Julian Koster

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Julian Koster
Koster playing the banjo at ArthurFest 2005 (signature lamb-lamp seen in background)
Koster playing the banjo at ArthurFest 2005 (signature lamb-lamp seen in background)
Background information
Born (1972-07-26) July 26, 1972 (age 51)
GenresPsychedelic folk, indie folk, lo-fi
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, storyteller
Instrument(s)Musical saw, banjo, bass guitar, accordion, keyboards, vocals
Years active1989–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of

Julian Koster (born July 26, 1972)[1][2] is an American multidisciplinary artist. As a musician, he is a member of the Elephant 6 Collective, the leader of The Music Tapes, and a member of Neutral Milk Hotel. He is known for writing, directing, and acting in audio fiction The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air), and for performing with the theatrical troupe of the same name. He is also known for his heavy use of the musical saw in recordings, even releasing The Singing Saw at Christmastime, his only solo album released under his own name, in 2008.

Early career: Chocolate USA[edit]

Further information: Chocolate USA

In 1989, Koster formed Miss America with Liza Wakeman, Alan Edwards, Paul Wells and Keith Block. After legal threats from Miss America, they became Chocolate USA. Chocolate USA released two albums on Bar/None before disbanding to follow other projects.

Neutral Milk Hotel[edit]

Further information: Neutral Milk Hotel

Koster joined Jeff Mangum, Scott Spillane and Jeremy Barnes to record the second Neutral Milk Hotel album, In the Aeroplane over the Sea, on which he played banjo and singing saw. Koster also played bass guitar in the live band. The success of the album, however, took its toll on Mangum, and the band went on hiatus shortly after its release. They reunited in 2013 for a worldwide tour.

The Music Tapes and other projects[edit]

After Neutral Milk Hotel, Koster began to concentrate on his own solo project, The Music Tapes, for which he contributed banjo, singing saw, chord organ, and vocals, among other instruments. 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad was released in 1999. Koster, together with Brian Dewan, recorded the story album The 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking, which was distributed by Koster on CD but never officially released for 15 years. After this, nothing was released by The Music Tapes until 2008, when Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes arrived, followed by extensive touring (including the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour) and an unprecedented level of public appearance by the formerly reclusive Koster.

Koster was a founding member of Major Organ and the Adding Machine. He appeared in the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film which was shown on the Holiday Surprise tour and was later released with an expanded edition of the 2001 album in 2009.[3]

In 2008, Koster released The Singing Saw at Christmastime, a collection of Christmas carols played on the singing saw. This was followed by a caroling tour, on which he played songs from The Singing Saw at Christmastime and selected tracks from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes for free wherever fans invited him to play.[4] This evolved into an annual caroling tradition, which transformed into the "Lullabies at Bedsides" house tour of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 which in turn gave way to the long-planned Traveling Imaginary of 2012–2013. After the EP Purim's Shadows in 2011, in 2012, The Music Tapes released their third full-length LP, Mary's Voice.

On October 12, 2016, The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) podcast was released, with Koster starring as Julian the Janitor.[5]

Koster voiced Slime Boy in the animated series High Guardian Spice.[6]

In 2023, Koster started a new band, also called Orbiting Human Circus. They released their debut album, Quartet Plus Two, on November 17. The album featured contributions from Robbie Cucchiaro and Thomas Hughes, Koster's bandmates in The Music Tapes.

Personal life[edit]

Koster's father is noted flamenco guitarist Dennis Koster.[7]

Koster does not identify as straight.[8]

Koster is close friends with Hedwig and the Angry Inch co-creator John Cameron Mitchell, having contributed to early readings of the production and featured the character of Hedwig in some early tours with The Music Tapes. Mitchell is a cast member on Koster's Orbiting Human Circus podcast.[9]

Discography[edit]

As Julian Koster

With Chocolate USA

With Major Organ and the Adding Machine

With The Music Tapes

With Neutral Milk Hotel

Other Appearances

Artist Album Label Format Date Instruments
Kevin Ayers The Unfairground LO-MAX CD 2007 Singing saw
Black Swan Network The Late Music Camera Obscura CD 1998
Circulatory System Circulatory System Cloud Recordings LP 2001
Elf Power Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs Arena Rock Recording Co. CD 1995 Moog synthesizer
Elf Power When the Red King Comes Arena Rock Recording Co./Elephant 6 CD/LP 1997
Elk City Sea Is Fierce Warm Electronic Recordings CD 2001 Singing saw
Fablefactory American Custard CD 1999 Moog synthesizer
Quannnic Stepdream DeadAir LP 2023 Singing saw, vocals, arrangement of ghosts
The Instruments Billions of Phonographs Orange Twin CD 2002
Of Montreal The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy Kindercore CD 1998
Of Montreal The Gay Parade Bar/None CD 1999 Singing; Jumping on the furnace
The Olivia Tremor Control Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle Flydaddy LP 1996
The Olivia Tremor Control Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One Flydaddy LP 1999
They Might Be Giants Factory Showroom Elektra Records CD 1996 Singing saw
Various Artists Serotonin Ronin Camera Obscura CD 1998 electronics
Nesey Gallons Eyes & Eyes & Eyes Ago Hurrah For Karamazov LP 2009 Singing

References[edit]

  1. ^ "happy birthday julian! Archive". E6 Townhall. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "Chocolate U.S.A." Bar/None Records. Bar-none.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "Major Organ and the Adding Machine". Optical Atlas. June 19, 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "St. Louis - A to Z - Julian Koster Brings Holiday Cheer Caroling Tour to St. Louis, Monday, November 17". Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  5. ^ Hannah Verdier (October 20, 2016). "The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air): for those who like their podcasts strange | Television & radio". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Luster, Joseph (October 10, 2021). "High Guardian Spice Soars to Crunchyroll with New Trailer and Premiere Date". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Hughes, Allen (June 8, 1985). "Music: Dennis Koster, Guitar". The New York Times. p. 30. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  8. ^ The Orbiting Human Circus (February 7, 2017). Season One, Bonus Episode (your questions) (Video). YouTube. Event occurs at 19:55. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  9. ^ The Orbiting Human Circus (May 14, 2018). (Of the Air): Firstly! (Podcast). WNYC Studios. Retrieved February 15, 2020.

External links[edit]

Sources[edit]

  • Cooper, Kim "Neutral Milk Hotel's in the Aeroplane Over the Sea (331⁄3)", 2005
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