The Alchemy Unit profile picture

The Alchemy Unit

About Me

The Alchemy Unit was formed in 2004 through the mind and music of Ash Umhey, a guitarist who had been playing around the Woodstock music scene since 1998. Following the embryonic debut Bird Lips, things began to take shape with the release of the Moon Strings on the Fringe album in 2006. The following year, The Alchemy Unit moved to a new studio to begin recording the next album entitled Eprouvette Ascenseur, and rehearsing for some live shows. By late 2008, the band had settled into a new lineup, equally divided between extended improvisations and structured material. Ash has also been recording and performing with Venture Lift, Les Bicyclettes Blanches, and Aria Pullman.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 03/12/2006
Band Members: Ash Umhey - vocals, guitars, bass, organ, keyboard and percussion... Garett Grassi - bass, keyboard, visual art, additional sound effects; Don Hover - ukelele, percussion, additional guitar and megaphone; James Zemlock - bass and drums; Ben Larkin - drums & percussion; auxiliary musicians have included: Brandon Wolf, Skip Piper - drums; Trevor Grasshopper - accordion
Influences: Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Cream, The Beatles, Funkadelic, Sun Ra, Jimi Hendrix, The Soft Machine, Robyn Hitchcock, Butthole Surfers, Julian Cope, 13th Floor Elevators, The Doors, Sly & the Family Stone, Country Joe & the Fish, The Kinks, Booker T & MGs, The Bevis Frond, David Bowie, Captain Beefheart, Mazzy Star, Morphine, Tom Waits, John Zorn & Masada, The Stooges, Eric Dolphy, The Upsetters, T Rex, Django Rheinhardt, Roland Kirk
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Going to Paris and Morocco

I'll be taking time off from working on the new record to do some travelling. I'll be in Paris for 2 weeks, where I'll be playing a few gigs with Les Bicyclettes Blanches and soaking up the French cul...
Posted by on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:25:00 GMT

The new album: Eprouvette Ascenseur

Recording sessions for the new album began in September 2007 and continued throughout the following year as it grew into a much larger project that involved additional musicians, many new ideas, and o...
Posted by on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:13:00 GMT

Sterling Street Studios

As of June 2007, The Alchemy Unit will be moving to a new rehearsal and recording space near the Ulster Performing Arts Center on Broadway in Kingston. Sterling Street Studios is a 1200 square foot sp...
Posted by on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:26:00 GMT

Moon Strings on the Fringe

Moon Strings on the Fringe by The Alchemy Unit released December 2006CD jewel case - 12 tracks - 45 minutes total playing timecurrently available directly or at these fine locations:Rhino Records, ...
Posted by on Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:37:00 GMT