Rolling Roscoe

James Ellis got his musical start working for the band "Killerwatt", a band with its origins from San Francisco, which then moved to Los Angeles in 1978. He was introduced to guitarist/lead singer Ken Cameron who worked at a record and tape distributor with James's older brother Dave. James soon joined his brother Dave setting up the bands music gear at their gigs. James: "It was a perfect fit for me at the time, I learned that what Frank Zappa often joked about in his songs about the music industry was true....and besides at the time I was only 17 and getting into 21 & Over bars." (Too late to prosecute for the beer).In early 1980 thereabouts, Killerwatt went their own ways. He would later go off and start Rolling Roscoe Studios in May of 1982. At that time he was already enrolled in recording arts classes at Los Angeles Harbor College. When equipment was not working, or the studio was reserved for students in the advanced class, James went out and bought a Tascam mixer, a Tascam 4 track reel-to-reel, and four Shure microphones. James: “It was the best way for me to practice recording techniques that we talked about in class.” He then started hauling his gear over to friend’s homes to record the jam sessions, as well as join in some of the recordings.With the help of local San Pedro musician Richard Derrick, on July 12, 1983, James and Richard recorded San Pedro’s own “The Minutemen” at their practice pad in Long Beach, California. James: “We recorded just one song “Party With Me Punker” for “The Politics of Time” (SST Records SST CD 277). “I had been friends with D. Boone, Mike Watt, and George Hurley for some time by then, they paid us fifty bucks for a half hour of work.” “I would have done it for free, but it was my first paying project.”James continued to compose solo works, as well as participate in other projects. A chronology of those projects is listed at the bottom of this page. [this part is under construction].........National Debt, his main focus: The roots to the band National Debt can be traced back to 1984, when San Pedro-based musicians Salvador Espana and James Ellis began collaborating on electronic music while studying under Dr. Rodney Oakes at L.A. Harbor College. After transferring to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Sal continued studying under Antonio G. Barata and began hosting the KCPR radio program Audioscapes. During the Labor Day weekend, Sal invited several musician friends for an impromptu, on-air jam. Pleasantly surprised, the group decided to make the sessions quarterly activities, occurring the weekend following finals. Each time, the ensemble grew in size, with as many as 16 musicians performing (limited by the size of the mixing board). Members of the local electronic band Equinoxe joined James and other San Pedro musician friends of Sal's; both groups brought other musician friends. At one point, someone said, "This band is growing faster than the National Debt." Now armed with a name, the musicians followed only one rule: No 12 Bar Blues. (A few years later Rule # 2 - No Senior Projects - was adopted.) Being based in a college town meant that over the years people move on; consequently, the core of the band settled around five or six musicians. The performances began to be more structured; live improvisation remained the focus, but rehearsed compositions were beginning to become prominent in their sets. Each musician performed in other bands as well, and as those bands achieved various levels of success, the musician pool further narrowed. By 1995, the only two fixed members were Sal España (keyboards, synthesizers, effects) and James Ellis (guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, effects). While other musicians still joined in, the compositional aspect of the band remained with these two. Shuttling between San Pedro and San Luis Obispo, James and Sal began an extended period of recording. Gradually compiling a long list of finished tracks, they began thematically assembling the compositions for release. Just Planting Seeds, completed in 1999, displays the band's wide range of influences. "Europa," "Monolith," and "Elegy in White" demonstrate the band's more ambient/space inclinations, while "10:37" and "Range of Light" show the influence of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. For good measure, James and Sal included their first collaboration, "Radio Moscow." Further recording trips resulted in the band's second CD Third Eye Opener. The four extended tracks are much more in the ambient/experimental realm. "Dusk" and "Crop Circles" are almost industrial, while "House of Rumour" adds rhythmic elements. The 22-minute song "Riddles in the Dark" encapsulates many of the band's styles. In 2000, the band was invited to contribute a track to the Bill Nelson tribute CD Confessions of Young Moderns. In a whirlwind weekend session, "Esoteric Knowledge" was produced. Inspired by its success, Wizmo and Sal recorded a longer version, which became the title track of their third CD. The seven tracks that make up Esoteric Knowledge again show the band's various styles. "Darkness at Noon" is symphonic, while "No Time To Lose" is a rhythmic jigsaw. "Floating Face Up" and "Obscured By Cows" are shorter, more up-tempo pieces, while the album's closer "Et Tu Brute" is about as ambient as you can get. Over the next several years, the recordings continued. The politically charged Cold War was followed by the Joseph Campbell inspired The Call To Adventure and The Road Of Trials. While 2005 produced the ambient collection Dark Matter, National Debt moved to a more acoustic sound for Natural Selection in 2006.Discography:Just Planting Seeds (1999) Third Eye Opener (2000) Confessions Of Young Moderns (2000) Esoteric Knowledge (2001) Cold War (2002) The Call To Adventure (2003) The Road Of Trials (2004) Dark Matter (2005) Natural Selection (2006)To Purchase National Debt on iTunes Click Here:This site is always Under Construction!Home | Browse | Search | Invite | Film | Mail | Blog | Favorites | Forum | Groups | Events | Videos | Music | Comedy | ClassifiedsPast bands or Projects James has been involved in:The Cup of Joe’s, Bastard’s of Multiplication, P. Mirkin & the Bodags, The Wizmo Mirkin Blues Band, D. Boon & the Stones Puppies, The Runskies, Obscene Jesture, Wizmo Phun Project, Wizmo Mountain, J.E.D. .Albums James appears on:Minutemen - Party with Me Punker for The Politics of Time (SST Records SST CD 277) recording credit. Eyesore – A Stab at the Residents (VAC006) J.E.D. – the Booker Tease – engineering, and guitars.Contact Interface – Cal Poly Music Dept (CPSU 7901) – Technical assistance on The Genesis of a Music by Salvador Espana.Confessions of Young Moderns – A Tribute to Bill Nelson – Music is Lethal, Vol. 3 (BOPBN03) – National Debt – single mix of Esoteric Knowledge.