Katze | en

1. Katze, a Japanese glam rock band from the late 80's.

Formed in 1988, the group immediately signed to the major label, Teichiku, under the Baidis subdivision. Sounding similar to the likes of JRock pioneers Boowy, the group found some minor success with the release of their debut album, "Blind", which was released in October of 1988. Although their initial success was lackluster, just a year later, the group became mainstream rock stars, with their second album, 1989's "Stay Free", breaking the Oricon top 30 at number 21. Their success would continue to rise, and the group's third and fourth albums, "Good Times Bad Times" and "Love is Here", both broke the Oricon top 15 (at numbers 6 and 11 respectively). The group's 1991 live album, "God Save the Rock 'n Roll", would prove to be their most successful album in their catalog, reaching number 4. However, despite their growing fame, the group ended up splitting later that year. Although the group were active for three years, their flamboyant glam image seemed to play an early part of the visual kei movement, which would become mainstream just a few years later, thanks to the likes of X Japan, Luna Sea, Buck-Tick, Color and By-Sexual.


2. Katze — Old High German kazza, originally *katta, Late Latin catta, feminine of cattus. Akin to Old English catt

KATZE is the duo that Noell Dorsey (voice and synth) and Morgan Evans-Weiler (violin and electronics) have been collaborating on for the last two years. Dorsey draws on her classical training and expansive practice of extended vocal techniques, whether in psych-rock projects like Guillermo Sexo, Future Carnivores and Beautiful Weekend or improv settings with musicians like Steve Norton, Brendan Murray, Chris Strunk or in the trio Jajuno. Since hitting Boston in 2008, Evans-Weiler has been an active member of the Boston improv community drawing on a synthesis of accomplished advanced violin technique, electronic composition, and an intrepid interest in sonic exploration whether solo, or in groups like HMQ or Deleuzer. In duo, the two weave together the rumbling thrum of electronics, mercurial vocal overtones, abraded, skittering violin harmonics, and shifting layers of synth scrims and squalls into striated spontaneous improvisations which go from muted, pointillistic detail to raging roar. .