Charlie Looker

Charles A. Looker (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal,[3] contemporary classical,[4] avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms.[5]

Charlie Looker
The Charlie Looker Ensemble performing at Knockdown Center in Queens, 2017
Background information
Birth nameCharles A. Looker[1]
Born (1980-05-23) May 23, 1980
New York City
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Labels
Websitecharlielooker.com

Education and career

Looker is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier.[6]

Alongside his work as a solo artist,[3] Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares;[7] performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and Mike Pride;[8] and leads the industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside Castevet's Andrew Hock.[9] He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band Extra Life[10] and a former member and co-founder of avant-garde band Zs.[11] He worked with Dirty Projectors and appears on their record Rise Above.[12] Other collaborators include M Lamar,[13] Mariel Roberts, Ty Braxton,[14] Mary Halvorson, Mick Barr, Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin,[15] Earle Brown, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota,[16] Matthew Welch,[17] Stu Watson, William Parker,[18] and Glenn Branca.

He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, The Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.

In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".[19]

Discography

As leader
YearArtistTitleLabel
2002 Lavender Get Your Eye[20] Newsonic
2006 Extra Life Three-Song EP FuckingA
2008 Extra Life A Split (EP)[5] Shatter Your Leaves
2009 Extra Life Secular Works[21] Planaria / I & Ear / LOAF
2010 Extra Life Made Flesh[22] LOAF / Africantape
2011 Extra Life Ripped Heart (EP)[23] Last Things
2012 Extra Life Dream Seeds[24] Northern Spy
2013 Seaven Teares Power Ballads[25] Northern Spy
2014 Psalm Zero The Drain[26] Profound Lore
2016 Psalm Zero Stranger to Violence[27] Profound Lore
2018 Charlie Looker Simple Answers[3] Last Things
2020 Psalm Zero Sparta[16] Last Things
2020 Charlie Looker Pleasures Of A Normal Man Last Things
2020 Seaven Teares Older Than Love
2022 Extra Life Secular Works, Vol. 2[28] Last Things

As co-leader
Release yearArtistTitleLabel
2000 Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg Stare Light Aristocracy Communication
2003 Zs Zs Troubleman Unlimited
2005 Zs Buck[29] Folding Cassettes
2005 Zs Karate Bump (EP)[29] Planaria
2006 PERIOD PERIOD FuckingA
2006 Seductive Sprigs Seductive Sprigs[30] FuckingA
2007 Zs Arms[31] Planaria
2008 Zs The Hard (EP) Three One G
2011 Sculptress Cuckold Last Things
2012 Zs The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007[29] Northern Spy
2014 PERIOD PERIOD 2[32] Public Eyesore
2021 Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker A Horizon Made of Canvas[33] Astral Spirits

As sideperson
Release yearArtistTitleLabel
2002 Alvin Lucier Vespers and Other Early Works New World Records
2002 Matthew Welch Ceol Nua Leo Records
2005 Mike Pride Scrambler[34] Not Two Records
2006 Earle Brown Folio and Four Systems Tzadik
2007 Dirty Projectors Rise Above Dead Oceans
2017 M Lamar Surveillance Punishment and the Black Psyche[35] Negrogothic
2021 Xiu Xiu OH NO Polyvinyl

References
  1. "BIO / DISCOGRAPHY". Charlie Looker. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. Gompers, Sjimon. "Stream: Seaven Teares, Power Ballads". IMPOSE Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  3. O'Connor, Andy (26 June 2018). "Charlie Looker: Simple Answers". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. Walls, Seth Colter (15 June 2018). "Oh! Oh! Ojai: The Week in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  5. Sharp, Elliott (18 January 2013). "Exit Interview: Charlie Looker on the Life and Death of Extra Life". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. Margasak, Peter. "Tirra Lirra, Extra Life, Cool Memories". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  8. Cohan, Brad (20 August 2014). "Zevious". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  9. O'Connor, Andy (22 July 2016). "Review: Psalm Zero Put the Power in Corruption and Lies on 'Stranger to Violence'". SPIN. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  11. Powell, Mike (29 June 2009). "Zs: Music of the Modern White". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. Carlson, Jen (22 October 2008). "Charlie Looker, Extra Life". Gothamist. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  13. "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". New Sounds. New York Public Radio. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  14. "Charlie Looker (Seaven Teares, Psalm Zero, ZS) begins residency at NY's The Stone this month, premieres Twin Peaks cover song". Tiny Mix Tapes. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. "Extra Life: "I'm really into a certain amount of artifice in music."". Tiny Mix Tapes. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  16. Collo-Julin, Salem (21 February 2020). "Sparta marks a new beginning for NYC's Psalm Zero". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. "Matthew Welch: Ceol Nua". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  18. Puccio, Michael (22 January 2006). "Mike Pride: Scrambler / Bartlomiej Brat Oles: Free Drum Suite". All About Jazz. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. "The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40". NPR. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. Kendrick, Monica (8 August 2002). "Spot Check". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  21. Roesgen, Jeff. "Extra Life: Secular Works". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  22. Galil, Leor (25 March 2010). "Reviewed: Extra Life's Made Flesh". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  23. Louche, Liz (22 February 2011). "Former Zs member releases Ripped Heart EP with his new(ish) band Extra Life". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  24. Cohan, Brad (4 May 2012). "Q&A: Extra Life's Charlie Looker On Dream Seeds, Being A Music Schoolteacher And Thinking Antony Is Awesome". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  25. Roesgen, Jeff. "Seaven Teares Power Ballads". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  26. Currin, Grayson Haver (18 March 2014). "Psalm Zero: The Drain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  27. Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (30 July 2016). "Psalm Zero: Stranger to Violence". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  28. Hudson, Nick (5 September 2022). "Extra Life – Secular Works, Vol. 2". Toilet ov Hell. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  29. Allen, Clifford (4 January 2013). "2002-2007: Zs Score: The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  30. "Seductive Sprigs". WNYC. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  31. Mackey, Robbie (25 January 2008). "Zs: Arms". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  32. Eidenberger, Julian (17 September 2014). "Period – 2 (Public Eyesore, 2014) ***½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  33. "AMN Reviews: Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker – A Horizon Made Of Canvas (2021; Astral Spirits)". Avant Music News. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  34. "Mike Pride: Scrambler". M.etropolis. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  35. "Listen: M. Lamar, Charlie Looker & Mivos Quartet". WQXR. New Sounds Live. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.


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