* En anglais uniquement
Taking their name from a 19th century Russian anarchist,
the Kropotkins were the avant-garage rock project of
Soldier String Quartet composer and violinist
Dave Soldier, a professor of psychology and neurology at Columbia University with an extensive and eclectic musical background: in addition to playing guitar with
Bo Diddley and collaborating with
John Cale and
Elliott Sharp, he arranged the scores to the 1996 films I Shot Andy Warhol and Basquiat and produced "Ice-9 Ballade," an orchestral collaboration with Kurt Vonnegut. Also comprised of Memphis-based vocalist Lorette Velvette, percussionist
Samm Bennett (the frontman of History of the Last Five Minutes and Chunk), drummer
Jonathan Kane (an alumnus of
Swans, Sirens,
Rhys Chatham, and
LaMonte Young's Forever Bad Blues Band), improvisational violinist
Mark Feldman, and bassist/guitarist
Dog (born
Mark Deffenbaugh),
the Kropotkins issued their self-titled debut -- a synthesis of punk, Delta blues, and avant-garde experimentation -- in 1996. 5 Point Crawl followed in spring 2001. ~ Jason Ankeny