Arthur Morgan "Arto" Lindsay (born May 28, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer.[1] He was a member of the pioneering 1970s no wave group DNA, which featured on the 1978 compilation No New York. In the 1980s, he formed the group Ambitious Lovers. He also performed with the Golden Palominos and the Lounge Lizards.

Arto Lindsay
Lindsay in 2014
Lindsay in 2014
Background information
Birth nameArthur Morgan Lindsay
Born (1953-05-28) May 28, 1953 (age 71)
OriginRichmond, Virginia, U.S.
GenresNo wave, noise, avant-garde jazz, MPB, art pop
Occupation(s)Composer, musician, record producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
LabelsZE, Righteous Babe
Websiteartolindsay.com

He has a distinctive soft voice and an often noisy, self-taught guitar style consisting almost entirely of unconventional extended techniques, described by Brian Olewnick as "studiedly naïve ... sounding like the bastard child of Derek Bailey".[2]

Music

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Although Lindsay was born in the United States, he grew up in Brazil.[3] In the late 1970s, he helped form the no wave band DNA[4] with Ikue Mori and Robin Crutchfield, although Tim Wright of Pere Ubu soon replaced Crutchfield.[5] In 1978, DNA was featured on the four-band sampler No New York (produced by Brian Eno).[5] In the early 1980s, Lindsay performed on early albums by The Lounge Lizards and The Golden Palominos.[6][7] "He's never lost his interest in weirdness," Robert Christgau wrote, "even ran the Kitchen for a year, and in the eighties his unschooled guitar was in demand all over downtown as he radiated out from the overlapping John Lurie, Anton Fier, John Zorn, and Kip Hanrahan circles to enterprising jazz and funk guys as well as Cuban drummers..."[8]

 
Arto Lindsay, Moers Festival 2010

After the Lounge Lizards, Lindsay and keyboardist Peter Scherer formed the Ambitious Lovers, influenced by pop, samba, and bossa nova. In an interview with Bomb magazine, Linsday said, "the whole idea was Al Green and samba. That against this; this against that; not a blend, a juxtaposition, loud/soft. There's no particular point in putting these things together. The point is what comes out in the end."[9] The band's albums included Envy, Greed, and Lust.[10]

Producer

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Lindsay began his experience as producer in 1981 working with Italian No wave band Hi-Fi Bros. He has produced recordings by Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso, Tom Zé, Vinicius Cantuária, Gal Costa, Carlinhos Brown, Marisa Monte, Adriana Calcanhotto, Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda and Lucas Santtana. He also co-produced the first album of Anarchist Republic of Bzzz, and CHASM by Ryuichi Sakamoto.[11]

Collaborations

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Lindsay lent his talents to the 1993 opera Agamemnon and to Jun Miyake's Stolen From Strangers album (2008), providing vocals and guitar on the album's opener "Alviveride" as well as on "O Fim", "Turn Back" and "Outros Escuros". For Performa 09, the third edition of the Performa Biennial, Lindsay created Somewhere I Read collaborating with the choreographer Lily Baldwin. In 2013, Lindsay sang on "I Guess We're Floating" by Stephon Alexander and Rioux. The song was released on the album Here Comes Now in August 2014 by Connect Records.[12]

Exhibition

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  • netmage 2006 performs Ipanema Théories with Dominique Gonzalez Foerster and alone Garden of self regard

Discography

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More or less comprehensive, this discography integrates all recordings as a leader, band projects and contributions to albums by other musicians. Lindsay's own work can simply be singled out by sorting "Leading artist". Minor contributions may only be mentioned in the notes of an earlier album of the respective artist. The No New York compilation is added due to its significance. Later compilations of older material are listed with the recording year followed by the release date in brackets. Within a year the albums are sorted alphabetically by artist not by specified dates. (Leading artist sorts by first name.)

Date Leading artist or band Album Label Notes
1978 DNA No New York Antilles compilation by Brian Eno. A single produced by Robert Quine was released the same year: "You & You" (Medical, 1978)
1978 [2003] Arto/Neto and Pill Factory N.Y No Wave - The Ultimate East Village 80's Soundtrack ZE compilation with single „Pini Pini“/„Malú“ with S. Neto (=Seth Tillet) and a track by Pill Factory for the film Grutzi Elvis by Diego Cortez
1979 [1985] The Lounge Lizards Live 79-81 ROIR only on MC, LP/CD reissue in 1990. Liner notes by Jim Jarmusch
1980 Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra Extended Niceties Infidelity plays guitar on two of four tracks (besides David Byrne), 12" single
1980−83 [2008] Toy Killers The Unlistenable Years ugExplode project by Mark E. Miller and Charles K. Noyes recorded at The Kitchen, the OAO Studio and elsewhere
1981 DNA A Taste of DNA American Clave
1981 The Lounge Lizards The Lounge Lizards Editions EG
1981 Kip Hanrahan Coup de tête American Clave
1982 [1993] DNA Last Live at CBGB's Avant recorded June 25, 1982, at CBGB's
1983 The Golden Palominos The Golden Palominos Celluloid Lindsay is also guest on "I.D. (Like a Version)", B-side of single "Omaha", and Visions of Excess both Celluloid, 1985
1983 Kip Hanrahan Desire Develops an Edge American Clave
1983 John Zorn Locus Solus Rift reissued on Eva (Jp) in 1991 and on Tzadik in 1997
1984 Ambitious Lovers Envy Editions EG credited as "Arto Lindsay Ambitious Lovers", co-produced by M. E. Miller and Peter Scherer
1984 David Moss Full House Moers Music
1984 Arto Lindsay, John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz and M. E. Miller That's the Way I Feel Now - A Tribute to Thelonious Monk A&M compilation with "Shuffle Boil"
1985 Kip Hanrahan Vertical's Currency American Clave
1985 John Lurie Music from the Original Scores: Stranger Than Paradise and the Resurrection of Albert Ayler Crammed Discs, Made to Measure only on "The Resurrection of Albert Ayler"
1985 David Moss Dense Band Moers Music
1985 Ryuichi Sakamoto Esperanto MIDI Inc. Lindsay plays guitar, also on "Parolibre" of following Futurista (MIDI Inc., 1986)
1986 Arto Lindsay Godard, ça vous chante? Nato (F) compilation with two quartet pieces featuring Lucy Hamilton, Clint Ruin and Roli Mosimann (also includes Zorn's "Godard" w/o Lindsay)
1986 John Zorn The Big Gundown Nonesuch subtitle John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone
1986 [1990] John Zorn Filmworks 1986–1990 Eva (Jp) Lindsay on first four tracks for White and Lazy. Also on two tracks from 1990 released on Filmworks III: 1990–1995
1987 John Lurie Down by Law Crammed Discs, Made to Measure Soundtrack to the Jim Jarmush film, featuring Lurie beside Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni as lead actors
1987 John Zorn Cobra Hat Hut only studio recording
1988 Ambitious Lovers Greed Virgin
1988 Heiner Goebbels/Heiner Müller Der Mann im Fahrstuhl/The Man in the Elevator ECM
1989 Laurie Anderson Strange Angels Warner Bros. produced in part by Lindsay and Scherer. Lindsay also sings on the title track of her following album Bright Red (1994)
1989 Bill Frisell Before We Were Born Elektra/Musician
1989 Allen Ginsberg The Lion for Real Antilles/Island Hal Wilner project
1989 Seigen Ono Comme des Garçons, Volume One Venture Lindsay also is guest musician and producer on The Green Chinese Table (1988) and Comme des Garçons, Volume Two (1989)
1989 Ryuichi Sakamoto Beauty Virgin Lindsay also sings on "Psychedelic Afternoon" of his following album Sweet Revenge (1994) and plays guitar on "Bibounoaozora" of the next, Smoochy (Güt/For Life, 1996)
1989 Caetano Veloso Estrangeiro Elektra/Musician produced by Lindsay and Peter Scherer
1989 John Zorn Cynical Hysterie Hour CBS/Sony (Jp) on "Bubblin' Singin'"; rereleased on Tzadik in 1997 as Filmworks VII: Cynical Hysterie Hour
1990 Ambitious Lovers as Peter Scherer & Arto Lindsay Pretty Ugly Crammed Discs, Made to Measure music for a ballett choreographed by Amanda Miller
1990 Marisa Monte Mais EMI produced album
1990 Marc Ribot Rootless Cosmopolitans Island
1990 They Might Be Giants Flood Elektra Lindsay on one track
1991 Ambitious Lovers Lust Elektra
1991 Marisa Monte Mais EMI/World Pacific produced by Lindsay, debut album by Monte, features Ribot, Zorn a.o.
1991 Caetano Veloso Circuladô Elektra/Nonesuch produced by Lindsay
1992 Davis Moss Dense Band Moers Music
1992 Tom Zé The Hips of Tradition - The Return of Tom Zé Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. co-produced; translated his songs for 1990 Luaka Bop compilation Brazil Classics 4: Tom Zé
1993 Arnaldo Antunes Nome RCA
1993 Gal Costa O Sorriso do Gato de Alice RCA produced by Lindsay
1994 David Byrne David Byrne Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.
1994 Marisa Monte Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor de Rosa e Carvão EMI produced album
1995 Arto Lindsay Trio Aggregates 1–26 Knitting Factory trio with Melvin Gibbs and Dougie Bowne
1995 Arto Lindsay O Corpo Sutil (The Subtle Body) Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None first solo album after the Ambitious Lovers, features prominently Bill Frisell
1996 Carlinhos Brown Alfagamabetizado EMI/Delabel produced in part by Lindsay (other half by Wally Badarou)
1996 Vinicius Cantuaria Sol na Cara Gramavision produced by Lindsay
1996 Arto Lindsay Mundo Civilizado Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None co-produced by Andres Levin, Camus Celli. Illbient remixes on Hyper Civilizado (Gütbounce/Gramavision)
1994 Marisa Monte Barulhinho Bom EMI co-produced with Carlinhos Brown and Monte
1997 Arto Lindsay Noon Chill Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None co-produced by Andres Levin, Melvin Gibbs, Pat Dillett and 7 Cycle. Rykodisc issued a limited edition in 1998 adding the EP Reentry, first released in Japan on Güt
1998 Vinicius Cantuaria Tucumã Verve Lindsay co-wrote "Maravilhar" and "Sanfona", and plays guitar on "Vivo Isolado do Mundo"
1998 Seigen Ono Comme des Garçons + Remix Arto Lindsay Epic/Sony re-release with added remixes
1999 Arto Lindsay Prize Righteous Babe co-produced by Andres Levin and Melvin Gibbs
1999 Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel Cirano Sugar producer
2000 Arto Lindsay Ecomixes Avex Trax compilation of remixes and four live tracks
2000 Marisa Monte Memórias, Crônicas, e Declarações de Amor EMI/Phonomotor co-produced with Monte
2002 Arto Lindsay Invoke Righteous Babe co-produced by Andres Levin and Melvin Gibbs, two tracks by Kassin and Berna Ceppas
2002 Jun Miyake Innocent Bossa in the Mirror Nektar/Tropical Music co-produced and sings
2004 Arto Lindsay Salt Righteous Babe co-produced by Melvin Gibbs, Kassin and Berna Ceppas
2008 Adriana Calcanhotto Mare Sony/BMG co-producer, plays drums and guitar on two tracks
2008 Jun Miyake Stolen from Strangers Videoarts Music
2009 Anarchist Republic of Bzzz Anarchist Republic of Bzzz Sub Rosa co-producer with head Seb El Zin, and plays guitar
2013 Arto Lindsay, Paal Nilssen-Love Scarcity PNL 12"/CD
2014 Arto Lindsay Encyclopedia of Arto Northern Spy compilation with a second CD comprising solo live recordings
2016 Anarchist Republic of Bzzz United Diktaturs of Europe Bzzz plays guitar
2017 Arto Lindsay Cuidado Madame Northern Spy/P-Vine (Jp) again with Melvin Gibbs, features drummer Kassa Overall
2019 Arto Lindsay, Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, Phil Sudderberg Largest Afternoon Corbett vs. Dempsey
2022 Arto Lindsay Charivari Corbett vs. Dempsey solo recording

References

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  1. ^ Dougan, John; Westergaard, Sean. "Biography: Arto Lindsay". Allmusic. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  2. ^ Olewnick, Brian. "DNA (Last Live at CBGB's)". Allmusic. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  3. ^ Fleischmann, Mark; Robbins, Ira; Kenny, Glenn. "Arto Lindsay". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Masters, Marc. No Wave. London: Black Dog Publishing, 2007, pp. 52-67
  5. ^ a b Robbins, Ira; Fleischmann, Mark; Payes, Robert. "DNA". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  6. ^ Fleischmann, Mark; Sheridan, David; Shupe, Rich; Isler, Scott. "Lounge Lizards". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Fleischmann, Mark; Schinder, Scott; Mirkin, Steven; Robbins, Ira. "Golden Palominos". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 18, 1998). Grown Up All Wrong: 75 Great Rock and Pop Artists from Vaudeville to Techno. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674443181 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Krasnow, David. "Arto Lindsay" Archived November 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Bomb magazine, Spring 2000. Retrieved on January 20, 2012
  10. ^ "Reviews: Pop - Recommended". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 12, 1985. pp. 101–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  11. ^ Mattioli, Valerio (July 2, 2014). "Arto Lindsay, un'intervista enciclopedica". XL Repubblica.it (in Italian). Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  12. ^ "Premiere: Stephon Alexander and Rioux Recruit No Wave Icon Arto Lindsay For Ecstatic 'I Guess We're Floating'". factmag.com. July 17, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
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