Rock quartet Battles released their debut full-length album, Mirrored, in May of 2007. Most of the band members were previously affiliated with other well-known groups, including Helmet drummer John Stainer and Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams.
Fast Facts:
- Founded in 2003 in New York City, New York
- Members: Ian Williams, John Stainer, Dave Konopka, Tyondai Braxton
- Label: Warp Records
- Played Coachella 2008
- Video for "Tonto" made with "light artists" UVA
Sound
Battles play dense, complex and lengthy songs vascillating between periods of relative quiet and intense, chaotic energy. Though often identified with "math rock," the experimental, frequently dissonant, style popularized by bands like Slint, Mute Math and Minus the Bear, members of Battles have disputed this categorization, noting that their music, unlike math rock, is typically played in common time signatures.
The band's early recordings were notable for their focus on extended instrumental jams and lack of vocals. On Mirrored, the band makes the vocals more prominent, using repeated phrases as a separate instrument.
