Hafler Trio, the (Rock)
Hafler Trio, the discography
Hafler Trio, the biography
Biography by Jason Ankeny Prolific and enigmatic, the Hafler Trio masterminded some of the most challenging and innovative sonic experiments of their time -- defining music as simply organized sound, their unique synthesis of electronics, samples and tape loops probed the psychoacoustic power of noise, exploring not only its sensory effects but its physical ramifications as well. Formed in Sheffield, England in 1980 by Cabaret Voltaire alum Chris Watson and Andrew McKenzie, the Hafler Trio was never a three-piece in any actual sense -- in fact, the third member originally credited to the line-up, one Dr. Edward Moolenbeek, was (according to an interview with McKenzie in the March/April 1991 issue of Option magazine) reportedly an expert in psychoacoustic research who edited the journal Science Review during the 1930s. Much of the Hafler Trio's mystique stems from the deliberate misinformation the group consistently set forth -- although their records regularly came packaged with deluxe graphs, diagrams and essays detailing the purported effects of sound on the listener, the scientific authenticity of their "findings" is debatable; for example, their 1984 debut, Bang! An Open Letter, claims to be based on the studies of an acoustic researcher named Robert Spridgeon, complete with bibliography. Spridgeon later proved to be a complete fabrication, however, and over the course of subsequent efforts including 1985's Alternation, Perception and Resistance--A Comprehension Exercise EP, 1986's Three Ways of Saying Two--The Netherlands Lectures and Dislocation, the Hafler Trio continued baffling audiences with a deluge of propaganda, clouding perceptions to increase the visceral impact of their music. By 1987's double-LP A Thirsty Fish Watson had exited H30, leaving McKenzie the sole constant member; its follow-up, intoutof, heralded a new approach, rejecting the cut-and-paste noise and abrasive drones of earlier releases in favor of a more hypnotically ethereal sound. 1991's Kill the King announced the beginning of a trilogy which continued on with Mastery of Money and How to Reform Mankind; acclaimed in many quarters as the Hafler Trio's finest work, these three records diametrically oppose the soothing, placating effects of most ambient musics -- Mastery of Money, with its extensive use of low-frequency tones, is a particularly unnerving and discomforting experience. Subsequent releases include 1992's Fuck and 1994's One Dozen Economical Stories, a collaboration with filmmaker Peter Greenaway. In 1996, the Hafler Trio also mounted Who Sees Goes On, a series of thematically-linked limited-edition releases.