Forest for the Trees
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Forest for the Trees | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Trip hop Alternative rock Experimental rock Psychedelic rock Electronica |
| Years active | 1993–1999 |
| Label(s) | DreamWorks Records |
| Members | |
| Carl Stephenson | |
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Forest for the Trees is a musical group. The group was the brainchild of Carl Stephenson, an eclectic producer known for his work with Beck. Difficult to classify, the group Forest for the Trees is probably best described as experimental psychedelic trip-hop. Stephenson began the project around the same time he was working with Beck, and by 1993 he had completed the majority of what would eventually be released as the self-titled [Forest for the Trees] album. That same year Stephenson began to obsessively tinker with the album's contents, but then suffered a nervous breakdown from which he spent several years recovering.[1] The self-titled album was released by Dreamworks in 1997, and followed by an EP, The Sound of Wet Paint, in 1999.
Forest for the Trees included input from many musicians, including Beck, John "coz" Acosta, Papa Bear Martinez, Mark Petersen, don device, and Jasper & Amadeus, among others. In addition to producing, Stephenson plays violin, guitar, sitar, drums, keyboards and the didgeridoo. "Forest for the Trees is also beautifully infected with a collage of sounds from answering machines to dripping water to rollercoasters, which bring a real-life aspect to rather abstract music."[2]
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[edit] Response
Entertainment Weekly's David Browne described the self-titled album this way: "With its bong-watered, headphone-ready melange of distorted vocals, hip-hop beats, space-cadet lyrics, and sampled effects, the album is a spiritual cousin to Beck's debut Mellow Gold, which Stephenson co-produced]."[3] The album's lead single, "Dream," enjoyed modest success in MTV's heavy-rotation "Buzz Bin," and received mixed reviews. As credit to the obvious psychedelic nature of the music, Shroomery.org lists Forest for the Trees as "good music to trip to."[4]
[edit] Chart Information
Single Chart Information
"Dream"
| Peak Position | Chart |
|---|---|
| 18 | Modern Rock Tracks |
| 72 | Billboard Hot 100 |
Album Chart Information
Forest for the Trees
| Peak Position | Chart |
|---|---|
| 16 | Heatseakers |
| 190 | Billboard Hot 200 |
[edit] Discography
- Forest for the Trees (1997)
- The Sound of Wet Paint (EP, 1999)
