RAKU'S MUSIC HISTORY:
RAKUSPEAK (2000-Present)
Raku (Words, Speak, Various Instruments)
Daniel V. Cichello (Everything Else)
Michael T. Notarthomas (Guitars, Sounds, Spacial Solitudes)
THE COSMIC BEAVER SESSIONS (2008-Present)
Raku (Drums, Vocals, Bass, Guitar)
Jamus (Guitars, Bass, Vocals)
Daniel V. Cichello (Drums, Percussion, Guitars)
Clambo (Bass Guitar)
THE TUMBLEWEED+FISH SESSIONS (2008-2009)
Raku (Percussion, Vocals, Guitars)
Tom Mahar (Vocals, Guitars)
Paul Amodio (Guitars, Vocals, Percussion)
Kelly Herzog (Vocals, Various Instruments)
Michael T. Notarthomas (Vocals, Guitars)
Jamus (Guitars, Vocals)
GROUNDED (2004-2005)
Raku (Drums)
Allegra (Guitars, Bkg. Vocals)
Pam the Metal Queen (Vocals)
Amanda Topaz (Bass)
SUPERTHRIVE (1994-2004)
Raku (Drums, Bkg. Vocals)
Matt 'Pistol' Pedzick (Vocals, Guitars)
Sue Karlik (Guitars, Bkg. Vocals)
Big Jim Slade (Bass)
Fernando Rosario Jr. (Bass)
THUNDERSPLEEN (1997)
Raku (Vocals)
Mike Pautz (Guitars)
Walt Stack (Guitars)
SLANG GIRL (1993-94)
Raku (Drums)
Matt Pedzick (Vocals, Guitars)
Sue Karlik (Guitars, Bkg. Vocals)
Steve 'The Doctor' (Bass, Bkg. Vocals)
Jamus (Bass)
THE BOBS (1992)
Raku (Vocals, Bass, Keyboards)
Tony Heuber (Guitars, Vocals)
Paul Amodio (Drums)
Steve Hays (Keyboards, Vocals)
STREETCLEANER (1991-92)
Raku (Drums)
Michael T. Notarthomas (Vocals, Guitars)
John Quigg (Bass)
A.M.I./CARTOON VIOLENCE (1988-91)
Raku (Drums, Bkg Vocals)
Joey Larkin (Vocals)
Brandon Dermady (Bass)
Bob Touri (Guitars)
Rick 'Skitch' Bonocoro (Guitars)
LINER NOTES: Story behind the album: RAKUSPEAK ~ OPIUM DREAMS
"This album was created somewhere in the 21 Century AD. As for the details....
It was a hot summer night in New York City, and my brother Scott, CLAMBO & I, stumbled into Little LOHO, or SUBMALASIA it was effectionatly called, A studio down the Lower East Side owned by Victor Luke, who also produced my band Superthrive's album, SEVEN SONGS FOR SINNERS. Victor graciously allowed us merry band of misfits to pull an all-night session, with the sole intent of getting some of my poetry down on tape. (we had left over reel space on the 2in tape from the SUPERTHRIVE sessions). I printed out 400 pages of random poems from about a 10 year period, hastily arranged and reviewed in the time we had to wait for the band that was in the studio allready, to finish up. Joe Hogan was engineering a session by the NYC Band Chrome Locust.
The vibes were loud and groove as i arranged my poetry and did a run through. The hello's & goodbyes flowed as the Locusts' entourage left the building (bestowing upon me a wonderful gift along the way, i may say), and i knew this was gonna be a 'Lay all yur cards on the table' kind of night, and i was not wrong....
As i got situated in the studio, Scott amped the control room and i popped a bottle of red cabernet. I sat at the little folding table, cozied up to the $5,000 microphone (from the early 50's-one of Vic's prize mics), & waited for the reels to rock. I sat & reflected, with a red wine-head pitch-perfect that left me open and wild. I had 400 pages of poems in front of me and i felt my big mouth dry with anticipation to GET THE READ ON.
...and that's exactly what i did.
~ RAKU "I was having a particularly long dry spell in the studio when i got the raw spoken word CD's from RAKU. I never had a real interest in poetry (with the exception of Dr. Suess), Probably due to the fact that I was'nt exposed to it properly. I listened to the CD's A few times to try to get a feel for what he was talking about, thinking, not thinking, feeling. I felt distracted, I couldnt focus, I would get lost. I decided to make myself better understand what RAKU was up too.
The problem with recorded poetry in audio format is that you can't see the speaker, can't see body language. I decided to create some atmosphere with another audio source to create a compliment to his voice. I was hooked, and worked for 2 weeks straight on the project. I even went a step further by creating poems out of his poems through cut up (abridged versions without his permission).
I think this project helped us both reinvigorate our passion for expression. Sometimes you just can't do it all alone."
~ Daniel V. Cichello
RAKU ~ Howls, SPEAK, Bass, Answering Machine, & a Sweet bottle of Cabernet Red.
DANIEL V. CICHELLO ~ Stick, Synth and Acoustic Guitars, Pipe Recorder, Cello, Bass, Synthesizer ZA, Sequence Vocals, Fretless Elbow Guitar, Effects, Manipulations, Objects, Sequences, Orchestration.
REDSHIFT ~ Performs on 'GOD & CHERRY ATOMS'.
( REDSHIFT ARE: Michael T. Notarthomas , DVC, Paul Amodio, Dave Salazzo).
Artwork: "Opium Dreams" - Detail/Painting by Raku (acrylic, mixed-media, 1994)
Raku's Voice captured at LOHO STUDIOS by Scott DePalma in New York City.
All Music Created or Manipulated by DVC except where noted at Drift And Tech Studios in Syracuse, New York.
