Biography
Back in the last century, Andrew was a struggling punk rocker-turned-Hip-Hop
DJ and college dropout in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Frustrated
by (self-imposed) musical limits and depressed with a tendency
towards upper-respiratory ailments, Andrew began recording songs
on his 4-track that combined his scratching skills with snippets
of acoustic guitar and keyboards.
After writing lyrics for some of these pieces, Andrew, for the
very first time anywhere, sang. The result was a record released
on his own label (Dinkytown Records) as The Fog.
After Adam Drucker (Doseone) became the album's
champion, Andrew landed a deal (with Ninja Tune). His
first record for the label was a re-tooled version of his first
record and, dropping that meddlesome "The," Fogwas loosed
upon the world.
If Fog's first record was turntables first, everything
else after, Fog's next two releases reversed the equation. With
Ether Teeth, Andrew shattered his turntables on layers of piano,
guitar and delicate surrealist sweetness. Turntablism enthusiasts
and, well, most others were puzzled by Andrew's new piano-driven
direction. But fans and critics that did connect with Ether Teeth
really connected, and that record gave Andrew an extremely devoted
fan base. The EP that followed, Hummer, was a stunning collection
of songs where Andrew allowed his compositions and increased vocal
assuredness to steal the spotlight from his layered production.
Andrew has also collaborated on recordings with saxophonist George
Cartwright (Curlew) and Jonathan Wolf (Why?/Anticon/Hymie’s
Basement), but Fog remains the primary vehicle for his
creative output.
Fog has embarked on several North American and European
tours, spreading the gospel with a full band - Martin Dosh (drums,
electronics) Michael Lewis (bass, saxophones), Mark Erickson (piano,
guitars), and Jeremy Ylvisaker (guitar and co-producer of
the Fog records). Andrew’s courageous musical vision has
led their performances towards a powerful combination of interpretation
and improvisation.
The members of his band inform Broder’s musical vision, and
make frequent appearances on 10th Avenue Freakout,Fog’s
latest and greatest on Lex Records. On 10th Avenue, Broder
has expanded his sound further, with lyrics that have newfound
depth and complexity, arrangements instead of sprawl and a greater
sense of urgency, both poetic and political, than his previous
work. |
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