Cello rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cello rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the use of cellos (as well as sometimes also other bowed string instruments such as the violin and viola) as primary instruments, alongside or in place of more traditional rock instruments such as electric guitars, electric bass guitar, and drum set. Cellos (often in groups of three or more) are used to create a sound, beat, and texture similar to that of familiar rock music, but distinctly reshaped by the unique timbres and more traditional genres of the cello (in particular) and other string instruments used. The cellos and other stringed instruments are often electronically amplified and/or electronically modified, and often played in a manner imitative of the sound of electric guitars. They are often combined with other elements typical of rock music such as rock-style vocals and drumming.
Cello rock has been developing slowly over the years, with its direct influences dating as far back as the 1930s in Russia and Germany. The popularity of cello rock is steadily on the rise, as artists such as Metallica and Marilyn Manson lend support to the fledgling groups (Apocalyptica and Rasputina, respectively), though the genre is still somewhat of a cult phenomenon in the United States music scene.
Examples of cello rock groups are Apocalyptica, Metaphysis, Axiomatik, Rasputina, Judgement Day, Break of Reality, Matson Jones, Tarantula A.D., Murder by Death, The Stiletto Formal, Cursive, Rhematica, Primitivity, Cellofourte, and Edith Grove.
Particularly notable is Apocalyptica, a Finnish quartet (now trio), which has gained considerable notoriety, particularly on the European continent. The group originally played cello covers of heavy metal songs, including songs by Metallica. They now mostly play their own heavy metal based compositions. Also prominent in the genre is Rasputina, an American band that uses distortion effects pedals on their cellos. The band is made of two female cellists, including song-writer and vocalist Melora Creager, and drummer Jonathon TeBeest. They are known for their references to the Victorian era and eccentric song subjects, as well as their string of albums since the mid 1990's. Primitivity is the project name for cellist Loren Westbrook-Fritts's cello rock. Westbrook-Fritts began by covering songs of Megadeth, and has more recently created original music and classical music converted to metal.
In addition to cello rock groups that feature cellos as the primary melodic instruments, some rock groups and artists have featured acoustic or electric cellos as part of the band. In most cases, the cello is not a full member of the band, but is used only for a specific song, but a few artists have featured a cellist as a full band member. Such artists include the singer Poe (featuring cellist Cameron Stone).
A subgenre pioneered by cellist Gideon Freudmann is "Cellobop" (a term he coined), which essentially consists of the cello used in a folk rock context. Freudmann describes the genre thus: "Imagine the passion of a Mozart aria or the fury of a Bartok quartet layered with an R&B sensibility."
Cello rock now has record labels devoted solely to the production of music in that genre, such as Vitamin Records.
Cellist Matt Haimovitz, although not a member of a rock band, does a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's famous improvisational version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
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