Manhattan-based drone-rock duo
Bowery Electric comprised vocalist/guitarist
Lawrence Chandler, a former protégé of minimalist composer
LaMonte Young, and vocalist/bassist
Martha Schwendener. Originally a three-piece rounded out by a series of drummers,
Bowery Electric bowed in 1994 with a double 7" on their self-owned Hi-Fidelity Recordings which helped land them on the indie label Kranky, which issued their self-titled debut LP in 1995. With 1996's
Beat, the duo's swirling, chaotic sound began to incorporate elements of the electronica movement; a subsequent series of 12" remixes by the likes of
Disjecta, CHASM, and
Immersion further solidified their new affiliation with electronic music, as did 1997's remix collection
Vertigo. The long-awaited
Lushlife finally appeared in early 2000. ~ Jason Ankeny