Buke
& Gase
Riposte
(Brassland)
Brooklyn-based Buke (byook) & Gase (gace)
are Arone Dyer on the "buke" (a self-modified six-string
former baritone ukulele) and Aron Sanchez on the "gass"
(a guitar-bass hybrid of his own creation). Both of them play
double duty, also mobilizing a small army of foot percussion.
These instruments are then filtered through various pedals,
amplifiers and homemade inventions to create a surprisingly
complex sound. Dyer's supermelodic vocal lines weave through
the beautiful yet unwieldy musical matter, balancing light
and dark, calamity and control. Their musical multi-tasking
makes for live shows that are visually unexpected and sonically
explosive.
In 2009, Brassland co-founders Aaron & Bryce
Dessner of The National (well, technically, their sister)
discovered Buke & Gase when they played Sycamore, the
basement venue down the street from The National's home studio
in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. They were blown away by how much
noise and rhythm was emerging from this two-piece band.
Dyer and Sanchez had formerly been bandmates
in the post-punk noise group Hominid who, after touring with
The Fall in 2004, fell to their demise and disbanded. Sanchez
went on to form Proton Proton (which opened for Deerhoof and
Les Savy Fav) and Dyer took a three-year musical hiatus and
became obsessed with racing her bicycle as a form of masochistic
entertainment.
In 2007, pining for a new direction, the two
regrouped. After much alchemizing they discovered their nascent
sound while tinkering with their distinctive homemade gear:
a bass drum with an integral snare drum and tambourine, ankle-played
bells, toe-bourine, a cameo-ing homemade bulbul tarang and,
of course, the eponymous buke and gass. For the geekly inclined:
the buke and the gass both have multiple audio outputs that
either go to their respective amps or are managed by various
audio mixers, distortion boxes, and pitch shifters. (NOTE:
no loop pedals are used, every sound is made live.)
Officially forming in 2008, Buke & Gase
self-released their debut EP +/- in late 2009. (It’s
now available digitally via BandCamp and as a hand-stamped
limited edition CD.) Since then they’ve received a steady
stream of attention. They were on WNYC’s nationally
syndicated Radiolab (featured on two podcasts), New York scene
rag The Deli Magazine named the group "local band of
the month" and put them on their cover, and Stereogum
covered them in a “Quit Your Day Job” piece about
their interesting careers.
2010 kicked off with hibernating in Sanchez's
basement recording studio, Polyphonic Workshop, where they
self-produced a full-length record, Riposte, for
release on Brassland on September 14th.
***
As one might imagine, the two Aron(e)s have unorthodox interests.
Here is a little bit about them:
Arone Dyer: originally from a small town in
Minnesota. studied piano and percussion, but focused as a
self-taught guitarist beginning at age 9, and sang uncontrollably
even before that. technical college dropout, preferred to
learn through experience. has been, among other trades, a
carpenter, landscaper, cabinetmaker, article writer, bike
messenger, and bike racer. enjoys bicycle-related engineering
feats. has worked as a bicycle mechanic since 2003 and has
traveled extensively for bike related work to places like
Ghana, El Salvador and Nicaragua. customizes or makes from
scratch the majority of her clothing including shoes and accessorizeable
creations of the jewel-like kind. builds most of what she
needs but doesn't have, unless she finds it on the street.
makes great scones with goat butter. doesn't read books often,
but usually gets into science/ anthropological/ philosophical
non-fiction. eats meat once a week. a lot of it. no major
debts.
Aron Sanchez: grew up on the coast of Maine
surrounded by water, art, and lots of vinyl records. began
studying piano at age 9. built first stringed instrument at
10. started 4-track recording and taking apart audio gear
at 12. put them back together at 13. studied jazz bass. got
a BFA at RISD. became really good with a soldering iron while
listening to Arvo Part and Fugazi. moved to NYC, interned
at recording studios, made guitar pedals, performed in the
Blue Man Group band and worked as the musical instrument designer
for Blue Man Productions. created Polyphonic Workshop, a recording
studio and instrument fabrication workshop in Red Hook, Brooklyn,
and records many Brooklyn bands such as Japanther. currently
lives between Brooklyn and Hudson, NY. side projects include
designing tube amplifiers and ribbon microphones. likes to
build and fix most anything. bedside reading: electronic schematics,
Tape Op and McMaster-Carr catalogs. climbs rocks. pescatarian.
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