Spahn Ranch | |
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 Spahn Ranch in 1998 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Electro-industrial |
| Years active | 1992–2000 |
| Labels |
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| Past members |
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| Website | facebook |
Spahn Ranch was an American electro-industrial group from Los Angeles. Active from 1992 to 2000, the band played a subgenre of industrial music with its fusion of electronic dance, industrial and gothic music. [1]
The band was formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by Matt Green and his New York–based collaborator, Rob Morton. They collectively used the funds they had saved up to jump-start the band. Rob Morton had been Matt Green's musical partner for the 5 years prior. That same year in 1992, they signed to Cleopatra Records and released their self-titled, four-song EP, with vocals supplied by Scott "Chopper" Franklin (later to become bass player for The Cramps) Scott Franklin left another band to provide vocals for Spahn Ranch.
In 1993, they added vocalist Athan Maroulis and recorded their debut album, Collateral Damage . [2] [3] Their second album, The Coiled One , appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. [4] After his departure, the line-up was expanded to include Christian Death drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This offered a beginning of the fuller, more diverse, dark electro-industrial sound that Spahn Ranch would continue to pursue. [5] By 1997, Spahn Ranch had pared themselves down to the three-piece unit of Green, Maroulis and Lewis.
Spahn Ranch continued to release albums throughout the late 1990s. Architecture , released in 1997, featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey. [6] This album took an even more experimental approach to the Spahn Ranch sound, incorporating elements of drum and bass, dub and for the first time, live guitar parts. [7] [8] [9] Beat Noir , in 1998, followed a similar path even further and included work with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J. [10] The compilation Anthology 1992–1994 was released in 2000 and contained the band's first four releases in addition to previously unreleased material. [11]
The band regularly toured throughout North America during their existence with the likes of Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Switchblade Symphony and Apoptygma Berzerk. Spahn Ranch also made a couple of European treks prior to their demise as a group in 2000.
Closure , their final album, was recorded in 2000 and released in 2001. [12]
Studio Albums
Extended plays
Compilation albums
Music videos
Compilation appearances (non-LP tracks)
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Collateral Damage is the debut studio album of Spahn Ranch, released on September 20, 1993 by Cleopatra Records. The album marked the debut of Athan Maroulis, who continued to serve as the band's main vocalist and lyricist for the remainder of their existence. Maroulis began writing for the album three weeks after joining Spahn Ranch and has said that he was primarily listening to drum and bass producer Klute during its recording sessions. Spahn Ranch toured the United States for the first time in promotion of Collateral Damage
The Blackmail Starters Kit is the second EP by Spahn Ranch, released on April 1, 1994 by Cleopatra Records. It contain remixes from the band's 1993 debut studio album Collateral Damage.
Breath and Taxes is the third EP by Spahn Ranch, released in 1994 by Zoth Ommog Records. The song "Breath and Taxes" contains the lyrics "Charles, Charles in a jar" in direct reference to Charles Manson.
The Coiled One is the second studio album by American electro-industrial group Spahn Ranch, released on September 12, 1995 by Cleopatra Records. Founding member and chief composer Rob Morton departed from the band soon after recording sessions for the album had finished. The album's main musical theme is about religion. The Coiled One was released on Bandcamp as a music download in 2011.
In Parts Assembled Solely is the fourth EP by Spahn Ranch, released on May 21, 1996, by Cleopatra Records. It comprises six remixes and four live versions of tracks from the band's 1995 album The Coiled One.
Architecture is the third studio album by Spahn Ranch, released on April 8, 1997, by Cleopatra Records. After original member Rob Marton departed from the band, Christian Death drummer David Glass and drummer Harry Lewis joined the Spahn Ranch to further experiment with the band's fusion dark wave and industrial music. Critics have called it one of Spahn Ranch's most influential and experimental albums for its incorporation of drum and bass, dub and live guitar.
Beat Noir is the fourth studio album by Spahn Ranch, released on October 19, 1998 by Out of Line and Sub/Mission Records. It was reissued on November 24 of that year by Cleopatra Records. The final track "An Exit" was licensed to Cleopatra Records to be released on the various artists compilation The Black Bible in 1998.
Anthology 1992–1994 is a compilation album by American electro-industrial group Spahn Ranch, released on June 13, 2000, by Cleopatra Records.
The Colours of Zoth Ommog is a various artists compilation album released in 1994 by Zoth Ommog Records. Songs by Blok 57, Leæther Strip, Lights of Euphoria, Mentallo & The Fixer, Psychopomps, Spahn Ranch and X Marks the Pedwalk were previously unreleased in the bands' main discography. Spahn Ranch's "Failsafe", which later appeared on their compilation is incorrectly listed in the liner noted as being from the Breath and Taxes EP.
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