Born from dark sleep and broken dreams Haunting Oboe Music is the nightmare of six players. Formed through 6 different influences we are what the **** sounds.
Folk, experimentation, drowning our guilt, and good beats are the jambalaya for our stew. We dance with dirty devils. Enjoy the horror.
This is our Poetry of War.
We are Haunting Oboe Music. Too often, bands get caught up in trying to classify themselves into one genre or another, willing to trade creativity for whatever sound is popular at the time. This is not the case for Haunting Oboe Music. This band manages to avoid classification altogether, all the while crafting strange, yet remarkably catchy songs. Many things set Haunting Oboe Music apart. Drummer Anthony Johnson’s eerie harmonies often permeate the sometimes serene, sometimes disturbing vocal melodies of singer/keyboardist/guitarist George Cain. When added to the menacing content of Cain’s lyrics, guitarist Ian Hunt’s ambient 6-string patterns can be downright macabre, acting as the ghoulish glue holding the whole operation together.
Then there is the dual drummer assault brought on by Johnson and Nick Whitfield. Whitfield tends to handle the steady and driving rhythms of the songs. He, along with bassist Jared Mahony, acts as a backbone for each track. Johnson on the other hand plays with flair unseen since Jim Henson’s Animal first appeared on the Muppet Show. Strong back beats mixed with always-improvised fills provide a dependable foundation for the rest of the band to build upon. Of course, what would be the point of pushing two drummers without a steadfast bass player? Mahoney knows when to play high and when to play low and always manages to keep things interesting.
The icing on this perilous cake comes from multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Rudd, who plays both trumpet and synthesizers. Rudd’s trumpet lines provide so many of the pivotal moments in Haunting Oboe Music’s songs. Tracks like “Mexican Wedding” and “Last One to Die, Turn Out the Lights” would not be nearly as powerful without the explosive horn blasts erupting from the group’s youngest member. In fact, the band itself is fairly young. Having spent only about two years together the band has (self) released just one EP.
Ever the ambitious act, Haunting Oboe Music has outlined plans to release one short EP per month in 2008. These EPs will highlight the band’s intensity as a live band, while also capturing the electronic and more adventurous side of the six members. Set your expectations high for this band, and they will not disappoint. NEW EP Out January 31st first EP available at Waterloo Records.