Weasel Walter

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Weasel Walter (born Christopher Todd Walter, May 18, 1972) is an American composer, improviser, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of ugEXPLODE Records.<ref name="NYCJR Feature 2012">Template:Cite web</ref> Walter's work has been informed by techniques and traditions of music including Avant-garde, experimental, no wave, free jazz, extreme metal, punk jazz, hardcore punk, noise, new music and free improvisation. He coined the term "brutal prog" to describe the aggressively dissonant strain of prog played by groups like his band the Flying Luttenbachers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Known as an unrelenting<ref name="VICE 2012">Template:Cite web</ref> and abrasive<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> provocateur whose performances trend toward overblown antics and "nihilistic glee",<ref name="Pitchfork 2002">Template:Cite web</ref> Walter has been described by guitarist Mary Halvorson as "completely manic and extraordinarily sensitive"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and by The Chicago Reader as "a splinter lodged beneath the fingernail".<ref name="Margasak 2002">Template:Cite web</ref> Avant-garde artist Glenn Branca once called him "one of the greatest rock composers who ever lived".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He has performed as leader and sideperson in a number of bands, including Cellular Chaos and Lydia Lunch Retrovirus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Walter has worked with Roscoe Mitchell, Marshall Allen, John Butcher, Tim Dahl, Peter Evans, Mary Halvorson, Henry Kaiser, Jim O'Rourke, Evan Parker, Elliott Sharp, Ken Vandermark, and William Winant,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as in bands including XBXRX, Bobby Conn, Cock E.S.P., Curse of the Birthmark, Erase Errata, Harry Pussy, Lair of the Minotaur, The Chicago Sound and others. He has produced albums by AIDS Wolf, Arab on Radar, Glenn Branca, Burmese, Lydia Lunch, Coachwhips, and Total Shutdown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

In 1990, Walter moved to Chicago to work with free jazz composer Hal Russell (born Harold Luttenbacher) at Columbia College.<ref name="Margasak 2002" /> The following year, Russell joined Walter in co-founding the band the Flying Luttenbachers; saxophonist Chad Organ played in the early trio lineup.<ref name="SF Weekly 2007">Template:Cite web</ref> Russell left the band in the summer of 1992, and shortly after Ken Vandermark took his place for the recording of the band's first 7".<ref name="Sanchez 1996">Template:Cite web</ref>

Walter was highly involved in cultivating what he deemed the "Chicago No Wave" scene,<ref name="Margasak 2002" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> meeting new musicians and collaborators through the Luttenbachers' art rock-continuum gigs and the experimental improvised music series he ran at Myopic Books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He graduated from Columbia College in 1995, with a final project, "Un-nerve", performed by a nonet including Ken Vandermark, Gene Coleman, Jim Baker, Kevin Drumm, Jeb Bishop, and Gustavo Leone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A prolific performing and recording artist, Walter was a founding member of projects including Miss High Heel (with Jim O'Rourke and Azita of The Scissor Girls), Lake of Dracula (with Marlon Magas and Heather M. of the Scissor Girls), To Live and Shave in L.A. 2, 7000 Dying Rats, and Hatewave.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Walter moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where he reformed The Flying Luttenbachers with the addition of bassist Mike Green, guitarist Ed Rodriguez, and later Mick Barr. The Flying Luttenbachers officially disbanded in 2007.

In late 2009, Walter announced that he was moving to New York City to join Behold... The Arctopus as the band's second drummer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He played on Horrorscension, released in 2012, and in two tours before leaving the band in 2013. Walter continued finding new collaborators and formed a number of groups in New York, among them Cellular Chaos, a band with Marc Edwards, Admiral Grey, and Ceci Moss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, after a ten-year hiatus, the Flying Luttenbachers played several shows in France, with a new trio lineup of Walter, on drums, joined by bass guitarist Tim Dahl and guitarist Chris Welcome.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2019, a quartet arrangement of the band released Shattered Dimension, with Walter and Dahl joined by saxophonist Matt Nelson and guitarist Brandon Seabrook.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Over the next several years, the varying lineup also included bassist Evan Lipson, guitarist Henry Kaiser, guitarist Wendy Eisenberg, guitarist Katie Battistoni, guitarist Alex Ward, and drummer Sam Ospovat.

Discography

As solo artist

  • Revolt Music (ugEXPLODE, 2006)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Early Recordings 1988–1991 (Savage Land, 2007)<ref name="AllMusic Discog">Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Firestorm (ugEXPLODE, 2007)<ref name="Oculus & Firestorm">Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Large Group Performances 2007-2009 (ugEXPLODE, 2009)
  • Apocalyptik Paranoia (Gaffer, 2009)<ref name="AllMusic Discog" />
  • Invasion (ugEXPLODE, 2010)<ref name="NYCJR Feature 2012" />
  • Ominous Telepathic Mayhem (ugEXPLODE, 2011)<ref name="AllMusic Discog" />
  • Improvised Music Sampler (2014)
  • End Of An Error (2014)
  • Fragments (2015)
  • Half-Death (2015)
  • Tribute To 'B' and 'C' List Musicians From The Early Years Of MTV, And G.G. Allin (2015)
  • For Andrew Ortmann (2015)
  • Seriously: Fuck The Entire World (2015)
  • Igneity: After The Fall Of Civilization (2016)
  • Curses (2016)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • She's So 60 Minutes of Heavy (2016)
  • The Inevitable (Tombed Visions, 2016)
  • Expensive Taste (Kitty Play, 2016)
  • Skhiizm (ugEXPLODE, 2018)<ref name="AllMusic Discog" />
  • The Best of the Worst (ugEXPLODE, 2020)
  • Action/Time/Vision - 8 Drum Solos (ugEXPLODE, 2025)

As band member

with Behold... The Arctopus
with Burmese
  • Colony Collapse Disorder (Rock Is Hell, 2009)
  • Lun Yurn (ugEXPLODE/Rock is Hell, 2011)
with Cellular Chaos
  • Demo Live 5.12.11 (ugEXPLODE, 2011)
  • Cellular Chaos EP (ugEXPLODE, 2012)
  • Cellular Chaos (ugEXPLODE, 2013)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Diamond Teeth Clenched (Skin Graft, 2016)
  • Dirty Girl (ugEXPLODE, 2018)
with Encenathrakh
  • Respekt The Demo (Rectomorph/Dense(s)/Lindung, 2013)
  • Encenathrakh (P2/Dense(s), 2015)
  • The 2 Song Promo 19 (P2/Lindung, 2019)
  • Live Album (P2, 2020)
  • Thraakethraaeate Thraithraake (P2, 2020)
  • Studio Album (P2, 2021)
with The Flying Luttenbachers
with Hatewave
  • Demo 1997 (1997)
  • Hatewave (Up Jumps The Devil/Tumult, 1998)
with Lake Of Dracula
with Lydia Lunch
with XBXRX

Collaborations

with Sheik Anorak & Mario Rechtern
  • The Forbidden Beat (Gaffer, 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Bass Bass Bass Bass (Gaffer, 2010)
with Josh Berman & Aram Shelton
with Jeb Bishop & Alex Ward
  • Flayed (ugEXPLODE, 2019)
with David Buddin
  • Quodlibet (2015)
with John Butcher & Damon Smith
  • Catastrophe of Minimalism (Balance Point Acoustics, 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
with Charity Chan, Peter Evans, & Tom Blancarte
  • Cryptocrystalline (ugEXPLODE, 2013)
with Chad M. Clark
  • Incantation Sublimation (ugEXPLODE, 2024)
with Nels Cline, Henry Kaiser, Jim Thomas, & Allen Whitman
  • Jazz Free (There Records/A Train, 2012)
with Seth Andrew Davis, Alex Cunningham, & Damon Smith
  • Branches Choke (Storm Cellar, 2023)
with Kevin Drumm & Fred Lonberg-Holm
with Marc Edwards / Weasel Walter Group
  • Mysteries Beneath The Planet (ugEXPLODE, 2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Blood Of The Earth (ugEXPLODE, 2010)
  • Solar Emission (ugEXPLODE, 2011)
with Martin Escalante
  • Lacerate (ugEXPLODE, 2018)
with Martin Escalante & Teté Leguia
  • Katyusha (ugEXPLODE, 2022)
with Peter Evans
  • Poisonous (ugEXPLODE, 2018)
with Peter Evans, James Fei, & Damon Smith
  • Eponymous (ugEXPLODE, 2008)<ref name="NYCJR Feature 2012" />
Peter Evans / Weasel Walter Group
  • Oculus Ex Abyssus (ugEXPLODE, 2008)<ref name="Oculus & Firestorm" />
with Sandy Ewen
  • Idiomatic (ugEXPLODE, 2018)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • The Paradox of Tolerance (2021)
with Sandy Ewen & Damon Smith
  • Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith / Weasel Walter (ugEXPLODE, 2012)
  • Live In Texas (Balance Point Acoustics, 2016)
  • Untitled ug 79 (ugEXPLODE, 2020)
with Rick Eye & Adios From Everywhere
  • Endless Punishment (ugEXPLODE, 2024)
with Den Svarta Fanan (Nonoko Yoshida, Ron Anderson, Joe Merolla, Walter)
  • Den Svarta Fanan (ugEXPLODE, 2013)
with Maria Faust & Tim Dahl
with Paul Flaherty
  • Particles (2009)
with Paul Flaherty, C. Spencer Yeh, & Steve Swell
  • Dragonfly Breath (Not Two, 2013)
  • Dragonfly Breath III: Live At The Stone: Megaloprepus Caerulatus (Not Two, 2016)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
with Michael Forbes & Andrew Scott Young
  • American Free (ugEXPLODE, 2009)
  • Hard Living (ugEXPLODE, 2021)
with Michael Foster, Steve Swell, & Brandon Lopez
  • Throes are the Only Trouble (2017)
with Gianni Gebbia & Damon Smith
  • Lichens (ugEXPLODE, 2007)
with Vinny Golia & Max Johnson
  • No Refunds (Unbroken Sounds, 2023)
with Vinny Golia & Damon Smith
  • Großes Messer (ugEXPLODE, 2009)
with Forbes Graham, Greg Kelley, & Paul Flaherty
  • End of the Trail (ugEXPLODE, 2008)
with Mary Halvorson
  • Opulence (ugEXPLODE, 2008)<ref name="NYCJR Feature 2012" />
with Mary Halvorson & Peter Evans
with JeJaWeDa (Jeb Bishop, Jaap Blonk, Walter, & Damon Smith)
  • Pioneer Works vol. 1 (Balance Point Acoustics, 2019)
  • Pioneer Works vol. 2 (Balance Point Acoustics, 2019)
with Henry Kaiser & Charles K. Noyes
  • Ninja Star Danger Rock (There Records/ugEXPLODE, 2011)
with Henry Kaiser, Paul Plimley, & Lukas Ligeti
  • The Starbreak Splatterlight (There Records, 2012)<ref name="AllMusic Discog" />
with Henry Kaiser & Damon Smith
  • Plane Crash (ugEXPLODE, 2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Plane Crash Two (New Atlantis, 2015)
with Henry Kaiser, Damon Smith, Vinny Golia, & Ra-Kalam Bob Moses
with Yoni Kretzmer & Pascal Niggenkemper
  • ProtestMusic (Outnow Recordings, 2014)
with Dominic Lash & Alex Ward
  • Trapeze (spoonhunt, 2015)
with Matteo Liberatore & Elliott Sharp
  • L'Ora Del Pasto (2020)
with Jacob Lindsay, Ava Mendoza, & Damon Smith
  • Jus (Balance Point Acoustics, 2008)
with Fred Lonberg-Holm & Jim O'Rourke
with Dominika Michalowska & Michael Foster
  • In the Absence of Compromise (Imploding Sounds, 2022)
with Kenny Millions & Damon Smith
  • Fuck Music... Tell Jokes - You'll Make More Money (Unhinged, 2018)
with Roscoe Mitchell, Sandy Ewen, & Damon Smith
  • A Railroad Spike Forms The Voice (ugEXPLODE, 2021)
with No Mor Musik (Nandor Nevai, Walter, Keshavan Maslak)
  • No Mor Musik (ugEXPLODE, 2010)
with Phonon (Elliott Sharp, Álvaro Domene, Colin Marston, Walter)
  • Alloy (ZOaR, 2020)
with Chris Pitsiokos
  • Unplanned Obsolescence (ugEXPLODE, 2012)
  • Drawn and Quartered (One Hand, 2015)
  • Cauterized (ugEXPLODE, 2025)
with Chris Pitsiokos & Ron Anderson
with Elliott Sharp & Tim Dahl
  • Kompromat (ugEXPLODE, 2022)
with Sam Weinberg & Henry Fraser
  • Walter/Weinberg/Fraser / Maestro Day split (Renfusa, 2017)
  • Grist (ugEXPLODE, 2020)
with Sam Weinberg & Teté Leguia
  • Weinberg/Leguía/Walter (Buh Records, 2018)
with Sam Weinberg & Sandy Ewen
  • Ventricles (Renfusa, 2020)
with Nate Wooley, Damon Smith, & Scott R. Looney
with Eric Zinman & Mario Rechtern
  • Mermaids and Sirens Know (Studio 234, 2021)

References

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