William Otis Laswell is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, world music, jazz, dub, and ambient styles.
Praxis is the name of an experimental rock project, led by producer/bassist Bill Laswell and featuring guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain in nearly every incarnation of the band.
Blind Idiot God is an American instrumental rock trio formed in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, by guitarist Andy Hawkins, bassist Gabriel Katz and drummer Ted Epstein. The phrase "blind idiot god" comes from horror writer H. P. Lovecraft's description of the god Azathoth. Their often improvisational musical style combines influences from punk rock, noise music, 20th-century classical music, heavy metal, dub, free jazz, and funk. They are currently based in New York City and have often collaborated with musicians Bill Laswell and John Zorn.
Painkiller is an avant-garde jazz and grindcore band that formed in 1991. Later albums incorporated elements of ambient and dub.
Undertow is the second album by Blind Idiot God, released in 1989 through Enemy Records.
Cyclotron is the third album by Blind Idiot God, released in 1992 through Avant Records. It became the band's final studio album for twenty-three years after drummer Ted Epstein left the band in 1996, causing the band to go on an indefinite hiatus. Cyclotron remains Blind Idiot God's last album recorded with the original line-up intact.
Martin Bisi is an American producer and songwriter. He is known for recording important records by Sonic Youth, Swans, John Zorn, Material, Bill Laswell, Helmet, Unsane, The Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, White Zombie, Boredoms, Angels of Light, J.G. Thirlwell, and Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning song "Rockit".
Sacrifist is the second album by Bill Laswell's experimental music project Praxis, released in 1993 on Laswell's label Subharmonic. Originally, the album was intended to be a Rammellzee project, but soon was converted into the second Praxis album, after suggestions made by John Zorn.
Shin Terai is a Japanese musician and producer most known for his work with Bill Laswell and Buckethead. On his albums he combines ambient and electronic music with dub and avant-garde jazz.
Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman is a 1989 album by American composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist John Zorn, featuring the compositions of Ornette Coleman performed in the brief, intense style of Zorn's hardcore miniatures.
The Last Wave is the debut album by American jazz fusion band Arcana, released on July 23, 1996. This first album is largely improvised, and features the trio of English free jazz guitarist Derek Bailey, bass guitarist Bill Laswell and legendary drummer Tony Williams.
Tim Wyskida is an American drummer, most recognized for his work in the bands Khanate and Blind Idiot God.
Andrew Benton Hawkins is a composer, record producer and guitarist from Missouri as well as a founding member of the band Blind Idiot God. He has also recorded as a solo artist under the moniker Azonic, releasing two experimental drone albums that were more abstract and feedback-based compared to his more structured work in Blind Idiot God.
Theodore Jacob Epstein is an American drummer and founding member of the noise rock band Blind Idiot God. He also improvised in the band Slan, which included saxophonist John Zorn and guitarist Elliott Sharp. He has not been credited with a musical performance since leaving Blind Idiot God in 1996.
Gabriel Paul Katz is an American bassist and founding member of the noise rock band Blind Idiot God. He performed with the band since its formation, recording three studio albums with them between 1987 and 1992. He also assisted bandmate Andy Hawkins in the recording of his Drone music project Halo, released as Azonic in 1994.
Halo is the debut album of guitarist and composer Andy Hawkins, issued under the moniker Azonic. It was released on July 1, 1994 by Strata Records. Marking a departure from his work with Blind Idiot God, the album comprises four lengthy improvised guitar drones accompanied by electronics. Hawkins described the music as "violent ambiance, harnessing the resonant frequencies of the void to take you out of the here and now."
Before Ever After is the fourth studio album by Blind Idiot God, released by Indivisible Records on February 24, 2015. It marks the first album of new studio material by the band since Cyclotron, released twenty-two years prior. Produced by guitarist Andy Hawkins with composer Bill Laswell, the album was first issued on double LP, then on CD and finally as a digital download. Laswell has described Before Ever After as the band's apex.
Low Life is a collaborative album by Peter Brötzmann and Bill Laswell. It was released on May 12, 1987 by Celluloid Records.
Ambient Dub Volume II: Dead Slow is the second album by American composer Bill Laswell to be issued under the moniker Divination. It was released in 1993 by Subharmonic. The album is 61:38 minutes in length.
This article presents the complete oeuvre of American bassist, composer and music producer Bill Laswell, including his work as a band member and collaborating artist. Laswell has an expansive and eclectic discography and has been involved in hundreds of recordings with many artists from across the world. Laswell's music is influenced by a plethora of musical genres, such as funk, world music, jazz, drum and bass, dub and ambient music. Starting in 1978, Laswell has built a reputation as an accomplished bass player and composer. He has also had a prolific career as a music producer and sound engineer, overseeing the recording process of diverse musical acts such as Sly and Robbie, Afrika Bambaataa, Bernie Worrell, Blind Idiot God, Henry Threadgill and Buckethead.
