Ariel Pink
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| Ariel Pink | |
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 Ariel Pink at El Corazon in Seattle, WA
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ariel Marcus Rosenberg |
| Born | June 24, 1978 |
| Origin | Hollywood, CA; Beverly Hills |
| Genre(s) | Psychedelic pop Noise Pop Lo-Fi |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion |
| Years active | 1996 - present |
| Label(s) | Paw Tracks, Human Ear Music, UUAR, Manimal Vinyl |
| Associated acts | Holy Shit!, John Maus, R. Stevie Moore |
| Website | www.arielpink.com |
Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg on June 24, 1978) is a Los Angeles based avant-garde musician who is sometimes associated with the Freak folk scene[1]. Pink boasts a cult following and endorsements from more widely known artists such as fellow founding Paw Tracks group Animal Collective.
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[edit] Biography
Ariel Pink was raised in the Pico-Robertson[2] area of Los Angeles, attending Beverly Hills High School and later the California Institute of the Arts[3]. In high school, Pink was a fan of such Gothic rock acts as Christian Death, Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure[4] (which he cites as his favourite band[5]). He started writing songs "around age 10"[2] and has recorded over 500 songs on hundreds of cassette tapes[6] since 1996.
Pink produces and plays almost all of his own music, and is noted for creating drum sounds using primarily his mouth[7], and sometimes his armpits[8]. His home recording technique gives his music a very lo-fi sound, to the point where new listeners may mistake the era of his music. Pink's influences range from R. Stevie Moore--friend, mentor, and "father of home recording"[9]--to Michael Jackson[10].
Aside from his music, Pink creates and sells semi-abstract and surreal grotesque drawings which can be viewed at his unofficial website[1].
Pink married Alisa Daniels in July 2002.
[edit] Career
In the summer of 2003, Pink passed a CD-R on to New York based band Animal Collective[5][11] after being introduced by mutual friend and occasional collaborator Jimi Hey (All Night Radio, Indian Jewelry, Beachwood Sparks, The Rapture)[8] at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks, and several weeks later they contacted him expressing an interest in releasing his music[8]. Pink became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective[12]. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink's previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest.
Pink has gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally[13][3]. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink's albums which have been commercially released come from his yet-unfinished "Haunted Graffiti" series[14] and are thus the best known.
Pink's solo tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences[14]. As he explained to LA Weekly[2]:
| “ | People boo me everywhere...They don't even hide their contempt. I'm used to it now...Hey, I'm giving audiences the real thing...For better or worse, I'm out there, and those are the circumstances. People don't like it when it seems like you don't know what's happening, or I'm getting bummed out with certain aspects and I can't hide it. I think people feel that pain and just think it's bad. | ” |
After initially playing shows with pre-recorded music, Pink later employed the efforts of Gary War, Tim Koh (White Magic), and John Maus while touring. In 2008, Pink formed a new band with keyboardist/guitarist/backing vocalist Kenny Gilmore, drummer/vocalist/guitarist Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr), who became known as Haunted Graffiti[15]. Drummer Aaron Sperske (Beachwood Sparks, Lilys) has since replaced Jimi Hey. Consistent touring with a fixed band lineup has led to a much more accessible and musically tighter show for concert goers.
In March 2009, Haunted Graffiti toured the US with Duchess Says and in April 2009 with Vivian Girls; the tour culminated in a performance at Coachella.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The Doldrums (2004)
- Worn Copy (2005)
- House Arrest (2006)
- Lover Boy (2006)
- Ariel Rosenberg's Thrash and Burn: Pre (2006)
- Scared Famous (2007)
- Underground (2007)
- Oddities Sodomies Vol. 1 (2008)
[edit] References
- ^ New York Times concert review
- ^ a b Identity Theory interview
- ^ a b Nero Magazine NERO n.05 May/June 2005
- ^ Vice Magazine interview
- ^ a b Junkmedia interview
- ^ LA Weekly feature
- ^ Washington Post review
- ^ a b c Tiny Mix Tapes tour news
- ^ Dazed Digital article
- ^ Left Hip Magazine interview
- ^ Uncut Magazine review
- ^ Paw Tracks artist information
- ^ Eesti Ekspress interview
- ^ a b Discorder Magazine feature
- ^ CMJ tour news
