Playing Hooky 2016: Horse Lords

The minimalist, experimental outfit Horse Lords joined Clocktower's Playing Hooky crew for an intense polyrhythmic and technical rock set, and a conversation about their musical practice. Performed live from the shipping container studio in the garden of Pioneer Works on July 22, 2016. Grafting the relentless repetitions of modern minimalism onto the propulsive engine of rock and roll, Horse Lords create an ecstatic forward thrust driven by dueling polyrhythms that curve endlessly past one another. The Baltimore quartet, consisting of saxophonist/percussionist Andrew Bernstein, bassist/synthesist Max Eilbacher, guitarist Owen Gardner, and drummer Sam Haberman, employs arcane tuning systems to achieve their otherworldly harmonies, made possible by guitars refretted by Gardner. The resulting sound is at once stark and lush, tightly interwoven and threatening to fly apart, making their live performances spellbinding and utterly thrilling affairs. Listen in at horselords.bandcamp.com. Clocktower Radio's Playing Hooky is a bi-monthly, live in-studio performance series, streamed live on Clocktower Radio at clocktower.org. The programs are offered as a distraction from the work-week blues, and recorded, collected, and posted to this page alongside insightful interviews with the performers. Past episodes include performances from Frankie Cosmos, Helado Negro, Ikue Mori, Ned Rothenberg, and many more.

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