Disco Biscuits

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The Disco Biscuits
The Disco Biscuits performing at Wakarusa 2006.
Background information
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Genre(s)	Rock Progressive rock Jam band Trance fusion Livetronica
Associated acts	Conspirator, Electron, JM2, Moshi Moshi, "Tractor Beam", "The Perfume"
Website	http://www.discobiscuits.com
Members
Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig Marc "Brownie" Brownstein Allen Aucoin Aron Magner
Former members
Sam Altman Ben Hayflick

The Disco Biscuits are a trance fusion jam band from Philadelphia. The band comprises Jon Gutwillig (guitar), Marc Brownstein (bass), Allen Aucoin (drums), Aron Magner (keyboards). Former drummer Sam Altman left in 2005. Magner replaced original keyboardist Ben Hayflick in 1995.

They differ from many jam bands in that they infuse electronic elements into their music. This style is referred to generally as trance fusion or space music without a programmed beat.

1 History
2 Style
3 Discography
4 Movies
5 External links

[edit] History

The original members of the Disco Biscuits met as undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. Gutwillig and Altman became friends and began to play music together. Once Brownstein joined them, they began to play at college parties and bars throughout Pennsylvania. They called themselves different names at every show until they settled on the Disco Biscuits.^{[citation needed]} Their set-lists consist of mostly original songs which are often interwoven with classic rock covers and covers of classical music.

In 1999, the first Camp Bisco was held in Pennsylvania, which would grow to be their flagship festival. In early 2000, Brownstein left the band. On July 12, 2000 at the Crowbar in State College, PA the band announced that Brownstein was back in the band saying simply that "There is no Disco Biscuits without Marc Brownstein".

In 2002 lighting designer Johnny R Goode III (R Goode) joined the organization. A long time fan and friend to the band, R Goode was previously Lighting Designer for the Skydog Gypsy (Aucoin's former band).

After another year on the East Coast, the band then relocated to Santa Cruz, CA. Their 2002 album Señor Boombox charted on two Billboard Magazine entries: Top Electronic Albums at #13 and Top Independent Albums at #46.

Marc helped create the HeadCount organization in 2004 when the Biscuits were not touring regularly, and was involved in every facet of the organization. Marc continues to be involved in all key decisions related to HeadCount and serves as a liaison with other HeadCount-affiliated artists.

In 2005 at Camp Bisco IV in Van Etten, NY, Altman left the band to attend medical school and in the following fall, Allen Aucoin was announced as Altman's replacement at drums.

The band has toured nationally as well as played at major music festivals such as Jam on the River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, Connecticut, All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia, Lollapalooza 2006, Jam Cruise, and a New Years Eve show with support by Keller Williams, ?uestlove and Shpongle at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey, and the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

In 2007, the band co-headlined the D.U.M.B. (Disco-Umphrey's McGee-Biscuits) tour with Umphrey's McGee

The band has been in the studio for the past year changing gears a little. They have been drawing on influences from high profile hip hop Philly producers like Don Cheegro and Dirty Harry, who recently wrote beats for Ludacris, Fantasia, Chris Brown and Beanie Sigel. “We’ve been sitting in the throng of the hip hop community,” said Brownstein.

[edit] Style

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The Disco Biscuits often run long sets together. The band sometimes play their songs backwards or break them up into separate parts which are played at different times during the set. These are called "inverted" and "dyslexic" versions. Their style is dubbed "Trance-Fusion", which is a mixture of electronica and rock and roll with some classical and jazz influences. They will slip seamlessly between rock beats, trance beats, jungle beats, etc.

The band also has two rock operas as part of their catalog: the Hot Air Balloon (written by Gutwillig) and the Chemical warfare brigade (written by Lukestone Piddigan, an alter-ego of Marc Brownstein).