Artist bio

See also: Pearl Jam

Roaring forth from its Seattle-based laboratory, instrumental trio Hovercraft frees guitar-based music from its redundant shackles and provides the soundtrack to a journey on a spacecraft with a mind of its own.

Formed by bassist Sadie 7 and guitarist Campbell 2000 in the mid-90s, the band was first introduced to U.S. audiences as an opening act for the Foo Fighters and Mike Watt in the spring of 1995. The "0001" single and a short video followed, reinforcing the music's visual aspect. (Hovercraft performs in front of a frenetic, quasi-documentary assembled by Campbell from years-old stock film footage). Life-altering live shows with Unwound and Come hammered the point home throughout 1996, and by 1997 the band had readied its debut album Akathisia for public consumption.

Released by Mute/Blast First!, Akathisia is a 65-minute journey to the outer reaches of rock music as most know it. Grooves appear and then collapse inward on themselves while Campbell exorcises various demons from his guitar, slicing and hammering the strings into otherworldly tones.

Its followup, 1998's Experiment Below, introduces drummer Dash 11 into the trio and incorporates an element of subtlety rarely found on earlier recordings.

The band has contributed to the soundtrack for the film "Chicago Cab" and had its tracks remixed for an EP by Scanner. As of 1999, a collaboration with DJ Spooky remains tied up in "evil rock empire limbo," according to Campbell.

Albums by this artist

Experiment Below (1998)

Akathisia (1997)

Hovercraft

Akathisia

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» JONATHAN COHEN | SENIOR EDITOR

Hovercraft Akathisia Mute/Blast First!, 1997 RiYL: Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, early Pink Floyd

To understand Akathisia, the debut album from Seattle noise fiends Hovercraft, try relating to the record not as a collection of songs, but as a soundtrack to an otherworldly voyage.

Via two singles and life-altering live shows on tours with Come, Unwound and Mike Watt, the group has gained mass converts to its belief that music can be created simply by repetition, variance and manipulation of sound.

Indeed, Hovercraft has slammed the door in the face of intrusive, alt-rock cliches, boarded its rocket and taken us chosen listeners on a 65-minute visit to outer space. Our journey, loosely bonded by four periods of silence, begins with the curiously titled "Quiet Room (44)," as engines ignite, rev and blast off. Soon our craft has broken the sound barrier; howling guitars and demented alert sirens prove it so.

Out of the atmosphere we continue, and as we gaze at Earth from space, our pulse quickens. Sadie 7's confusing bass grooves induce us to jump around a little, while messages from fellow intergalactic travelers flash on the video screen.

"Angular Momentum" signals the descent of our craft onto the desolate planet of our choice. Marching in a straight line, as dictated by the rum-pa-pum of the band's rhythm section, we're suddenly upended by the stupendous force of altered gravity.

By the time a dose of "Haloparidol" kicks in, we're staring blankly out the window of our vessel, stunned at the infinite star glows shining through. Quiet chirps from Campbell 2000's guitar soothe us just fine until Karl 3-30 raises the pace with snappy snares and devastating drum rolls.

"Vagus Nerve" reminds us it's time for a thorough abdominal inspection. Tracing the nerve out of the stomach cavity, we're relieved to find our digestive abilities in working order. In the meantime, disconnected guitars act as wind chimes and power saws, treating us to the voyage's best groove yet at the nine-minute mark.

Too soon, "De-Orbit Burn" flashes on our monitors, and we plummet back to Earth. Emotions are mixed: Rage, bliss and awe come to mind and we don't know whether to kiss the astronaut next to us or break into a panic.

Rockets fire to make atmospheric re-entry a little more tolerable and the pace slows considerably. Out of nowhere, the craft begins shaking uncontrollably, perhaps doomed to burn up. But in a breathtaking flash, the blue oceans of our home planet become visible and we splash down amid intense psychedelic riffage that unceremoniously boots us out the shuttle door.

Akathisia is a space-rock expedition of the highest order. Next mission departs whenever you want it to.

JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"