Charlie Looker


Charles A. Looker is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal, contemporary classical, avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms.

Education and career

Looker is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he studied with Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier.
Alongside his work as a solo artist, Looker also leads an Early/Renaissance-music inspired project, Seaven Teares; performs improvised "death-jazz" with Period, whose rotating cast includes Darius Jones, Chuck Bettis, and Mike Pride; played in Sculptress, a duo with Chuck Stern; and leads the industrial-metal duo Psalm Zero, formerly alongside Castevet's Andrew Hock. He is the songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for avant-rock band Extra Life and a former member and co-founder of avant-garde band Zs. He worked with Dirty Projectors and appears on their record Rise Above. Other collaborators include M Lamar,
Mariel Roberts, Ty Braxton, Mary Halvorson, Mick Barr, Tim Berne, Nat Baldwin, Earle Brown, Sam Mickens, Kelly Moran, Dax Riggs, Lingua Ignota, Matthew Welch, Stu Watson, William Parker, and Glenn Branca.
He founded Last Things Records, a label that has released recordings by Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, Parenthetical Girls, Psalm Zero, and Sculptress.
In 2011, Looker was named one of NPR Music's "Top 100 Composers Under 40".

Discography

As leader

YearArtistTitleLabel
2002LavenderGet Your EyeNewsonic
2006Extra LifeThree-Song EPFuckingA
2008Extra LifeA Split Shatter Your Leaves
2008Extra LifeSecular WorksPlanaria / I & Ear / LOAF
2010Extra LifeMade FleshLOAF / Africantape
2011Extra LifeRipped Heart Last Things
2012Extra LifeDream SeedsNorthern Spy
2013Seaven TearesPower BalladsNorthern Spy
2014Psalm ZeroThe DrainProfound Lore
2016Psalm ZeroStranger to ViolenceProfound Lore
2018Charlie LookerSimple AnswersLast Things
2019Nothing Human-
2020Psalm ZeroSpartaLast Things
2020Charlie LookerPleasures Of A Normal ManLast Things
2020Seaven TearesOlder Than Love
2022Extra LifeSecular Works, Vol. 2Last Things
2024Extra LifeThe Sacred VowelLast Things

As co-leader

YearArtistTitleLabel
2000Daniel Carter / Charlie Looker / Greg StareLightAristocracy Communication
2003ZsZsTroubleman Unlimited
2005ZsBuckFolding Cassettes
2005ZsKarate Bump Planaria
2006PERIODPERIODFuckingA
2006Seductive SprigsSeductive SprigsFuckingA
2007ZsArmsPlanaria
2008ZsThe Hard Three One G
2011SculptressCuckoldLast Things
2012ZsThe Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007Northern Spy
2014PERIODPERIOD 2Public Eyesore
2021Jeremiah Cymerman / Charlie LookerA Horizon Made of CanvasAstral Spirits

As sideperson

YearArtistTitleLabel
2002Alvin LucierVespers and Other Early WorksNew World Records
2002Matthew WelchCeol NuaLeo Records
2005Mike PrideScramblerNot Two Records
2006Earle BrownFolio and Four SystemsTzadik
2007Dirty ProjectorsRise AboveDead Oceans
2016Tredici BacciAmore Per TuttiNNA
2017M LamarSurveillance Punishment and the Black PsycheNegrogothic
2021Xiu XiuOH NOPolyvinyl
2023Xiu XiuIgnore GriefPolyvinyl