Biography
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Years Active
2020 – present (3 years)
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Members
- Chris Bogen
- Clinton "Bär" McKinnon
- Dave Murray
- Stian Carstensen
- Tim Smolens
High Castle Teleorkestra is a genre-defying music ensemble, a supergroup formed by highly skilled musicians who are well-known for their previous work in a variety of music groups and projects: bassist Tim Smolens (Estradasphere, I.S.S., Don Salsa), violinist Timba Harris (Estradasphere, former SC3, Probosci, Ultraphauna), Dave Murray (Estradasphere, The Deserts of Träun), saxophonist 'Bär' McKinnon (Mr. Bungle, Umlaut), Norwegian accordionist Stian Carstensen (Farmers Market), and guitarist Chris Bogen.
A wide array of genres, both modern and traditional, are skillfully blended by HCT: from Romanian gypsy to metal, from Bulgarian folk to 50s surf, from metal to jazz and doo-wop, from exotica to Italian film score. If you are a fan of Estradasphere, Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Fantomas, John Zorn, The Deserts of Träun, Orange Tulip Orchestra, Atomic Ape, Red Fiction, Umlaut, and other genre-defying bands in this spectrum, High Castle Teleorkestra is definitely for you.
HCT's music has the poetic and dramaturgic virtue of transporting the listener to fictional worlds and sceneries, through plots involving a multitude of characters and situations. Some of the songs are inspired by the sci-fi universe of Philip K. Dick, such as 'The Aramchek accusation' and 'Valisystem'. The title of the album, "Radio Free Albemuth part 1", is based on a book by the author that had initially been discarded and was published posthumously in 1985.
The group is a 'Teleorkestra' because their debut album (The Egg That Never Opened: Radio Free Albemuth part 1) was remotely recorded by each of the musicians as they were located in different parts of the world.
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