Formed in 1996 by four high school students from Los Gatos, California, dredg was originally a rapcore band of little merit. However, over the years dredg has evolved into one of the most innovative, artistic, and emotionally intense bands to date. Their style is a fusion of many musical genres such as rock, jazz, and tribal music. The band's telltale symbol is derived from the Chinese symbol for 'chameleon' or 'change.' This is just one of the many examples of cultural influences which the band incorporates into their music.
A review of their first major release "leitmotif" on theprp.com states, "dredg is for music what . . . Jesus Christ is for christianism [sic]." While that may be going a bit far, they are an exceptional band of nearly unbounded talent. Their songs are music set to poetry as opposed to words set to music. The result is a masterpiece which one has to hear to believe. Their albums are beautifully crafted works of art in which the tracks flow into each other much like the work of Pink Floyd, but for a new generation of listeners.
Unique bands tend to have unique practices. The oddest thing about dredg is their ritual of going out into the desert for inspiration to write their songs. The band remains largely mysterious to its fans due to lack of promotional materials, music videos, and concert pictures. When asked about their veil of secrecy in an interview with shoutweb.com, Drew Roulette responded, "We want people to listen, not to judge by appearance. Please listen, that's what our ears are for. Music has no eyes." Dredg creates music; instead of an easily marketable image like many of the one hit wonders of today's pop music.
The band consists of the following members:
Discography
Orph EP
Independant 1997
- Is Not Everything
- Orph
- Kayasuma
leitmotif
Universal Music 1999
- Symbol Song
- Movement I: @45°n, 180°w
- Lechium
- Movement II: Crosswind Minuet
- Traversing through the arctic cold we search for the spirit of Yuta
-- intermission --
- Movement III: Lyndon
- Penguins in the Desert
- Movement IV: RR
- Yatahaze
- Movement V: 90 Hour Sleep
el cielo
Interscope 2002
- dcbtfoabaaposba
- Same ol' Road
- Sanzen
- New Heart Shadow
- Triangle
- Sorry But it's Over
- Convalescent
- Walk in the Park
- 18 People Live in Harmony
- Scissor Lock
- Reprise
- Of the Room
- An Elephant in the Delta Waves
- It Only Took a Day
- Whoa is Me
- The Canyon Behind Her
coquette demo
2004
- Catch Without Arms
- On Again, Off Again
- Sang Real
- Uplifting
- Tanbark
- Jamais Vu
- It's Not That Simple
Principal Sources
- http://kayasuma.cjb.net/
- http://www.shoutweb.com/
- http://theprp.com/