| Biota | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Mnemonist Orchestra, Mnemonists |
| Origin | Colorado, United States |
| Genres | Avant-rock |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Dys, Recommended |
| Website | biotamusic.com |
| Members | |
| James Gardner Tom Katsimpalis Andy Kredt Mark Piersel Steve Scholbe William Sharp C.W. Vrtacek Gordon Whitlow Larry Wilson Randy Yeates Kristianne Gale |
|
| Past members | |
| Mark Derbyshire | |
Biota are an American avant-rock musical collective. They have released several albums. David Newgarden wrote, "Biota is not even remotely like any other group I can think of" in a review of their 1995 album, Object Holder.[1]
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The band formed in 1979 in Fort Collins, Colorado as Mnemonist Orchestra (later Mnemonists) led by Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp and recorded five albums on their own self-produced label, Dys. In the mid 1980s they split into a visual arts group retaining the Mnemonists name and a musical group called Biota.[2]
Almost Never (1992) features three long compositions. The band's line-up was James Gardner, Tom Katsimpalis, Steve Scholbe, Sharp, Gordon Whitlow, Larry Wilson and Randy Yeates. The band's membership remained the same on Object Holder (Recommended Records, 1995). Artwork for Object Holder was by Mnemonists: Ken DeVries, Bill Ellsworth, Katsimpalis, Dana Sharp, Stan Starbuck, Ann Stretton, E.M. Thomas, Dirk Vallons, Wilson, Kyle Yeates and Randy Yeates. Musical guest appearances on the album are by drummer/lyricist Chris Cutler, vocalist Susanne Lewis, Andy Kredt, and Forever Einstein's Charles Vrtacek (now known as Charles O'Meara) on piano, who later joined the band fully. Object Holder was their first album to include lyrics.
Genevieve Heistek (of Set Fire to Flames and HṚṢṬA) joined the band for Invisible Map (2001), which otherwise included Gardner, Katsimpalis, Andy Kredt, Mark Piersel, Scholbe, Sharp, O'Meara (a.k.a. Vrtacek), Whitlow, Wilson and R. Yeates.
The band have only performed live twice: once in 1981, and in Montreal in 1990. The latter performance was eventually released as Musique Actuelle 1990.[3]