anubian lights

Anubian Lights:

Tommy Grenas
Len del Rio
Adele Bertei
Spencer

Mr. Greñas is a compulsive vintage synth, goofy guitar, and vinyl junky. Often easily sighted at 4.30 in the morning skulking around e-bay for bargains or darting around thrift stores in the Pasadena-Covina area for more crap to fill his foundation-warped house. He lives in the place where the 'nubes record and explore the sonic possibilities of strange electronic archeology. Weaned on krautrock and punk at an early age in Northern Ireland, he moved to London in his early teens to further explore the subculture and underground music, eventually ending up in Los Angeles to spread the word of space, and learn about the crazy world of exotica and mildew-damaged freak pressings.

A huge influence on spacerock and krautrock revival, Tommy was responsible for many forgotten artists in this realm to tread yank soil and make their presence felt, in both their and his concoctions, many with longtime partner in crime, and Anubian cohort Len del Rio. Below is a summary of his work to date, excluding all the boring comps and typical re-issues. It is a prime example of the magnitude and diversity of sound he's worked in. As he's often repeated in interviews, there is so much great sound out there in every asset of music that to be tied down to one genre would be unforgivable. Sure, sometimes the bad outweighs the good, but that's the challenge. That's what we all need to do: find it ourselves and not let the corporations tell us what to listen to or watch... It's a goldmine - good diggin!

Anubian Lights do just that with their music, which is also depicted by Tommy's diverse career. Nazbar, and the collaboration with Lydia Lunch, "Champagne Cocaine" are prime examples of how even current releases can be exciting and colorful selections of every style and vibe in modern music… an album with Lydia has just been completed and is in negotiations for release, plus work has began on their fourth lp. Expect to see signs of it in the fall. Drift out, mindsweeperz…-- Alan Shaw

Len Del Rio's historical background background is one marked by deep mystery and covert activity. Here's what we know; Mr. Del Rio was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. As a child, Len immersed himself in endless hours of watching 60's psychedelc spy movies & cop shows on television. As a teenager, he fell into the 80's ska, punk, and new wave counter-culture. It was at this point in his life that Len was torn between his love for seminal groups such as The Fall; The Stranglers; The Specials -- or his love for the works of Henry Mancini, John Barry, and Lalo Schifrin. As Mr. Del Rio matured, he attended courses in music fundamentals and recording sciences, at some of the more prestigious community colleges in California. In 1986, for reasons still unclear, Len traveled to England, where he remained for approximately one year. It was there in London where Len crossed paths with his future collaborator, Tommy Greñas. After Len returned to the states, Mr. Greñas moved to Los Angeles to marry a childhood friend of Len's (a one Ms. C.J. Suez). In 1987, Tommy and Len formed the industrial/space rock band, Pressurehed. Pressurehed recorded 3 albums and collaborated on 5 more albums with ex-Hawkwind vocalist/sax player, Nik Turner. In the role of Mr. Turner's backing band, Pressurehed toured the U.S. twice, Europe and Japan. It was out of this project that the genesis of Anubian Lights was born. In addition to his keyboard and production work with the Anubian Lights, Mr. Del Rio has remained a prolific recording engineer/producer over the years. -- Eugene Sander

Adele's Bertei's career in music began as singer and guitarist in a rock and roll band called Peter and the Wolves with legendary Clevelander Peter Laughner, the founder of Pere Ubu and Rocket From the Tombs. Her first forays into the New York punk scene in 1976, where she stayed with Peter at Lester Bangs' illustrious hovel, prompted the decision to make NYC her home after Peter's death in 1977. She leapt into the downtown scene on the devil's wings of an Acetone organ, playing keyboards via James Chance's invitation to join the Contortions, and during a stint of working for Brian Eno as personal assistant, introduced him to the fractured , incendiary music of New York's lower East side which resulted in the legendary No New York LP.

In the eighties, Adele wrote and read her poetry and prose publicly, opening for William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Kathy Acker among others. She also toured Europe as a singer/performance artist, scored music for and acted as lead character in the following films: Born in Flames by Lizzie Borden, The Offenders by Scott and Beth B., and She Had Her Gun Already by Vivienne Dick. Adele scored and produced the soundtrack to Vortex, a film by Scott & Beth B., which premiered at the New York Film Festival.

Her all-female band called The Bloods whose single, "Button Up" is currently featured on the compilation New York Noise (released by Soul Jazz label in the U.K.) toured Europe extensively, and on it's dissolve, Adele released her first single, "Build Me A Bridge" on Geffen Records, produced by Thomas Dolby. Adele recorded the "Hyperactive" duet with Thomas and was a featured singer for Jellybean on his LP, Just Visiting This Planet. She has recorded as a backing singer for Culture Club, Tears for Fears, Matthew Sweet, John Lurie, Sandra Bernhard, and Oleta Adams, and has written songs for Jellybean, the Pointer Sisters, Thomas Dolby, Matthew Sweet, and Sheena Easton. She has also guested on records for Elliot Sharp, the Aural Exciters, Arthur Baker, and a tribute to Chet Baker called, Imagination released on Rough Trade Records, and has toured the world as a backing singer with Tears For Fears and Sophie B. Hawkinns.

Since the early 1990's, Adele has built an extensive résumé in film and television as a writer, director and editor. Seduced by the compelling and filmic sonic scapes of the Anubian Lights, she is now returning to music after a decade-long hiatus as the lead singer and co-conspirator in the band. Their upcoming release is titled Phantascope.

Says Adele, "I haven't felt compelled to express myself musically, or to re-involve myself in that particular world for a good ten years. But then I met Tommy and Len, heard their music, got to know them, and realized that here was an intensely creative group that I could truly collaborate with in a spirit of fun, with our imaginations cranked to full throttle. I think a lot of people will be as surprised as I am by what we've created on Phantascope, and the icing on the cake will be the performance end of it... I can't wait to tour with the Anubian Lights!"

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