Balmorhea (pronounced bal-mə-ray) is a six-piece minimalist instrumental ensemble from Austin, Texas, that was formed in 2006 by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller. Balmorhea were influenced by William Ackerman, The Six Parts Seven, Tortoise, Rachel's, Gillian Welch, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and John Cage.
History
The band self-released their first album, self-titled Balmorhea in April 2007, and their second album Rivers Arms in February 2008, and released a limited EP in the fall of 2008. The group released their third full-length album, All is Wild, All is Silent on Western Vinyl Records. Their fourth full-length album, Constellations, was released in February 2010 on Western Vinyl, and their fifth, Stranger, was released late October 2012. The band released the Heir 7" in 2014 as a companion to the re-release of their 2007 eponymous debut.
The song "Bowsprit," from the album Constellations, was used as the opening theme for the SundanceTV television series Rectify, and the song "Remembrance" from the album All Is Wild, All Is Silent was used within the 2015 Turkish film Delibal.
Balmorhea, called "an exemplary experiment in restraint" by The New Yorker, has toured the US and Europe eight times each, including shows with Tortoise, Thurston Moore, Fleet Foxes, Mono, CocoRosie, Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Efterklang, This Will Destroy You, and others. Additionally the band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Hopscotch Festival among others. Their music has been featured and reviewed by Pitchfork, BBC, Paste, Interview Magazine, NME, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, and many more.
Members
Current
Aisha Burns – violin, vocals
Rob Lowe – guitar, piano
Michael Muller – guitar, bass guitar
Jeff Olson – drums, vibraphone
Sam Pankey – double bass, bass guitar
Nino Soberon – cello, guitar
Past
Mike Bell – drums
Bruce Blay – drums
Travis Chapman – double bass, bass guitar
Kendall Clark – drums, vibraphone
Jacob Glenn-Levin – bass guitar
Nicole Kern – cello
Erin Lance – cello
Dylan Rieck – cello
Taylor Tehan – drums
Dave Wiley – cello
Discography
Studio albums
Balmorhea (2007) Rivers Arms (2008) All Is Wild, All Is Silent (2009) Guest Room (2009) Soundtrack short movie Constellations (2010) Stranger (2012) Clear Language (2017) The Wind (2021) Pendant World (2023)
EPs
Tour EP (2008)
Remix albums
All Is Wild, All Is Silent Remixes (2009) Candor / Clamor Remixes (2010) Clear Language Reworked (2018)
Live albums
Live at Sint-Elisabethkerk (2011)
Singles
Candor / Clamor (2010) Heir (2014) Chime / Shone (2018) The Most Fleeting (2018)