"Bardo Pond" Artist Review

Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label Fire Records. Bardo Pond's sound is characterized as psychedelic but has to be recognized as a category all in its own. Bardo Pond is unlike any band making music today. The sound has a lot of heavy repetitive drone type sound to it and use sounds and instruments uncommon in the typical band. Topped off with synthesizer and female vocals, Bardo Pond has a specific and signature sound. Bardo Pond has a distinct sound and can be recognized from a distance. Bardo Pond's albums range drastically in style and each album is a journey in itself. The current members are Michael Gibbons (guitar), John Gibbons (guitar), Isobel Sollenberger (flute and vocals), Clint Takeda (bass guitar), Jason Kourkonis (drums), and Aaron Igler (synth/electronics). Bardo Pond's drug-inspired music is often classified as space rock, acid rock, post-rock, shoegazing, noise or psychedelic rock. Many Bardo Pond album titles have been derived from the names of esoteric psychedelic substances. Their sound has been likened to Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine amongst others.

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Allmusic describes Bardo Pond as having "lengthy, deliberate sound explorations filled with all the hallmarks of modern-day space rock: droning guitars, thick distortion, feedback, reverb, and washes of white noise." Bardo Pond are a taper-friendly band who encourage fans to make recordings of their shows

Side projects

The members of Bardo Pond also operate a number of side projects including:

500 mg
Alasehir
Alumbrados
Prairie Dog Flesh
Hash Jar Tempo
LSD Pond
Moon Phantoms
Third Troll
Baikal
Vapour Theories

Discography:

Studio albums

Bufo Alvarius, Amen 29:15 (1995 - Drunken Fish Records)
Amanita (1996 - Matador Records)
Lapsed (1997 - Matador Records)
Set and Setting (1999 - Matador Records)
Dilate (2001 - Matador Records)
On the Ellipse (2003 - ATP Recordings)
Ticket Crystals (2006 - ATP Recordings)
Bardo Pond (2010 - Fire Records)

Compilations

A Tribute to Spacemen 3 (1998- Rocketgirl)
Batholith (2008 - Three Lobed Recordings)
Peri (2009 - Three Lobed Recordings)
[edit] EPsBig Laughing Jym (1995) – (Compulsiv)
Slab 10" (2000 – Three Lobed Recordings)
U.S. Tour, Spring 2001 split with Mogwai (2001 – Matador Records)
Purposeful Availment (2002 – Three Lobed Recordings)
Tigris/Euphrates split 12" with Subarachnoid Space (2002 – Camera Obscura)
Bog split 12" with Buck Paco (2005 – Black September Records)
Adrop - Modern Containment EP series (2006 – Three Lobed Recordings)