Jacob Cooper | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jacob Alonzo Cooper |
| Also known as | Jacob Safari, Heaven, Anne Frankenstein |
| Origin | Tucson, Arizona |
| Occupation(s) | Musician,record producer,songwriter |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Moshi Moshi Records,Retard Disco,Dais Records,Kill Rock Stars, Team Shi |
Jacob Alonzo Cooper, also known asJacob Safari, is an Americanmusician,remixer,record producer,songwriter, and occasionalDJ. Cooper has been a drummer of the bandsWavves,The Mae Shi, Cold Showers,Har Mar Superstar, and previously had a band called Bark Bark Bark. He currently has a project called Heaven, which first appeared in 2012.
Bark Bark Bark is an experimental, cut and paste[clarification needed] electronic punk project formed by Cooper using the alias Jacob Safari. The project consists of Safari and guest artists and producers. Bark Bark Bark was discovered by Los Angeles-basedRetard Disco after Safari played a show at The Smell and gave the label a cassette tape that later turned up to be completely blank. They have so far released one full-length studio album, several remixes, and a mixtape,Tour Girlfriends, released both digitally and as a limited physical release in early 2009 on Retard Disco. The studio album,Haunts, was described byAllmusic's Stewart Mason as "an uneven, occasionally frustrating exercise, but Safari evinces enough solid ideas to make it a worthwhile listen."[1] A Steregoum article stated the title track has "a dirty, darkelectro-pop vibe, with digi beats anddistorto-vox that moan along to fit its name."[2] Bark Bark Bark had a quiet ending after playing only 1 show in 3 years on top of a parking garage roof at 2008'sSXSW Music Festival, coincidentally the same yearThe Mae Shi played a record-breaking 19 shows in 6 days.[3] Jacob "re-united" to play his last Bark Bark Bark shows ever in his home state of Arizona in 2013 with long-time drummer Michael Sanger.
Cooper joinedLos Angeles-basedpost-punkThe Mae Shi in 2007 after replacing Marcus Savino on drums. He, along with bandmates Bill Gray and Jon Gray, left a year later due primarily to founding member Jeff Byron's substance abuse issues.[4] Cooper explained in an e-mail statement, "Helping hands were extended; we were supportive and respectful about the time to heal and even tried reaching out to Jeff when we were specifically told not to contact him by those closest to him." Cooper and the Grays formed a new band, Signals.[4] Cooper later joined thenoise rock/surf punk bandWavves.[5]
Jacob replaced Billy Hayes ofWavves in November 2010 and immediately began an arena tour supporting the French band,Phoenix (band).[6] After several US/international tours and television appearances on David Letterman[7] and The Daily Habit withGZA (Wu Tang Clan,[8] Jacob left the band in 2013. Brian Hill (The Soft Pack/The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower) began playing drums soon after.
Jacob premiered several demos for a new solo project he had been working on between tours withWavves called Heaven and formed a live band to play their first show at the Echo on Halloween night of 2012.[9][10]