P.G. Six Biography
Patrick Gubler, 21 February 1969, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. Although an experimental single of progressive folk, "The Book Of Rayguns', was released under his P.G. Six moniker in 1995, Gubler spent much of the 90s with the innovative Tower Recordings until they drifted apart towards the middle of the next decade. His solo output was characterised by two key, generic strands of musical influence; the atmospheric drone folk of John Fahey and the psychedelia-tinged traditional English music previously harvested by acts such as the Pentangle and the Incredible String Band. 2001"s appropriately titled collaboration with Silver Jews drummer Tim Barnes, Parlor Tricks And Porch Favorites, contained elements of each and became a cult album that was highly regarded by followers of the rising "freak folk" movement.
As Gubler's versatility lay in his proficiency on guitar, piano, harmonica, harp and lo-fi electronic effects he often steered clear of adding vocal melodies to recorded works. As a result his debut was bookended by the engaging, mood stirring instrumental "Letter To Lilli St. Cyr". However, on self-penned tracks such as "When I Was A Young Man" and the Bert Jansch-inspired "The Divine Invasion" he used his voice to add narrative progression to the record. A cover of Anne Briggs' classic "Go Your Way' reinforced Gubler's continuing juxtaposition of traditionalism and inventiveness. 2004"s The Well Of Memory ploughed similar territory, with the title track imaginatively evoking the desert soundscapes of his own country while simultaneously nodding towards English chamber music through the use of wind chimes and harps. After the release of two roughly recorded live sets, the former of which included the hypnotic, piano-based highlight "I Saw The Light", Gubler issued the challenging Music From The Sherman Box Series And Other Works. Essentially made up of instrumental, avant garde compositions intended to accompany an art installation by Christine Krol, with additional material from his debut 7-inch, the album bordered on the self-indulgent but ultimately flowed well, adding to his impressive, developing canon. Further progression was evident on Slightly Sorry, Gubler's first release for Drag City Records, which returned to conventional song structures and contained strong production work.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
|
