Enon | |
|---|---|
 Enon live at the Hideout Block Party in Chicago, 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York |
| Genres | Indie rock,art pop,indietronica,dance-punk,noise rock |
| Years active | 1997–2011 |
| Labels | Touch and Go |
| Spinoffs | Crooks On Tape |
| Spinoff of | Brainiac |
| Past members | John Schmersal Toko Yasuda Rick Lee Steve Calhoon Matt Schulz |
| Website | www |
Enon was anindie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee, andSteve Calhoon that was active from 1997 to 2011; for most of its history, however, Enon was a three-piece outfit composed of Schmersal,Toko Yasuda, andMatt Schulz. Though situated for a time in Philadelphia, Enon was primarily known for being part of theNew York music scene.
Enon was known for usingMoog synthesizers andTeisco guitars. Schmersal's green guitar he often used on stage was a Teisco TG-64, and he also owns a Teisco Del Rey. Yasuda played aFender Jazz Bass with an adapted tuning machine, which allowed quickly tuning to D from E. Schmersal also owns a custom builtTwister guitar built byYuri Landman, an alternate version of theSpringtime exclusively crafted for Enon with some additional features such as ascalloped fretboard and an additional pickup in the bridge.
Enon released 4 studio albums, 2 instrumental albums, a compilation, 17 singles and multiple free song downloads throughout the band's lifespan. After breaking up in 2011, Yasuda went on to start her own solo project;Plvs Vltra, Schulz went on to play inHoly Fuck, and Schmersal reunited withBrainiac to perform live and released cancelled material after nearly 20 years of inactivity.
Schmersal was originally in the bandBrainiac and formed Enon (named after thevillage inOhio, which is close to Schmersal's hometown ofDayton) with Lee and Calhoon following the death of Brainiac's singer Timmy Taylor and their subsequent disbandment. After Brainiac, Schmersal made a solo album under the name John Stuart Mill.[1] Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon were both previous members of the bandSkeleton Key, a befriended band Brainiac had toured with. Together they formed Enon. Lee created a number ofpercussion sounds for the band playing a "junk kit" including aRadio Flyer wagon, propane tank, and old hubcaps. Enon released a short instrumental album named "Long Play" in 1998, some of the songs from the album were later adapted for their future studio work.
After the release of their first studio albumBelievo!, which was Produced byD. Sardy and signed to his SeeThru Broadcasting label in 1999, Calhoon left the band and was replaced byToko Yasuda (bass/vocals/keyboard) andMatt Schulz (drums). Yasuda was previously in the bandsBlonde Redhead,The Lapse andThe Van Pelt. In 2000, Schmersal performed the theme song for Funny Garbage's “Katbot” interactive website, with small contributions from other Enon members.
SeeThru Broadcasting was initially set to release Enon's upcoming studio album in September 2001, but the label decided to close following the9/11 attacks in New York. Enon temporarily released their second instrumental album "On Hold" in 2001 to compensate fans for waiting. Enon signed with the Chicago-based indie label,Touch and Go Records after the closing of SeeThru Broadcasting, with a new lineup, label, and sound; Enon released their second studio albumHigh Society in 2002, after around half a year of limbo, and toured withThe Faint. High Society was generally praised by critics for its showcase of the band's evolving sound, and the addition of Yasuda as a lead singer on most of the album. Enon also released a self titled EP earlier in the year, containing 7 tracks; most of which were featured on their future compilation, Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence.
From April 2002 to December 2003, Enon released a free unreleased song once a month on their official website. All songs were made available as 128 kbit/s MP3 downloads and only available during the month they were released. Shortly after the release of High Society, Lee left the band, and Enon went on to releaseHocus Pocus in 2003. Hocus Pocus received mixed reviews from critics, partially due to its heavy experimentation and disorienting tracklist; although praise was given to Schmersal and Yasuda's vocal and writing collaboration on tracks like "Murder Sounds", and "Starcastic". Enon released a collection of singles and previously difficult to find internet-released songs with a bonus DVD entitledLost Marbles and Exploded Evidence in February 2005, the collection was generally liked by critics. Also in 2005, Schmersal relocated to Philadelphia and opened his own recording studio.Mean Reds,Thunderbirds Are Now! and other bands recorded albums with Schmersal in this period. Schmersal re-recorded the "Katbot" theme song, after the show had been picked up by Disney in late 2005; the song went unused however, as the show went unaired and was eventually quietly cancelled after 4 episodes were produced.
After opening his studio, and working with Disney on Katbot in 2005, Schemersal's music was used for series opens, promo packages and channel branding forSundance Channel, as well as scoring work for the animated featureMonster House (with composerDavid Sardy) and the award-winning 2007 indie film Tie a Yellow Ribbon.[2] While performing with Enon, Schmersal (sometimes accompanied by Yasuda) found himself in demand as a composer for short films, animated programs, bumpers and interstitials, and commercials for clients including Disney, Cartoon Network, MTV and Nickelodeon. Many of these instrumentals feature the signature electro-analog quirkiness emblematic of Enon.[3]
In 2007, all three members of Enon contributed toLes Savy Fav's albumLet's Stay Friends. Yasuda also did vocal contributions to previous recordings of this band, e.g. the first track ofThe Cat and the Cobra. Later in the year, Enon released their fourth and final studio album,Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds on Touch and Go Records on October 9, 2007.[4] to generally positive reviews, higher than their previous album; Hocus Pocus. Although the album leaked early on September 5, sales were still high on digitally storefronts likeiTunes, with an exclusive song being offered to boost sales on the platform. To accompany the release of Grass Geysers, Believo! received a reissue by Touch and Go the same day, which contained all of its music videos.
In summer 2008, drummer Matt Schulz announced that he would be leaving the group to pursue other interests. Afterwards he joinedHoly Fuck as a touring member. Brainiac's former bassist, Monasterio, released an album in 2008 with a new band called Model/Actress; with Schmersal making appearances on the album. An otherwise unreleased song called "We Are The Robots" was used in the October 2008 episode of cult children's TV seriesYo Gabba Gabba! titled "Robot." The 1:21 song was accompanied by animation of robots playing with children and assisting with household chores. In 2009, Schmersal and Yasuda recorded the opening theme forPBS Kids showDash's Dance Party.[5]
In a May 2011 interview, after touring with Caribou for a good portion of 2010 and 2011, Schmersal confirmed the band "is pretty much over" with no plans to follow up onGrass Geysers...Carbon Clouds.[6] From 2011 to 2014 Yasuda toured withSt. Vincent playing synth.
Prior to the recording and release ofBelievo!, Schmersal recorded and released a solo album under the name John Stuart Mill, after the British philosopher and political economist. Schemeral released one 13-track album, "Forget Everything," as John Stuart Mill on See-Thru Broadcasting in 1999. The album was released on CD only and quickly went out of print when the label folded. Columbus-based Scioto Records reissued "Forget Everything" onBandcamp and on vinyl in 2016.[7][8]
In 2010 Schmersal reteamed with Enon's Rick Lee and drummer Joey Galvan to create the improvisational trioCrooks On Tape. The band released the album "Fingerprint" onMisra Records in 2013 and an instrumental, vinyl-only album "In The Realm Of The Ancient Minor" on Pure Orgone forRecord Store Day 2015.[9]
Since 2012 Yasuda has recorded under the namePlvs Vltra, releasing the solo albumParthenon on Spectrum Spools in 2012. Schmersal produced that album, which also features appearances fromDanny Ray Thompson of theSun Ra Arkestra,Scott Allen ofThunderbirds Are Now,Thomas Keville ofMan Man.
In 2013 Plvs Vltra released the non-LP single "Rooftop Arcade" b/w "Mesopotamia" on Columbus-based Scioto Records. That same year, Plvs Vltra released second albumYo-Yo Blue onBandcamp and on the cassette-only label Field Hymns.[10][11][12]
In 2014 Schmersal collaborated with drummer Christian Eric Beaulieu (Triclops!, Anywhere, Peace Creeps) to formVertical Scratchers. The band released the albumDaughter of Everything onMerge Records in 2014 which featured guest appearances by Jonathan Hischke (Flying Luttenbachers, Hella,Broken Bells) and fellow DaytoniteRobert Pollard (Guided By Voices).Pitchfork gave the album a 7.2 rating, calling the music "rock‘n’roll rendered on Etch A Sketch...occasionally, you find yourself marveling at an accidental masterpiece."[13]
Vertical Scratchers also contributed an exclusive track, "Jackie's Favorite," to the Merge 7-inch box setOr Thousands Of Prizes.[14][15]
Studio albums
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