Artist description Sultry vocals, ethereal soundscapes and downtempo beats. Spy movie soundtracks for cerebral seduction.

Music Style trip-hop,lounge,rock,soul,

Musical Influences Marvin Gaye, John Barry, Portishead, Lalo Schifrin, Curtis Mayfield, Tricky, Charles Mingus

Similar Artists Portishead, Massive Attack, Morcheeba, Tricky, P.J. Harvey

Artist History Now is the time that we talk about the band. Imogene was born from the minds of founders Kevin Friedman (Thinner, Torcher) (hereby referred to as Scaramanga); guitar/keyboards and Christo Douglas (Crucifix, Loudspeaker, Rhythm and Noise, Torcher) (hereby referred to as The Count); drums. Looking to move beyond the rock infested realms of modern music, they decided to investigate a sound devoted to the sultry, smoky and sexier side of life. There would be no angst riddled bellowing, no crunching guitars or pummeling drums. No, the music would be a deviant caress to the ears of the listener coupling ambient hooks and downtempo beats. They sought a vocalist. After months of fruitless searching, a chanteuse emerged in the form of the lovely Jennifer Folker (Lowpass) (hereby referred to as Miss Thing). Her haunting melodicism complemented the utterly gorgeous beds of songform laid down like roses for her voice to recline upon. Next to arrive in this exotic land was bassist Mitch Brown (King Black Acid)(hereby referred to as The Prince). His low-end theories draw from the research labs of dub, soul and the roots of R&B. Ultimately D.J. Rick the Ripper was unearthed to provide his murderous blend of scratching and sampling to the unholy stew. The band started playing live in the spring of ’98. Eventually they trekked down to San Francisco to record at the legendary Division HiFi Studios with engineer Desmond Shea (Tarnation, Imperial Teen, etc). The result is Underdub. The perfect accompaniment to an evening of knocking boots as it were. Put it On and Get it On! Imogene ’99 kfriedman@earthlink.net

Group Members Kevin Friedman: Guitars, Keyboards, Machines. Christo Douglas: Drums Jennifer Folker: Vocals Mitch Brown: Bass Rick the Ripper: Turntables

Instruments various

Albums UnderDub

Press Reviews http://portland.citysearch.com/E/G/PDXOR/0000/04/32/ http://oregonlive.com/ent/music/99/03/mu990326_imogene_nb.html Oregonian Review. Imogene. Sounds in the key of love Imogene's intent is a hip, sensuous and subtle approach to seduction Friday, March 26, 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Curt Shulz Special writer, The Oregonian The group Imogene wants to be thought of as spies in the house of love. Not in some cheesy, "shagadelic" way, baby, but cool and sophisticated. Picture the Girl from Ipanema with wraparound shades and a pistol tucked into the top of her go-go boots speeding off into the distance in a sporty Italian convertible. Imogene wants to be the soundtrack for that scene. Alluring, mysterious, a hint of danger. "Our idea was not to do a rock thing but just to be as sexy as musically possible," guitarist Kevin Friedman says. "Our approach is on a more soothing tip. We want people to move themselves, to get lost in the groove and really feel it. We want them to get it on, basically." Basically, Imogene plays modern lounge music: adult tunes for relaxation and seduction. Now, when the phrase "lounge music" gets tossed around, the immediate connotations often are of some Casio keyboard combo fronted by a corpulent lizard who's stuffed himself into a sharkskin suit to work the room, advertise the drink specials and maul Sinatra covers. "Where are you from, darling? Is that right? Your anniversary? Swell. Be sure to tip your waitress." Imogene approaches their sound from precisely the opposite angle: daring, hip and subtle. They have the audacity to present an element of sexuality without the winking tongue-in-cheek attitude they could use as a protective barrier of irony in case the whole mess collapses on them. They're walking this tightrope strictly without a net: downbeat tempos, swirling keyboard and guitar work, and the extravagant vocal gestures of chanteuse Jennifer Folker, who seems more to be pulling sounds out of the murk and channeling them instead of simply singing in any traditional sense. It's a stiff shot of something sweet and thick, that's for sure. Origins of the act stem from Friedman and drummer Christopher Douglas' stint as two thirds of the now defunct Portland gothic rock band Torcher. After that grouped tanked out a year and a half ago, the two decided a new approach was in order. After the typically tangled search for the right players -- the band now includes Folker, bass player Mitch Brown and latest addition DJ "Ric the Ripper" turning the wheels of steel -- the crew went to San Francisco last summer to record "Underdub," their debut CD. "We were working toward kind of a spy movie soundtrack feel on the CD, something atmospheric," says Friedman, acknowledging as big a debt to spy music composer of note John Barry (writer of the James Bond theme) as well as soul legends like Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes (the 25-second percussion jam, "Hayes," is included in the disc in his honor) and especially the honey-throated Marvin Gaye. "The way Gaye would use his voice as another instrument, as just another beautiful tone, is something we were going for with the CD," Douglas admits. Kicking off with just a hint of the twangy guitar sound Barry pioneered on "Bruised," "Underdub" languidly makes its way through the imaginary movie at its own unhurried pace. Some of the cuts suggest specific feels for certain scenes: the Henry Mancini-inspired "Beatnik" works for the "planning the caper" scene, the tense "Sunscraped" for the execution of the heist, the hint of menace in "Repetition" works for the double-cross theme, "Gold Rush" for the romantic interlude, and the capper, "Moog Swing," could sound just right as the credits roll. It's a whole cinematic package. Cut and print; that scene's a keeper. Portland Citysearch Review Imogene "Underdub" (self-released) Before you spin this disc, sit down, relax, and pour yourself a martini -- because this album is all about setting the mood. By blending eerie guitar lines, ethereal vocals, and punchy drumbeats, Portland's innovative trip-hop group Imogene has created something that will no doubt flourish among local hipster bars and lounges. Imogene's new release, "Underdub," sounds as if someone dropped a funky backbone into Portishead; the futuristic cabaret lounge sound is prominent throughout, but a sleek groove is pronounced -- thanks in part to producer Desmond Shea (Tarnation, Imperial Teen). This relatively new band -- which consists of guitarist/keyboardist Kevin Friedman (Thinner, Torcher), drummer Christo Douglas (Crucifix, Loudspeaker, Rhythm and Noise, Torcher), singer Jennifer Folker (King Black Acid), bassist Mitch Brown (King Black Acid), and DJ Ric the Ripper on turntables -- comes across incredibly tight despite the ambient sounds having a loose, stretched-out feeling that warms the inner ear. It's the vocals of Folker, however, that make this album so tasty. One minute they're up close and hauntingly breathy, the next they're soaring high above the music, intense and passionate. Pick this album up and let Imogene take you on a blissful trip -- you won't regret it. -- Curtis Waterbury, CitySearch.com Music Editor NXNW: Imogene by Jamie S. Rich (Appeared in The Rocket #302, 5/26/99) Forget fads. If music is cool, it's cool. Celebrating names like Mancini and Morricone was all the rage awhile back. And while trip-hop became trendy just as that genre was about to break in America, there were already quite a few folks listening to the stuff and enjoying it without it being acceptable. Once it became hip, a lot of fakers showed up, pretending they were there all along. Thankfully, that scene never really hit the Northwest. For the most part, it stayed underground, allowing bands like Portland's Imogene to hone their craft without the intrusion of a lot of attention. The brainchild of guitarist (and Rocket scribe) Kevin Friedman and drummer Christopher Douglas (both formerly of Tim/Kerr band Torcher), Imogene are the genuine article. Their music is a blending of classic soundtracks, dance beats and torch songs. One listen to their self-released album, Underdub, and it's clear that their music isn't something contrived to fit a certain demographic, but an honest union of beloved influences and true musical passion. The only problem is, being part of the underground has limited the band's exposure to the public thus far. "It's been really hard because people didn't know how to book us," Friedman explains. "There weren't a lot of bands that sounded anything like us. We couldn't just tag onto a night at EJ's." "There is a demand for this kind of music," Douglas says. "A lot of people in Portland don't want to hear just standard rock. Our following's really expanded in the last few months. "I'd been into this kind of music for a long time, and Kevin has also," Douglas continues. "We wanted to do something that has more of a groove to it, less of a rock guitar-based scene...." Beyond trying to spread the word about the music, Friedman and Douglas had to seek other like-minded individuals to fill out the band. The road was difficult, and they went through several lineup changes before settling on bassist Mitch Brown, turntablist Rick the Ripper and vocalist Jennifer Folker. "It really came piecemeal," Friedman says. "[Choosing] each person was hard because we were really particular about the exact sound that we wanted." "We had auditioned so many singers," Douglas adds. "The audition process was brutal. We heard about Jennifer through word of mouth, and it was an instant match from the first practice." While Imogene's songs were already in place during the time of the roster additions, the band's new members have added new twists to the overall sound. Folker, in particular, brings sophistication and charm to the songs with her lyrics and vocals. Though many divas of the genre mire the music down with an unrelenting, bleak world view, Folker's words bear more strength than self-pity, and her smooth tones enrich the music rather than standing apart from it. Overall, the band comes off as a seamless package, with no holes in the sound. "From being in bands and going to shows, I felt a void in what was happening in music in general," says Friedman. "You'd go see a band, you'd stand there and watch them, and you'd leave. We have a sound that encourages people to shake their hips a bit and to move to the groove, as it were. We want to inspire people to dance and get sexual. We make intellectual sex music." If that makes them outcasts in the local scene, Imogene aren't worried. They know there are plenty of people out there looking for the sort of musical experience they can provide. "I don't care what other bands do," Friedman concludes. "There are millions of bands. They can do whatever they want, and so can we." c) 1999 Jamie S. Rich

Location Portland, OR - USA

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