Alan Licht

Infobox Musician
Name = Alan Licht


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = June 6, 1968
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Instrument = guitar
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Genre = Avant-garde, noise rock, pop
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Years_active = 1991-current
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Alan Licht (b. June 6, 1968) is an American guitarist and composer, whose work combines elements of pop, noise, free jazz and minimalism.

Biography

Licht was born in New Jersey in 1968. His earliest musical influences, in the 1970s, were mainstream rock bands like the Bee Gees and Wings—he remarks in an interview with "Paris Transatlantic" magazine that 'What made me want to play guitar was that painting of Wings in concert in the gatefold of "Wings Over America". It looked so exciting... I wanted to be part of it.' Later, in school, he listened to punk and no wave bands like Mission of Burma, Hüsker Dü and Sonic Youth. However, his musical trajectory was set when his guitar teacher gave him a copy of Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians", which would lead to his discovery of other minimalist music. Licht majored in Film Studies at Vassar College in New York. Since the 1980s, he has worked and recorded with the bands Lovechild, Run On and The Pacific Ocean and with other avant-garde musicians including Jim O'Rourke, Rudolph Grey, and Loren Mazzacane Connors. He has also recorded several solo albums. [ [http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine/interviews/licht.html Interview: Licht ] ] Alan participated as drummer 42 in the Boredoms 77 Boadrum performance which occurred on July 7th, 2007 at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, New York.

Musical style

Licht's music draws on a wide range of different styles, from tape-loops, to noisy guitar (sometimes using a prepared instrument), to pure pop music. [ [http://www.fakejazz.com/interviews/licht.shtml Lost Interviews: Alan Licht (interview) ] ]

Writing

Licht is also a music journalist and writer on minimalist music, [ [http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/alanlicht.html Perfect Sound Forever ] ] and in 2000, he published his first book, "An Emotional Memoir of Martha Quinn." [Drag City 2000. ISBN 0-9656183-3-1]

Discography

olo

* "Sink the Aging Process" (Siltbreeze 1994)
* "Rabbi Sky" (Siltbreeze 1999)
* "A New York MInute" (XI 2003)

with The Blue Humans

* "Clear to Higher Time" (New Alliance 1992)

with Loren Mazzacane Connors

* "Live In NYC" (New World of Sound 1996)
* "Two Nights" (Road Cone Records 1996)
* "Mercury" (Road Cone Records 1997)
* "Hoffman Estates" (Drag City 1998)
* "In France" (FBWL 2003)

with Lovechild

* "Okay?" (Homestead 1991)
* "Witchcraft" (Homestead 1992)

with Run On

* "On/Off" (Matador 1995}
* "Start Packing" (Matador 1996)
* "No Way" (Matador 1997)

with The Pacific Ocean

* "So Beautiful and Cheap and Warm" (TeenBeat Records 2002)

with Aki Onda

* "Everydays" (Family Vineyard 2008)

Bibliography

* cite book
last = Licht
first = Alan
others = introduction by Jim O'Rourke
title = Sound Art: Beyond Music, Between Categories
publisher = Rizzoli
location = New York
year = 2007
isbn = 0847829693
* cite book
last = Lesser
first = Tom
authorlink=Tom Lesser
coauthors = Alan Licht, Roland Spekle, Lee Ranaldo, Leah Singer, Sam Durant, Jonas Mekas
others = Lea Rekow (contributor)
title = Lee Renaldo & Leah Singer: Drift
publisher = Plexifilm
location = New York
year = 2006
isbn = 1933045345
* cite book
last = Marclay
first = Christian
authorlink=Christian Marclay
coauthors = Douglas Kahn, Miwon Kwon, Alan Licht
others = edited by Russell Ferguson
title = Christian Marclay
publisher = Steidl Publishing
location = Los Angeles
year = 2003
isbn = 3882439319
* cite book
last = Licht
first = Alan
title = An Emotional Memoir of Martha Quinn
publisher = Drag City
location = Chicago
year = 2000
isbn = 0965618331

Notes

External links

* [http://www.dragcity.com/bands/licht.html Artist page] at Drag City website.
* Licht's [http://www.halana.com/licht.html minimalist music top 10] for "Halana" magazine.
* [http://www.viva-radio.com/77Boadrum/drummers.php?id=42&view=list Viva Radio's 77 Boadrum Site Profile]
* Alan Licht and Aki Onda, Everydays [http://www.insound.com/Alan_Licht_and_Aki_Onda/artistmain/artist/INS36134/]