Remora

Bio:

Just like everyone else, I'm reverting to email as my primary method of contact - silberspy(at)silbermedia.com Remora, the outlet for Raleigh's Brian John Mitchell, has been in constant flux since its 1996 inception. Whether Mitchell is performing instrumentally or crafting and interpreting bittersweet pop tunes, the drone is constant; like the lapping at a lakeshore, oscillations saturate Remora's work. It's the melodic components that differ. ~ Bryan Reed, The Independent

Though he takes his nom de music from the genus name for suckerfish, Capitol City's Brian John Mitchell leeches from no one, charting his own territory as the guitar-wielding experimental drone juggernaut Remora. ~ The Nightlight

Remora's guitar terrorism relies on the more drone-based school of thought, where the most interesting sounds come from minimalist structure and repetition. Unlike some of the more well-known ambient/noise guitarists, who rely on obtrusive noise and piercing tones, Remora makes effective use of tonality which is surprisingly soothing despite the noisy overtones. When vocals are used, they haunt each song beneath the mix, overrun by a million guitar strings. ~ Jon DeRosa (Aarktica)

a brief introduction to Remora

Remora began in 1996 with a web of cassette releases (Anaaron, Acroyer, Amerse, Eneded, Cemented in Stone, Anadia, Ambient Drones for One Guitar) that utilized the guitar to create ambient walls of sound, rather than melodic passages. These releases were recorded at home during time off from work & other responsibilities.  In recent years, Remora has shifted from pure guitar noise into songs incorporating the sounds discovered over the time spent exploiting the use of effects.

2000 marked Remora's first works done in standard recording sessions resulting in the more cohesive releases of the album Some Past's Future & the EP Some Future's Past recorded in bed room studios in New Jersey & Minneapolis as well as Raleigh, NC.

2002 was the year Remora took an excursion from effect pedals for a twelve-string acoustic guitar to record The Alcohol EPs.

In 2003 Remora toured northern Europe with Kobi & a recording of a live show in Oslo was eventually released by Morc.

2005 marked the release of Enamored, Remora's first full length in four years. It’s post-apocalyptic pop music. Love songs from a revolutionary ready to abandon his war grasping for hope. Lyrically inspired by pulp sci-fi from the 1970’s, songs like “Volcana,” “Champion,” “Kill My Way Out of Here,” & “Out of Air” paint portraits of love being the same after the crash of society while struggling to stay alive as it is now & as it was 3,000 years ago.  Also in 2005 Remora recorded Reversion, an EP reflecting back to the earlier guitar experiments in support of a Pacific Northwest tour with Rollerball & Six Foot Sloth.

2007 showed Remora taking an excursion from guitar altogether with the release of songs i sing, a collection of acapella songs.

In 2008 Remora recorded the collaborative album Clear Field with northern valentine & slicnaton & returned to the pure drone roots with Ensoulment a 70 minute long solo guitar piece.

In 2009 Remora released the album Derivative that collects songs based on hit songs by Hefner, Warrior Soul, Journey, Pere Ubu, Bob Dylan, Joe Jackson, Blue Oyster Cult, & Joy Division.

Remora has a project called “Remora Prime” where people perform songs from the Remora live set locally.  Download the word document songbook here.

Remora is currently working on two top secret themed EPs as well as another full length album.
 

Remora Discography
	Remora - Mecha CD 2010 | Silber 085 16 tracks, 42 minutes $12 ($14 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~114 megs)) Remora returns armed with sub-midi technology instead of a guitar.  Post apocalyptic pop. Blurps & bleeps. Bridges between machine & human brains. Music for androids. Part post rock, part electro, & part folk; love songs, fight songs, & ballads; distorted future music.  Includes a copy of the Mecha mini-comic.  Limited number of physical copies in metal tins. : Press release : Reviews : Listen to the track Nevada Smith : Watch video for 049 : Watch video for Collapse
	derivative  CD 2009 | Gears of Sand 049 8 tracks, 42 minutes $12 Remora does derivative works on some personal favorites including hits by Hefner, Warrior Soul, Journey, Pere Ubu, Bob Dylan, Joe Jackson, & Joy Division.  Doomy drone with pop hooks. : Listen to the track Every Prince : Press release : Reviews
	ensoulment MP3 Album 2008 | Ping Things 1 tracks, 70 minutes free download from Archive.org A 70 minute aggressive ambient guitar excursion from Remora. : Press release
	remora / northern valentine / slicnaton clear field MP3 Album 2008 | Silber 072 3 tracks, 44 minutes free download from Archive.org The clear field recordings are a unique combination of elements of all three projects. You hear the loops & aggression of Remora’s guitar work, Northern Valentine’s ambient shimmering glacial guitars, & slicnaton’s orchestrated glitch & deep bass tones. While hearing all three individual musicians, it still is clearly a collaboration of the three rather than one of the projects with two special guests; it is a unique sound of its own. : Press release
	songs i sing CD EP 2007 | North Pole 005 13 tracks, 16 minutes, plus 1 video $9 Remora goes a cappella.  Sometimes comedic, sometimes spiritual, & occasionally poignant.  This was predominantly recorded by Jessica Bailiff during Remora’s 2006 spring tour & includes covers of “We Will Fall” (The Stooges), “Heartworms” (Coil), “Sores” (Rollerball), & a passage from Job.  Beautiful hand letter-pressed artwork by Shane Sauers & a video for “Sores” also by Mister Sauers. : Listen to the track Job 39 : More info : Reviews
	reversion MP3 EP 2005 | Silber 044 4 tracks 30 minutes Download from Archive.org  purchase from iTunes | Rhapsody | Napster | eMusic All guitar drone ambient like you love....
	Enamored CD Album 2005 | Silber 038 14 tracks 57 minutes $12 Remora returns with the first full length in four years featuring post-apocalytic love songs & ambient guitar drones. : Listen to the track The One I've Been Waiting For : More info : Reviews
	Live in Oslo Cassette 2005 | Morc 036 10 tracks, 37 minutes A capturing of Remora live from spring of 2003 at the Mir in Oslo.  Includes otherwise unreleased songs "New Loop," "Syd Song," & "Static is Motion."
	The Alcohol EPs CD Split 2002 | Silber 022 14 tracks, 72 minutes $12 A triple split EP from Remora, Pale Horse and Rider, and Rivulets of songs about or inspired by alcohol. A collection of acoustic guitar songs in the vein of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. : More info
	Some Past's Future CD Album 2001 | Silber 018 21 tracks, 62 minutes $12 Some Past's Future combines all the elements of Remora from apocalyptic post-punk to beautiful noise to minimalist atmospheric. Songs about the future, the past, love, and working class dreams. Aggression tempered with guilt. The tonal chaos within each piece is hopeful and revealing. This is the soundtrack for apocryphal dreams & late night car rides. : Listen to the track 10,004 : More info : Reviews
	Some Future's Past CD-R EP 2001 | BestKeptSecret 044 15 tracks, 29 minutes $6 An EP of outtakes & alternate mixes form Remora’s Some Past’s Future album from the Italian label Best Kept Secret. A lot of these pieces are more minimal than those on Some Past’s Future. Includes versions of “rail” & “warrenton” with guest musicians Nathan Amundson & J Seckel of Rivulets & finally the release of the hit single “drinking about you.”
	Ambient Drones for One Guitar 2CDR  2000 | Silber 009 20 tracks, 144 minutes out of print Download from Archive.org  purchase from iTunes | Rhapsody | Napster | eMusic Remora blazes away to the "beat" of the loops, guitar wandering & exploring the corridors of the universe & the possibilities of pure sound. In fact, it's the choice & use of sound rather than any sense of musical development that makes this an enjoyable listen. Remora does a good job of keeping my attentention & even at the most ear shattering, brain piercing moments manage to retain a sense of cosmic drift - Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovation
	Anadia CDR 1999 | Silber 008 21 tracks, 40 minutes out of print Anadia is full of powerful, edgy instrumentals and sparse, fragile ballads that hold their own with a lot of the better known space rock/experimental artists out there. - Vendetta
	Amerse CDR 1998 | Silber 004 23 tracks, 60 minutes out of print Download from Archive.org  purchase from iTunes | Rhapsody | Napster | eMusic Soft-noise drones mingled with songs made of static guitar chords & vocals. I like the spirit of this discreet work, floating by just leaving the overall melancholic atmosphere. - Origami Republika e-zine
	Eneded Cassette 1998 | Public Demand 21 tracks, 60 minutes A collection of tracks recorded from 1996-1998 constituting a greatest hits of sorts.  track listing: Angel Stalk (Anaaron), Escape, To Tell, Her Divinity is a Lie, Strange Design, Peace of a Slave, Return to the City, Hallow, Pneumena, Pteradactyl, Crave Coating, We've Only Just Begun (traditional), Free Before, A Newer World, C3GL, For This, A Perfect View, Slip Sky, MB2, Condone (live), Horizon (excerpt)
	Acroyer Cassette 1997 | Silber 003 8 tracks, 30 minutes out of print Eight droning trips into the psyche...  ~ Outburn
	Anaaron Cassette 1996 | Silber 002 9 tracks, 30 minutes out of print Meandering lo-tech noise-song works. Tinny guitar strumming sometimes accompanied by cutting veils of feedback shrieks and gnarling lower rumbles.  ~ AUTOreverse

Compilation Appearances

• Track: the very best mother in the world

Silber Hearts Mom - CDR - Silber Records (2007)
• Track: Smile Like a Knife (inspired by traditional song "Reynard the Fox")

Reynardine: The Visits of Mister Fox - CD - Larkfall Records (2007)
• Track: Sores (Rollerball cover)

Silber on Silber - 2xCDR - Silber Records (2007)
• Tracks: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; What Can I Give Him?

Silber Sounds of Christmas - 2xCDR - Silber Records (2006)
• Track: The One I've Been Waiting For

drones,loves,honesties,sounds - CD - Silber Records (2006)
• Track: Syd Song (sunset) (live recording from August 2005)

Christhole - CDR - The Akashic Records (2006)
• Track: Guilt Jersey (Vlor cover with Shane DeLeon Sauers (Rollerball) on trumpet)

Live From The Devils Triangle Volume VIII - 2CD - KFJC (2005)
• Track: Only Friends Can Keep You Warm

Winter Wishes - CDR - Silber Records (2004)
• Track: Wannabe Pirate

Behold a Pale Horse and Rider - CDR - Silber Records (2003)
• Track: in the jaws of angels

Songs for the End of The World - CDR - Silber Records (2002)
• Track: Hangin' Tough (New Kids on the Block cover)

Teen Feeding Frenzy - CD - Iregular Records (2001)
• Track: july 4, 1024

Songs for America - CDR - Silber Records (2001)
• Track: Blind (Swans cover)

Die Tur Ist Nein Wuzblein (Swans Tribute) - Ltd 2CD - Infin8ty (2001)
• Track: MB1

Fighting Godzilla with a Squirtgun Album Virus 2.0 (2001)
• Track: hope for christmas

Silber X-mas - CDR - Silber Records (2000)
• Track: Nonoxen

Delicate Furies - CD - Instrumentales Records (2000)
• Track: Window

Zann - CD - Silber Records (2000)
• Track: Before the Law (inspired by the Franz Kafka story)

a cage went in search of a bird - CD - Somnimage (2000)
• Track(s): Rivin, Angel Stalk (Anaaron), Slipsky, Diagnosis, & Ends (w/Aarktica)

Demain - CD - Silber Records (2000)
• Track: Slip Sky

Festival Electronique - 2CDR - Festival Electronique (2000)
• Track: Harrower

Songs from the Loosing End v.2 - 2XLP - Krank Records (2000)
• Track: She Lives (Swans cover)

Rock God - cassette - Null Spenn Records (2000)
• Track: Rivin

DroneOn MP3 collection - MP3 - Sounds of Tomorrow (2000)
• Track(s): Under Fingernails, Teenage Halo, Rider, Bordered, Methodic, Fauve

Willpower Report - cassette - Public Demand (1999)
• Track: Influenza

Another Compilation Without A Selling Title 7 - cassettes - JM Tapes/Palos (1999)
• Track: Rock Island Line

Americana: A Tribute to Johnny Cash - CD - Iregular Records (1999)
• Track: A Newer World

Our Heat (Your Moisture) - CD - Scuss Records (1997)
• Track: The Day She Returned (Legendary Pink Dots cover)

A Tribute to the Legendary Pink Dots - cassette - Brainwashed (1997)

Collaborations

Clang Quartet/Remora
..Cemented in Stone.. - CDR - Silber Records (1999)

Remora Links

Remora on MySpace
Contact Remora
Vlor - shoegazing project for friends
Small Life Form - organic ambient sound manipulation
My Glass Beside Yours - guitar & stringed instruments
 

Downloadable Images

Member Since:

June 07, 2004

Members:

Brian John Mitchell: guitar, vocals, loops

Influences:

Swans, Lycia, Jandek, Low, Angels of Light, Hefner, Neil Young, Aarktica, The Cure, The Cranes, burMonter, Wire, The Germs, Sonic Youth, Jessica Bailiff, Rivulets, Flying Saucer Attack, Spahn Ranch

Sounds Like:

Flying Saucer Attack, Roy Montgomery, Jandek, Mogwai?

Record Label:

Silber Records

Label Type:

Indie