Floater (band)

Floater
Floater
Background information
Origin	Eugene, Oregon, United States
Genres	Rock, Alternative rock
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Elemental, Typhon
Associated acts	Drumattica, Riverboat, Rob Wynia
Website	www.floater.com
Members
David Amador Peter Cornett Robert Wynia

Floater is an American rock band currently based in Portland, Oregon. The band was started in 1993 by Robert Wynia, Peter Cornett and David Amador. They are known for their progressive concept albums, stylized storytelling, intense live performances, and devoted fanbase. Floater routinely sells out local venues in Oregon^[1] and periodically plays shows in the neighboring states of Washington, California, Nevada, and Idaho. Floater has played a variety of venues, including CBGB in New York and the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles.^[2] The band was also a musical guest for Live Wire! on OPB radio.^[3] The band has been voted the "Best Band" in the Willamette Week's "Best of Portland" reader's poll for 2009 and 2010.^[4][5]

History

Seminal years in Eugene: Sink & Glyph (1993-1997)

The seeds for Floater were placed when Peter Cornett moved to Eugene, Oregon and answered a musician-wanted ad placed by Robert Wynia.^[6] By 1992, they had created Henry's Child.^[7] When their guitarist got drunk and ruined a local gig, Dave Amador stepped in to replace him. The moniker of Henry's Child was quickly shed and Floater was born. It was 1993 and the new trio recorded a four-song demo and began playing small garage parties and eventually at the University of Oregon. Later, Floater recorded a nine-song demo which impressed the indie record label Elemental, who signed them soon after. Floater's first full-length album, Sink, was released in 1994 and contained some songs from the demos. One year later, a second full-length album was released, Glyph, which increased the band's popularity in the Pacific Northwest and allowed tours further east, into Arizona, Utah and Texas.^[8]

With the popularity of their song "The Sad Ballad of Danny Boy" and the help of then soon-to-be defunct national Z Rock radio network,^[6][9] Floater's airplay increased greatly. The network shut down in late 1996, but not before acquiring scattered fans across the nation as in Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey, and even outside the U.S. in Quebec.^[9] In another deleted internet article, it was mentioned that Floater also received play via Digital Music Express circa 1996.

During these first few years, Floater received nominations to the preliminary level of the Grammys from NARAS in 1995 under Best Rock Performance for Sink and in 1996 under Best Alternative Performance for Glyph.^[10][11] According to World Drum! a newsletter for CD World in Eugene and Corvallis, Floater had sold 21,000 copies of Sink and Glyph combined.^[11] This same newsletter also mentions Floater ranked in the top 5 of Pandemonium's Annual Readers' Poll for Best Northwest Band on an Independent Label,^[11] consistently in The Rocket's Northwest Top Twenty Chart,^[11] and having garnered the esteemed "Gavin Rocks" selection of the best band of all 300 participating in the NXNW Music Festival conference.^[11] At this time, Floater was also playing popular venues like the WOW Hall in Eugene, and La Luna and the Crystal Ballroom in Portland.^[12]

Wings to Portland - Angels in the Flesh (1998-2001)

Just before Floater released their third album, Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone, the band moved to Portland, Oregon where they remain today.^[6] Coinciding with this move, the band's sound slightly changed with the release of Angels. In an article from The Rocket newspaper, it was mentioned the band was ready to "ditch some of [their more rude fans.]"^[9] The album is noted for the college radio single "Mexican Bus".^[13] Prior to and throughout this time, Floater was being visited by interested major labels including Zoo Records,^[14] but they would remain unsigned by a major label.^[1]

In 2000, Burning Sosobra was released and it marked a shift in the use of samples that Floater was known for. Rather than sampling movies and television, the band began creating the majority of their own sounds for inclusion on their albums. Burning Sosobra represented a lifting of burdens for Floater, symbolized by the burning effigy on the cover of the album. With Sosobra, Floater moved into a new phase, having purged a dubious manager and beginning to work with Cassandra Thorpe, who bought Elemental Records after the release of this record. The sculpture in the cover photo was a collaboration between Floater and Mark Orme.^[15] "Exiled" is considered the single of Burning Sosobra. The lyrics suggest a euphemistic position of being outside the flock as outsiders looking in with contempt. Other notable tracks with "Independence Day" and "Waiting for the Sun," a cover of The Doors.

Alter & Acoustics (2002-2006)

Floater experimented with acoustic in-store performances throughout the late 1990s, but around the time of their New Year's Eve show in 2000/2001 at the Aladdin Theater, Floater began including entire acoustic sets in their performances. A part of the Aladdin show would be released on their second live album, Live at the Aladdin. Floater subsequently released Alter, their fifth full-length album. The album was noted as a first step in altering their sound; however, the shift in sound was markedly less than expected. Floater's sound shifted from a focus on heavy riffs to a well-rounded and eclectic sound.

The band's exploration in sound fruited with their 2004 acoustic album Acoustics. This would coincide with an increase in acoustic performances abroad.^[16] Floater regularly plays back-to-back shows with one electric set and one acoustic set.

Stone By Stone (2006 to 2008)

Floater's 2006 release, Stone By Stone, is their most critically acclaimed record to date.^[17] The album bridged a familiar older Floater sound in the case of "An Apology" and coupled it with a new creativity infused in their songs like "Weightless," "Breakdown," and "Tonight No One Knows." "An Apology", considered the single of the album, has lyrical content suggesting a sarcastic apology: as one eye looks to the future and the other in the past.

The album also marks a time of increased effort to tour more extensively in the western United States. Floater has expanded greatly, playing larger venues in some cities, like The Showbox in Seattle, Washington and the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon. They also began playing more cities along their tours through Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California.

Wake - Setting a new course (2009 to Present)

By 2009, Floater started work on recording their eighth full-length album. Some of the tracks that were expected to appear on the upcoming album were previously recorded during the Stone By Stone sessions.^[18][19]

By this time, Floater hired Alex Steininger as their new manager.^[6] The band set its sights on achieving national recognition. Floater released its eighth studio album, Wake in 2010 and paid for it out of their own pockets.^[6] The album received both positive and negative reviews from both the Willamette Week and The Portland Mercury.^[6][12] Already, Steininger's influence can be felt as Floater has made appearances on PDXposed and OPB's Live Wire program.^[3][20]

Discography

Main article: Floater discography

Studio albums

• Sink (1994)
• Glyph (1995)
• Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone (1998)
• Burning Sosobra (2000)
• Alter (2002)
• Acoustics (2004)
• Stone By Stone (2006)
• Wake (2010)

Live Shows

Floater adds further variety to their live performances by adding various cover songs into their set list, and also integrating new verses into their own songs. They are also known for covering songs that do not necessarily coincide with their genre. Here is just a small sample of covers they have done:

• Waiting for the Sun by The Doors is featured on their album Burning Sosobra.
• U2 - "Seconds" - "Party Girl"
• Pink Floyd - "Run Like Hell"
• The Beatles - "Helter Skelter"
• The Fixx - "Red Skies" (partial - included with Settling live)
• Elton John - "Rocketman"
• Depeche Mode - "Personal Jesus"

Samples

Samples are used extensively in Floater's live performances and earlier albums. Samples from the early albums were primarily from movies. While samples are present on later albums they are not as common. Those that were included, occurred infrequently and were created by the band and local actors. Their albums Sink and Glyph included samples from movies such as Apocalypse Now, THX 1138, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, The Last Temptation of Christ, Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, various episodes of The Twilight Zone and old radio programs.

Associated Personnel

Guest performers

• Keith Brown of Drumattica, TV:616 and Sentenced To Life
• Pianist for Burning Sosobra CD release tour
• TV:616 for cover of Run Like Hell
• Jen Folker of Dahlia
• Jeff Chase; flame blower for 1998 performances of Mosquito
• King Black Acid for 2009 performances of the Beatles' Helter Skelter
• Unkle Nancy of Unkle Nancy and the Family Jewels

Crew & Miscellaneous Personnel

Past and Present

• Diogenes Alexander Xenos (DAX) - Soundboard Engineer
• Tom Addison - FOH, Tour Manager
• Sparky - FOH, Monitors
• Keith Brown - Video Effects
• Jeff Chase - Road Manager circa 1998
• Jesse "Juicey" Fletcher - Lights and live samples

Anthropomorphic Personifications

• Omar - Omar

Side projects

• Sentenced to Life - Sometime around 1996, Rob Wynia and Pete Cornett collaborated with Keith Brown to develop a short-lived side project.^[21] Allegedly, a demo tape of this exists but has not seen the light of day. At the time of this collaboration, Keith Brown was a part of the band Threscher. Keith would eventually go on to play several shows with Floater as a guest performer, filling in on acoustic guitar.
• Drumattica - A tribal/dance electronic groove band featuring Robert Wynia and David Amador.^[22]
• Riverboat - Peter Cornett's side project.^[23]
• Rob Wynia's MySpace Page - The spoken word and atmospherics of Rob Wynia.^[24]

Floater in the Press

Here are some examples of Floater in the media:

• KUFO Marconi Show interview Video Part 1 Part 2
• Eugene Weekly Interview from 2004 Floater Rising
• The Synthesis Interview Waiting for Floater
• Classic Interview Cult of Personality is Dead from the Synthesis
• Willamette Week Interview Stone by Stone
• Willamette Week article Floater
• PDXposed Press TV Interview "Floater" Rocks the Crystal Ballroom
• Daily Vanguard interview from 10-2008 Float On interview
• The Commuter publication audio interview Floater Audio Interview
• Weekly Volcano article Floater - Grunge band from back in the day plays Hell's Kitchen

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Jarman, Casey (2008-03-26), "Stone By Stone, An Elder Statesman Of NW Moss-Rock Reps Hard, With Or Without You.", Willamette Week, http://wweek.com/editorial/3420/10709/, retrieved 2009-06-29 
2. ^ Snyder, Chad (2008-01-18), "Homegrown and Flourishing", Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/TEMPO/801180302, retrieved 2009-06-29 
3. ^ ^{a b} Live Wire! Radio (2010-03-25), Episode 111, http://www.livewireradio.org/node/363, retrieved 2010-04-16 
4. ^ Waterhouse (2009-07-22), 2009 Best of Portland Reader's Poll, p. Ben, http://wweek.com/editorial/3537/12844/, retrieved 2010-07-25 
5. ^ Brown (2010-07-21), 2010 Best of Portland Reader's Poll, p. Ruth, http://wweek.com/editorial/3637/14297/, retrieved 2010-07-25 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Jarman, Casey (June 23, 2010, p. 23), "The Band That Wouldn't Die", Willamette Week, http://wweek.com/editorial/3633/14182/, retrieved 2010-06-26 
7. ^ Henry's Child MySpace page
8. ^ Sun, Sky, Stone
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Hagestedt, Andre (August 12–26, 1998 (Portland Edition), p. 23), "Teenage Angst Has Paid Off Well", The Rocket 
10. ^ Elemental Records MySpace page
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone", World Drum!, Vol. 2 no. 2, June 1 thru July 14, 1998, p. 2 
12. ^ ^{a b} Caraeff, Ezra Ace (June 24, 2010), "Superunknown, The Curious Case of Floater", The Portland Mercury, http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/superunknown/Content?oid=2626078, retrieved 2010-06-26 
13. ^ Brady, Pete (2001-04-17), "Cult of Personality is Dead, The Mind and Music of Floater", Synthesis, http://www.synthesis.net/music/interview/item-117/2001-04-17-cult_of_personality_is_dead, retrieved 2009-06-29 
14. ^ "Behind the Glyph", Volcano Magazine, February 1996 Vol. 1 No. 2 pp. 34-38 
15. ^ Orme Designs
16. ^ Bearns, Melissa (2004-09-30), "Floater Rising, Power Trio Matures, But Still Rocks.", Eugene Weekly, http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2004/09/30/music.html, retrieved 2009-06-29 
17. ^ www.floater.com
18. ^ Behind The Scenes DVD documentary included with the Stone By Stone album, 2006
19. ^ Exiled forum Retrieved 6-29-2009
20. ^ PDXposed Press, Ben (2009-04-11), "Floater" Rocks the Crystal Ballroom, http://vimeo.com/667265, retrieved 2010-06-26 
21. ^ Sentenced to Life MySpace page
22. ^ Drumattica.com | The Official Website
23. ^ Riverboat
24. ^ Rob Wynia's MySpace page

External links

• Floater.com (official website)
• Floater (band) at Allmusic