Alexander Tucker

British artist Alexander Tucker makes lush, dreamlike music that embraces acoustic folk, psychedelic pop, and experimental composition. He began recording solo excursions in improvised guitar and tape loops during the early 2000s, starting with an eponymous album. His sound has grown exponentially over the years -- he's branched out in directions as far-reaching as Fahey-esque detuned guitar dirges and doom metal-informed ambient tones, on albums such as 2008's Portal. Subsequent albums like 2011's Dorwytch and 2018's Don't Look Away, in addition to his work with Daniel O'Sullivan as Grumbling Fur, found his songwriting at its most accessible, while it remained highly experimental. Tucker got his start in the early '90s singing with various area hardcore bands including Unhome, who released one album and a split single with Papa M. When Unhome disbanded in 1999, Tucker briefly hopped on Detroit space rockers Füxa's U.K. tour, playing guitar synthesizers. Tucker recorded a self-titled solo album in 2000, and it was eventually released by Tom Greenwood of Jackie-O M**********r on his U-Sound Archives label. Further years of performance and writing saw the raw experimental sound of this debut album refined some, and Tucker eventually signed a record deal with ATP Recordings. The label would release three albums of Tucker's eerie, fragile sounds over the next few years: 2005's Old Fog, the ghostly Furrowed Brow in 2006, and the much more traditionally structured Portal in 2008, which featured Tucker's first entwining of vocal harmonies with his doomy drones. Tucker toured and collaborated a great deal during this time, working with members of Sunn O))), Jackie-O M**********r, Duke Garwood, and Guapo. The start of 2008 found Tucker out on tour with labelmates F**k Buttons, as well as playing a slot on New York's ATP Festival. In April 2011, he released an even more song-based fifth album, Dorwytch, on new label Thrill Jockey, followed in 2012 by Third Mouth. By this point, he had become busy with projects such as the surrealist musique concrète-inspired duo Imbogodom (with Daniel Beban) and the proggy synth pop act Grumbling Fur (with Daniel O'Sullivan). Tucker eventually returned to his solo work with 2018's Don't Look Away. Continuing a trilogy that began with his previous two albums, the release ventured closer to traditional song forms while retaining Tucker's sense of adventure. The more drone-based Guild of the Asbestos Weaver appeared in 2019. ~ Fred Thomas