Obsequie

Chicago early 90's:I am really just a bass player. This is how it started. I was playing bass for a punk/metal band called Churl. The band deflated after about 5 years of playing. We couldn't find a decent singer, people went to college, and a few members had side projects - I was no exception. Near the end of Churl I was also playing bass in a post-poppy punk band called Pinwheel. Both projects did a few demo tapes, and comp CD's.Obsequie formed when I was getting influenced by bands like Godflesh, Scorn, Pigface, Dead World, Grotus, and various other industrial and death metal bands - Especially their ambient intro's and outtro's. At some point in all of the bass playing I bought a sequencer and keyboard and started to experiment with sound layers and engineering. This experimenting ended up being a project called "Obsequie". At the time I was also attending Columbia College for Recording and Engineering. I met follow like musicians online and started to swap tapes with other bands. At some point the music was heard by Mick Harris of Scorn and was taken a little more seriously. I started to do CD complications and getting involved in the DUB community.The project had a few shows here and there but had little success in getting people to come out. It was a little too "arty" for live playing and the big industrial scene of Chicago was fading or not interested. Plus all of my friends and music experience was more for “rock shows”. Obsequie was something I was not used to from being in a band. At one point I started Experimental Sound Terrorist Records as everyone was doing labels then. It was a huge learning experience. A complication I released did fairly well considering my experience - it was a limited press. I was lucky to have PCM, SIMM, Mick Harris and others send tracks for my freshman release. I then supported a concert called Extermination Process '98 and Extermination Aftermath in ‘98. I called on some fellow players, and did the show with Eric Ponder, Press, Obsequie, Resident Phase Shiftier, Grounded, Zerfallmensch, Pentilian, Sleeper, and Crack Whore Overdrive. The label and band finally parted as a lack of personal interest, a busy schedule, money and the difficultly of supporting music that was more transcendental and artistic. May I add that I horribly respect all of the people and bands I have met on my journey while doing this project. Some of these people are still around, and I strongly encourage supporting them. More might come from me one day... however if it does I will be behind a Bass instead of engineering board.