| The Dumbass Biography "Only an idiot would waste his time on unanswerable questions... We do so with sound." |
Dumbass is an experimental music project from Vancouver Canada who have been pushing sonic and thematic boundaries
for over a decade. Their sound moves from the harsh din of so-called "industrial music" to flirtations with jazz, rock,
electronica and even folk, from pure noise to surreal soundscapes. Influenced by such diverse artists as Einstürzende
Neubauten, David Bowie, Skinny Puppy, and Nick Cave, Dumbass bring together elements from each of the traditions these
groups and individuals represent forming a unique gestalt. Since 1994 they have been engaged in an ongoing process of
ceaseless artistic experimentation, Their expressionist works and performances have challenged and continue to challenge
both audience and artists alike.
In the tradition of artists like David Bowie, Dumbass' work is both abstract and highly conceptual, while retaining the
immediacy and primal nature that the medium of music conveys so well. They work almost exclusively with concept albums,
the theoretical development of which often takes longer than the process of actually recording the music. The sound of each
album - determined as it is by the concept and the nature of the ideas that the band are trying to express - differs from that
which preceded and that which follows it. Each album has a unique style, sound, and approach. The band is not so much
concerned with "transcending genres" or any other such cliché, as they are with expressing specific ideas with sound. The
song serves the idea, albums are explorations, and the band moves from genre to genre, all the while remaining
unmistakably the same project.
Some of Dumbass' creative high points have included the Epic album Die Mauer - conceived by the light of a desk lamp late
one October night in a hostel that had once been a telephone factory in Berlin after a flash of inspiration at the longest
remaining stretch of the wall. The Execution of certain actions, where time and space them selves were the primary
instruments - recorded in scrap yards, railway tunnels and atop a 40 foot metal tower in the middle of the night. Summer /
Winter / Two Weeks, recorded over two separate weeks, one in the middle of summer, the other in the dead of winter. And
Stories - a single hour long song, recorded in one night - where texts weave in and out over and under an unworldly din.
The Dumbass website at www.dumbassmusic.com has free MP3 downloads (including complete albums), videos, additional
information about the band, press releases, and the latest news.
The band are currently working on the early (theoretical) stages of a new album. Make sure to check the Dumbass home
page for the latest updates.
for over a decade. Their sound moves from the harsh din of so-called "industrial music" to flirtations with jazz, rock,
electronica and even folk, from pure noise to surreal soundscapes. Influenced by such diverse artists as Einstürzende
Neubauten, David Bowie, Skinny Puppy, and Nick Cave, Dumbass bring together elements from each of the traditions these
groups and individuals represent forming a unique gestalt. Since 1994 they have been engaged in an ongoing process of
ceaseless artistic experimentation, Their expressionist works and performances have challenged and continue to challenge
both audience and artists alike.
In the tradition of artists like David Bowie, Dumbass' work is both abstract and highly conceptual, while retaining the
immediacy and primal nature that the medium of music conveys so well. They work almost exclusively with concept albums,
the theoretical development of which often takes longer than the process of actually recording the music. The sound of each
album - determined as it is by the concept and the nature of the ideas that the band are trying to express - differs from that
which preceded and that which follows it. Each album has a unique style, sound, and approach. The band is not so much
concerned with "transcending genres" or any other such cliché, as they are with expressing specific ideas with sound. The
song serves the idea, albums are explorations, and the band moves from genre to genre, all the while remaining
unmistakably the same project.
Some of Dumbass' creative high points have included the Epic album Die Mauer - conceived by the light of a desk lamp late
one October night in a hostel that had once been a telephone factory in Berlin after a flash of inspiration at the longest
remaining stretch of the wall. The Execution of certain actions, where time and space them selves were the primary
instruments - recorded in scrap yards, railway tunnels and atop a 40 foot metal tower in the middle of the night. Summer /
Winter / Two Weeks, recorded over two separate weeks, one in the middle of summer, the other in the dead of winter. And
Stories - a single hour long song, recorded in one night - where texts weave in and out over and under an unworldly din.
The Dumbass website at www.dumbassmusic.com has free MP3 downloads (including complete albums), videos, additional
information about the band, press releases, and the latest news.
The band are currently working on the early (theoretical) stages of a new album. Make sure to check the Dumbass home
page for the latest updates.
