* En anglais uniquement
Gastr del Sol was the most prominent vehicle of indie rock stalwart
David Grubbs, a former member of
Squirrel Bait and Bastro. With
Gastr del Sol, the Louisville, KY-born vocalist/guitarist/pianist's evolution from conventional rock music into more intricate and sophisticated tone patterns became complete; debuting with the 1993 EP
The Serpentine Similar, the group -- a shifting aggregate of talents initially including bassist
Bundy K. Brown and drummer
John McEntire -- began exploring a new approach, taking off from often improvisational performances to embark on highly idiosyncratic sonic adventures. With the single "20 Songs Less," guitarist, composer, and tape manipulator
Jim O'Rourke signed on, and following the departure of Brown, and with the decreased involvement of
McEntire,
Gastr del Sol became a kind of catchall tag for
Grubbs and
O'Rourke's many eclectic projects; the acoustic
Crookt, Crackt, or Fly followed in 1994, as did the EP
Mirror Repair. With 1995's The Harp Factory on Lake Street,
Grubbs and
O'Rourke composed a single 17-minute orchestral piece, while with 1996's
Upgrade and Afterlife they returned to more more traditional dynamics to create their most beautiful and intriguing work to date.
O'Rourke left
Gastr del Sol in 1997, shortly after completing work on
Camoufleur, which was released in January 1998. ~ Jason Ankeny