Labradford

Consisting of bassist Robert Donne, guitarist/vocalist Mark Nelson, and Carter Brown on keyboards, Labradford are an experimental ambient/post-rock group from Richmond, Virginia. Incorporating electronics as well as non-traditional arrangement and production techniques, the group's soundtrack-y, effects-heavy sonic landscapes operate in a vein closely allied with groups such as Experimental Audio Research, Flying Saucer Attack, and Gastr del Sol, and have earned the group high praise among a diverse variety of different audiences. The trio have released material through American indies Merge and Kranky, as well as the Kiwi rock label Flying Nun and Stereolab's Duophonic imprint. Though occasionally incorporating vocal and rhythmic elements, the group rely most often on the drone aesthetic, mixing looping guitar effects and long keyboard passages with snippets of barely-audible voice and assorted found objects on records like 1994's Prazision, 1995's Stable Reference, 1996's self-titled effort and 1997's Mi Media Naranja. 1999 brought the release of a new album, E Luxo So, as well as a tour with Godspeed You Black Emperor! and their Festival Of Drifting series, which also featured appearances from Pole, Matmos and Papa M. The ultra-minimal Fixed::Context followed two years later. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide