Slackestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Slackestra band and movement was formed in 1996 in Denton, Texas, United States, by several UNT College of Music [1] students. Although it was originally a jazz/rock combo, the name 'Slackestra' has almost become synonymous with a special style of improvisation that subtly parodies or lampoons popular music.
The University of North Texas has long been famed for its superior music program, and the members of the Slackestra clearly show this in their work. Alumni of the Slackestra have gone on to become professional musicians in a variety of fields.
[edit] Anti-Art and the Slackestra
The idea of an ensemble whose driving force is anti-art is not necessarily new, as the dada movement of the early quarter of the 20th century in Europe certainly relied upon a "found art" aesthetic that led to interesting musical experiments with a variety of noisemakers, bird calls, and automotive-industrial machinery noises.
The Slackestra differs in that the "found art" items tend to consists of cultural artifacts such as musical tropes, cliches from various musical and other entertainment genres, and ironic parodies of the music industry. This approaches in some ways Frank Zappa's Project/Object concept.
[edit] Eschewing Material Wealth
Unlike other independent bands (who, by definition, tend to be owned by whatever label or subsidiary owns their contract), the Slackestra has always avoided signing record deals in favor of maintaining artistic freedom. This monastic tendency has led to the idea of being "self-funded and fully independent of the man," which in turn has led to the development of an ideology that places the acquisition of Slack Artifacts above the acquisition of legal tender. Slack Artifacts tend to encompass the range of late 20th-century American kitsch, particularly in the realm of musical instruments (particularly synthesizers) and recordings.
[edit] The Slackestra Style
Musically, the style of the Slackestra tends towards a truly bizarre mix of avant-garde electronica, stank Louisiana funk (borrowing heavily from The Meters and Allen Toussaint), groovy 1960s Hammond Organ stylings, and James Brown and Maceo Parker -influenced horn work. The central, uniting goal is taking well-known existing musical material and providing an ironic or surprising interpretation.
Ultimately, the band's goal is to become the next Hampton Grease Band (see also this site), the singularly most powerful influence over the Slackestra aesthetic.
Some well-known examples include a bop interpretation of a mozart string quartet, jazz covers of heavy metal standards, and several extended modal jazz works that parody top 40 hits.
While the personnel list has changed over the years, the founder, Ed Slack, remains as the leader of this eclectic and mysterious group and the wider national organization. Ed Slack himself has worked with people who have worked with Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Elton John, and George Michael. Regardless of the depth of his connections, he continues down his iconoclastic road to obscurity. http://www.slackula.com/slackestra .
