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| Cello rock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1970s, United Kingdom |
| Other topics | |
| Baroque rock | |
Cello rock is a subgenre ofrock music characterized by the use ofcellos (as well as other bowed string instruments such as theviolin andviola) as primary instruments, alongside or in place of more traditional rock instruments such aselectric guitars,electric bass guitars, and drum sets.[1]
Cellos, often in groups of three or more, are used to create a sound, rhythm, and texture similar to that of familiarrock music, but distinctly reshaped by the uniquetimbres and more traditional genres of the cello (in particular) and other string instruments used. Cellos and other stringed instruments are often amplified and/or modified electronically, and they are often played in a manner imitative of the sound of electric guitars. They are often combined with other elements typical of rock music such as rock-style vocals and drumming.[2][3]
Cello rock can trace its beginnings to the 1971self-titled debut, known in the US asNo Answer, by theElectric Light Orchestra, which featured rock songs arranged for cellos, and the subsequent tour consisted of a standard rock band augmented by four cellos.Jeff Lynne made a return with this format using three cellos for their 2001 comeback albumZoom and its subsequent but cancelledtour.
In 1992,Rasputina formed in New York City, blending baroque cello stylings with alternative rock songs.[4] Their 1996 debut album of original music,Thanks for the Ether, introduced this hybrid approach, while their 1998 follow-up,How We Quit the Forest, incorporated heavy metal distortion and rock drums to create one of the earliest fully realized examples of distorted cello rock.
Apocalyptica, which released their first album,Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, in 1996, originally used only cellos but has since added drums and bass and sometimes vocals. Starting in 2011, the duo2Cellos began releasing covers of many rock standards, such asAC/DC's "Thunderstruck", and undertaking tours.
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