Earthphish
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
Key people | Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan, Donovan John Szypura, André Ledergerber (former) |
| Products | Music albums and singles, contemporary dance productions |
Earthphish is a Swiss-based musical ensemble established in 2001, consisting of Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan, Donovan John Szypura, and previously André Ledergerber. Their first independently produced album, Soft Green Exit (2003), achieved acclaim, notably with the track "Soulcandy" securing the top position on the electronic charts at the online platform GarageBand.com. The band's style is rooted in electronic and trip hop genres, often likened to artists such as Tricky, Massive Attack, and Portishead.
History
Donovan John Szypura, a keyboardist, composer, and producer, previously collaborated with Matthew Ashman (Adam & The Ants, Bow Wow Wow) in the Swiss punk rock group "Rams," which released the album Wrecked in 1993. Later, in 1999, Szypura became a member of the industrial metal band Apollyon Sun, founded by Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Triptykon) alongside Erol Unala.
In early 2001, Szypura joined forces with drummer André Ledergerber and vocalist/choreographer Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan to create Earthphish. Within three months, they launched their demo CD titled Metropolis. The name Earthphish was inspired by an early dance piece choreographed by Crossan. Moving beyond music alone, Szypura and Crossan expanded their collaboration into a creative production partnership that fused music with dance, establishing the contemporary dance company Earthphish Dance.
Earthphish Dance was honored with the Swiss Premio Furthering Prize in 2002 and secured second place at Poland's 2003 International Serge Diaghilev Competition of Choreography Art. Their debut album Soft Green Exit was released independently in 2003.
In 2005, Earthphish Dance premiered Elephant Man in Zurich, a work influenced by David Lynch’s film about Joseph Carey Merrick. The band followed with a self-titled EP released in June 2006.
Currently based in Tasmania, Australia, Earthphish announced plans for a new album in March 2019. They released the single "Rite Of Life" in August 2020, followed by "Raincoat" in September, which was included on Trip Hop Nation’s "Best Release of the Year 2020" compilation. Their third single, "Deadlock," featuring dub and reggae icon Lee Scratch Perry, came out in October 2020. The album Turtles All The Way Down was launched on 21 December 2020 and was recognized among Trip Hop Nation’s "50 Best Albums of 2020." Later singles include a rendition of Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars" (2021) and "In the Hallway" (2022).
Style
Earthphish has evolved from solely producing music to incorporating contemporary dance performances. Their sound is characterized by an atmospheric, moody, and melancholic tone that merges electronic and trip hop elements while frequently delving into themes of human adversity. Their choreographic works tackle societal topics through abstract movement intertwined with original musical scores.
Their artistic influences encompass The Sandals, Tricky, Portishead, Eurythmics, and Killing Joke.
Discography
- "Metropolis" (Demo-CD) 2001
- "Soft Green Exit" (CD) 2003
- "Earthphish" (EP) 2006
- "Rite Of Life" (Single) 2020
- "Raincoat" (Single) 2020
- "Deadlock feat. Lee Scratch Perry" (Single) 2020
- "Turtles All The Way Down" (Album) 2020
- "Between the Bars" (Single) 2021
- "In the Hallway" (Single) 2022
Current lineup
- Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan – vocals, keyboards (active since 2001)
- Donovan John Szypura – vocals, keyboards, programming, production (active since 2001)
Past members
- André Ledergerber – drums (2001–2003)
Additional studio contributors
- Merlin Szy – co-producer and programmer on the 2020 album "Turtles All The Way Down"
- Sandro Corbat – guitarist featured on "Soft Green Exit" (2006) and "Turtles All The Way Down" (2020)
- Dede Felix – co-producer and drummer for "Soft Green Exit" (2003) and the "Earthphish" EP (2006)
- Luca Leombruni – bass guitar across several releases including the 2020 album "Turtles All The Way Down"
- Dominic Ruegg (Cuthead) – guitar on the "Earthphish" EP (2006)
Guest artists
- Lee Scratch Perry – vocal contributions on the track "Deadlock" from the 2020 album "Turtles All The Way Down"
- Paris Burns – vocals featured on "Medusa," part of "Turtles All The Way Down" (2020)
Dance productions
- 2005 – "Cut Down," performed at the 8° Festival Internacional de Dança em Paisagens Urbanas, Coimbra, Portugal
- 2005 – "Elephant Man," staged at Theater Rigiblick, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2003 – "Time Square," presented at Fabriktheater, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2003 – "Urgent Call," showcased at Tanzhaus Wasserwerk, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2002 – "Beyond Henry," performed at EWZ, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2002 – "If I had a child," recipient of the Premio Furthering Prize 2002 in Zurich, Switzerland
- 2001 – "Earthphish & Ishram," performed at Petits Fours, Fabriktheater Zurich, Switzerland
Earthphish Dance ensemble
- Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan – choreographer
- Dancers: Sabine Schindler, Thomas Dietlicher, Jennifer Matheja, Audrey Borthayre, Zoltan Farago, Renata Schiess, Sybille Koch
- Music by Donovan John Szypura, Aleksandra Mirjana Crossan, Sandro Corbat
- Daniel Boller – responsible for stage design
Awards
- Winner of the Swiss Premio Furthering Prize 2002 in Zurich for Earthphish Dance’s production "If I had a child"
- Achieved second place at the International Serge Diaghilev Choreography Art Competition in 2003 held in Gdynia, Poland for the same work