The Dead Science (formerly The Sweet Science) is an experimental pop band based in Seattle, Washington.
The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Sam Mickens, Jherek Bischoff on bass and Nick Tamburro on drums. Jherek Bischoff’s brother Korum was the drummer from the band’s inception in 1999 through 2005. Tamburro, who’d shared drumming duties with him on the recording of Frost Giant and had previously acted as The Dead Science’s touring drummer, joined permanently upon his departure. Korum is still credited on the band’s label page with “guidance, stability and sometimes drums.”
Their music is heavily influenced by their training as jazz musicians and involvement in the avant-garde music of a number of artists, most notably Xiu Xiu and Degenerate Art Ensemble. Mickens has also cited Prince as an influence on his vocal style, often noted in reviews of the bands’ work for its use of falsetto (Chambliss 2006).
The trio self-released their limited run debut EP Galactose under their original moniker, The Sweet Science, before giving up the name due to a cease-and-desist order from another band (Brown 2003). Following the name change, The Dead Science released their debut album Submariner on Absolutely Kosher Records in 2003. This was followed by the release of their second EP Bird Bones in the Bughouse in 2004, a split 7-inch and their sophomore album Frost Giant in 2005, and a third EP Crepuscule with The Dead Science in 2006. They were also named winner in the ‘Jazz/Experimental’ category in Seattle Weekly’s 2006 Music Awards (Barr & Shimp 2006).| |
