Baths (musician) explained

Baths
Birth Name:William Boris Wiesenfeld
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin:Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Years Active:2007–present

William Boris Wiesenfeld (born April 16, 1989), better known by his stage name Baths, is an American electronic musician.[2] He was born in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles and was raised in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He currently resides in Culver City, Los Angeles, California. Southern California Public Radio described him as "LA's big new electronica musician" in 2010.[3] Previously signed with Anticon,[4] he now releases music through his own label Basement's Basement.

History

Will Wiesenfeld is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four "to compete with his brother".[5] By twelve he had "completely abandoned it," but continual musical experimenting led him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. He released a few projects, including an album entitled The Fabric, as his previous moniker, [Post-foetus]. He also ventured into a more ambient style with side-project Geotic, which Irish magazine State.ie called "gorgeous".[6]

Will Wiesenfeld derives his current alias from his childhood memory of taking in art and music by dwelling on it in his bathtub, which he claims he was very fond of. Baths released the debut album Cerulean under Anticon in 2010.[7] He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. It was listed by The A.V. Club as the 21st best album of 2010.[8] It also made Pitchforks "Album of the Year: Honorable Mention" list.[9]

His second album, Obsidian, was released in May 2013.[10]

On March 6, 2014, during a concert in Hong Kong, Wiesenfeld unveiled one of his latest tracks from his EP "Ocean Death", released on May 6, 2014.

On November 16, 2017, Baths released his third album, Romaplasm.

On May 29, 2020, Baths released his fourth album Pop Music/ False B-Sides II on his own label, Basement's Basement. The album was supported by the singles "Wistful (Fata Morgana)" and "Mikaela Corridor".

Style

The BBC's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical soundalike is chillwave musician Toro y Moi.[11] Drowned in Sound noted Baths' use of "unorthodox" sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular "clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps". British newspaper The Guardians Paul Lester commented he was reminded of "J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues" while listening to Cerulean.[12]

In a 2017 interview with Ethan Gach from Kotaku, Baths said that he drew some inspiration from anime and video games such as and .[13]

Discography

As Baths

Studio albums

TitleDetails
Cerulean
  • Released: July 6, 2010
  • Label: Anticon
Obsidian
  • Released: May 28, 2013
  • Label: Anticon
Romaplasm
  • Released: November 17, 2017
  • Label: Anticon

Compilations

TitleDetails
Pop Music/False B-Sides
  • Released: May 31, 2011
  • Label: Anticon
Pop Music/False B-Sides II
  • Released: May 29, 2020
  • Label: Basement's Basement

Singles and EPs

Music videos

As Geotic

Full length releases

Compilations

Singles and EPs

Music videos

As [Post-foetus]

Guest appearances

Remixes

Soundtrack work

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Q&A with Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS. 5 February 2011 . The Blue Indian. 27 February 2011.
  2. News: New band of the day - No 934: Baths . . Paul. Lester . 20 December 2010. 5 January 2011.
  3. Web site: Will Wiesenfeld is Baths - LA's big new electronica musician. KPCC. Alex. Cohen. 19 May 2010.
  4. Web site: Review: Baths - Obsidian (Anticon). CMJ. Brooke. Segarra. 29 May 2013.
  5. Web site: [post foetus]]. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110129010410/http://www.post-foetus.com/. 2011-01-29. dead.
  6. Web site: Baths - Cerulean - Review . . Adam . Lacey . 21 September 2010 . 5 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110104095405/http://www.state.ie/album-reviews/22794-baths-cerulean . 4 January 2011 .
  7. Web site: Baths - Cerulean . . Kyle. Ellison . 30 July 2010. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20101123103738/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15559/reviews/4140612. 23 November 2010 . live.
  8. Web site: The best music of 2010 . . 8 December 2010. 20 December 2010.
  9. Web site: Albums of the Year: Honorable Mention . . Nick. Neyland . 15 December 2010. 20 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110111030630/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7894-albums-of-the-year-2010-honorable-mention/. 11 January 2011 . live.
  10. Baths: Obsidian - Music Review. Slant Magazine. Kevin. Liedel. 27 May 2013.
  11. Web site: Reviews: Baths - Cerulean . BBC. 3 August 2010. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110213065628/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6mcg. 13 February 2011 . live.
  12. Web site: Baths - Cerulean . . B. McGhee . 2010 . 5 January 2011.
  13. Web site: The Electronic Musician Inspired By Anime And Dragon Age. Kotaku. Ethan. Liedel. November 22, 2017.

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