better known by his stage name Nobody, is an American hip hop producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is a resident DJ at Low End Theory. He has collaborated with 2Mex, Abstract Rude, Freestyle Fellowship, Busdriver, and Mystic Chords of Memory. He has also been a member of Blank Blue and Bomb Zombies. Better Propaganda placed him at number 73 on the "Top 100 Artists of the Decade" list.

Djavan Santos, better known by his stage name D33J, is an American record producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the Wedidit collective. He has collaborated with ASAP Rocky, Tory Lanez and Lil Yachty.

<i>Obsidian</i> (Baths album) 2013 studio album by Baths

Obsidian is the second studio album by American electronic musician Baths, released on May 28, 2013 by Anticon. The album was preceded by the single "Miasma Sky" released on March 6, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shlohmo</span> American electronic musician and producer (born 1990)

Henry Laufer, known professionally as Shlohmo, is an American musician and producer from Los Angeles. He is best known for his experimental electronic production style, which blends left-field electronic production and hip hop, and for co-founding the record label Wedidit Records.

<i>Romaplasm</i> 2017 studio album by Baths

Romaplasm is the third studio album by American electronic musician Baths. It was released by Anticon on November 17, 2017.

References

  1. "Q&A with Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS". The Blue Indian. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  2. Laird, Christopher (November 20, 2017). "Baths: Romaplasm". PopMatters . Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  3. Copplestone, Joe (July 1, 2010). "Baths: Cerulean". PopMatters. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  4. Clinkenbeard, Joe (June 10, 2013). "Baths: Obsidian". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. Cantrell, Liz (November 7, 2017). "Baths – "Extrasolar"". Spin . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Lester, Paul (20 December 2010). "New band of the day - No 934: Baths". The Guardian . Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. Cohen, Alex (19 May 2010). "Will Wiesenfeld is Baths - LA's big new electronica musician". KPCC.
  8. Segarra, Brooke (29 May 2013). "Review: Baths - Obsidian (Anticon)". CMJ.
  9. "[post foetus]". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  10. Lacey, Adam (21 September 2010). "Baths - Cerulean - Review". State.ie . Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  11. 1 2 Ellison, Kyle (30 July 2010). "Baths - Cerulean". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  12. "The best music of 2010". The A.V. Club . 8 December 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  13. Neyland, Nick (15 December 2010). "Albums of the Year: Honorable Mention". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  14. Liedel, Kevin (27 May 2013). "Baths: Obsidian - Music Review". Slant Magazine .
  15. "Baths Premieres "Sea of Men" Music Video Off "Guts" Album - PAPER Magazine". www.papermag.com. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  16. "Reviews: Baths - Cerulean". BBC. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  17. McGhee, B (2010). "Baths - Cerulean". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  18. Liedel, Ethan (November 22, 2017). "The Electronic Musician Inspired By Anime And Dragon Age". Kotaku .