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BIO

Described by Time Out New York as an "art-rock visionary", Charles A. Looker has been active in underground music circles for the past two decades as a composer, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. His music brings together diverse influences and styles including classical composition, metal, pop, industrial, and improvised music. Born and based in New York City, he has received commissions from various ensembles, however most of his output has been with his own bands.

Looker was a founding member of the now-world-renowned experimental collective ZS, establishing his roots in the '00s Brooklyn DIY scene. He left ZS in 2007 to form his own band Extra Life which recorded three albums and several EPs, toured the US and Europe extensively and built a devout international following before disbanding in 2012. Since then, Looker's main performing vehicle has been metal/electronic project Psalm Zero. Other ongoing projects include Seaven Teares, a mostly acoustic quartet featuring medieval instruments, and Period, an improvisational trio with drummer Mike Pride and electronic musician Chuck Bettis.

In 2018, Looker released the first record under his own name, Simple Answers, a song cycle for three singers, a 17-piece chamber orchestra, and electronics, on his own limited edition vinyl imprint Last Things Records. This concept album, dealing with fascist psychology, stand-up comedy, and addiction, was performed in its entirety by the full ensemble at National Sawdust (Brooklyn), and was praised by the New York Times, Pitchfork, and NPR.

In 2020, Looker launched the Last Things YouTube channel and podcast, where he hosts weekly live-streamed interviews with various musicians, from the eccentric corners of contemporary composition, improvisation, metal, rap, noise, and Early Music, as well as writers, philosophers, and artist in other disciplines. Noted guests have included Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu), and Jim Thirlwell (Foetus). Looker also creates long-form educational videos on music history and theory, as well as video essays dealing with cultural criticism and philosophy.

In 2022, Looker revived Extra Life and released Secular Works, Vol. 2, a sequel to the debut record from 14 years prior. With a new line-up including Toby Driver (of Kayo Dot), and Gil Chevigné (of Helium Horse Fly), Extra Life began touring the U.S. and Europe.

Looker’s credits as a sideman guitarist and/or featured guest vocalist include work with Dirty Projectors, Xiu Xiu, Tyondai Braxton, Tim Berne, William Parker, Glenn Branca, Mick Barr, and the SEM Ensemble. As an arranger, producer, and remixer, Looker has worked with Amanda Palmer, Mivos Quartet, M Lamar, and Kate Miller-Heidke.

As a composer in a classical context, Looker has received fellowships and commissions from the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Yarn/Wire, the Ostrava New Music Days festival, and Experiments in Opera. In 2015, Looker was an artist-in-residence at The Stone (New York City), and collaborated with Mivos Quartet and M Lamar at the Ecstatic Music Festival (New York City). In 2011 he was voted one of the top 100 American composers under 40 by WNYC. Looker’s music has been performed at festivals around the world including Primavera Sound (Spain), Bad Bonn (Switzlerland), Villette Sonique (France), Moers Jazz (Germany) and Sound Forest (Latvia) and is documented on labels including Northern Spy, Profound Lore, LOAF, ThreeOneG, Troubleman Unlimited, and Last Things.

DISCOGRAPHY

Light  (Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg Stare) - s/t   (Aristocracy Communications  2000)
Time of Orchids - Melonwhisper   (self-released  2001)

Alvin Lucier - Vespers and Other Early Works   (New World  2002)
Matthew Welch - Ceol Nua   (Leo  2002)

Lavender - Get Your Eye   (Newsonic  2002)
Mike Pride - Scrambler  w/ William Parker + Tony Malaby   (Not Two  2002)

Zs - s/t   (Troubleman Unlimited  2003)
Zs - Glyphs  10" single   (Rice Control  2004)
Zs - Karate / Bump   (Planaria  2005)
Period - s/t   (FnA  2006)
Seductive Sprigs - s/t   (FnA  2006)
Zs - Arms   (Planaria  2007)
Dirty Projectors - Rise Above   (Dead Oceans  2007)
Nat Baldwin - Most Valuable Player   (Broken Sparrow  2008)
Zs - The Hard EP   (ThreeOneG  2008)
Extra Life - 2 Song EP   (Sockets  2008)
Extra Life - Secular Works   (Planaria  2008)
Extra Life - Made Flesh   (LOAF  2010)
Extra Life - Larkin Grimm/Extra Life split single (Planaria  2011)
Extra Life - Parenthetical Girls/Extra Life split single (Last Things  2011)
Extra Life - Ripped Heart   (Last Things  2011)
Sculptress - Cuckold  12" single   (Last Things 2011)
Sam Mickens - Slay and Slake   (Shatter Your Leaves  2011)
Extra Life - Dream Seeds   (Northern Spy  2012)
Psalm Zero - Force My Hand  7" single   (Last Things  2012)
Seaven Teares - Power Ballads   (Northern Spy  2013)
Period -   (Public Eyesore  2014)
Psalm Zero - The Drain   (Profound Lore  2014)
Psalm Zero - The Birthright Trilogy   (Black Mass  2015)
Tredici Bacci - Amore per Tutti   (NNA Tapes  2015)
M Lamar - Surveillance Punishment and the Black Psyche   (Negrogothic 2015)
Psalm Zero - Stranger to Violence   (Profound Lore  2016)
Charlie Looker - Simple Answers   (Last Things  2018)
Nothing Human - singles 1-4   (Last Things  2019)
Psalm Zero - Sparta   (Last Things  2020)
Seaven Teares - Older Than Love   (Last Things  2020)
Charlie Looker - Pleasures of a Normal Man  single  (Last Things 2021)
Charlie Looker - 
Poison Darts  single  (Last Things 2021)
Xiu Xiu - Oh No   (Polyvinyl  2021)
Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie Looker - A Horizon Made of Canvas   (Astral Spirits  2021)
Extra Life - Secular Works, Vol. 2   (Last Things  2022)
Xiu Xiu - Ignore Grief   (Polyvinyl 2023)




 

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