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Baths (musician)

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Baths
Baths in concert 27 April 2014
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
OriginCulver City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • producer
Years active2007–present
Labels
Websitebathsmusic.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.

History

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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".

Style

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The BBC's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical soundalike is chillwave musician Toro y Moi.[15] 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][16]

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.[17]

Discography

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As Baths

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Studio albums

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Title Details
Cerulean
  • Released: July 6, 2010
  • Label: Anticon
Obsidian
  • Released: May 28, 2013
  • Label: Anticon
Romaplasm
  • Released: November 17, 2017
  • Label: Anticon

Compilations

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Title Details
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

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  • 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)

Music videos

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

As Geotic

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Full length releases

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  • 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

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  • Various / Singles (2014)

Singles and EPs

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

Music videos

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

As [Post-foetus]

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  • The 1st Will Wiesenfeld EP (2007)
  • The Fabric (2010)
  • Zero Songs EP (2007 - 2012) (2020)

Guest appearances

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Remixes

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  • Oscar McClure – "Kitchen Scraps (Baths' Otalgia Mix)" (2010)
  • Fol Chen – "In Ruins (Baths Remix)" (2010)
  • Themselves – "Deadcatclear II (Baths Remix)" (2010)
  • Shlohmo – "Post Atmosphere (Baths Remix)" (2010)
  • Rafter – "Fruit (Baths Remix)" (2010)
  • Gold Panda – "Marriage (Baths Remix)" (2011)
  • Son Lux – "Rebuild (Baths Remix)" (2012)
  • Lali Puna – "Move On (Baths Remix)" (2012)
  • Dntel – "Jitters (Geotic Mix)" (2012)
  • Grizzly Bear – "Will Calls (Baths Remix)" (2014)
  • WHY? – "Easy (Baths Remix)" (2018)
  • Tomas Barfod feat. Jonas Smith – "Family (Baths Remix)" (2018)
  • Mikky Ekko –"What's It Like Now (Baths Remix)" (2018)
  • Let's Eat Grandma – "I Will Be Waiting (Baths Remix)" (2018)
  • Imogen Heap – "The Quiet (Re-imagined by Baths)" (2019)
  • Dosh – "Summertime Time (Baths Remix)" (2020)
  • Katie Dey – "Loving (Baths Remix)" (2021)
  • ODESZA – "Today (Baths Rework)" (2022)
  • PENDANT – "Static Dream (Baths Remix)" (2022)

Soundtrack work

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  • Bee and PuppyCat (2013–2022) (credited as Will Wiesenfeld)
  • Queer Japan (2019) (credited as Geotic)
  • Big Boys (2023) (credited as Baths)

References

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  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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ "Reviews: Baths - Cerulean". BBC. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  16. ^ McGhee, B (2010). "Baths - Cerulean". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  17. ^ Liedel, Ethan (November 22, 2017). "The Electronic Musician Inspired By Anime And Dragon Age". Kotaku.
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