Thuja

A collaboration between experimental pianist Rob Reger, sound manipulator Loren Chasse, guitarist Steven R. Smith, and Smith collaborator Glenn Donaldson, Thuja is one of the most bizarre and experimental bands to grace the Emperor Jones label. Combining found sounds, strangely played traditional instruments, Spaghetti Western-style guitar work, and dissonant improvisations, Thuja releases their complex jams on albums like Suns and Ghost Plants, where their organic experimentation often ebbs and flows with a structured feel without bowing to the conventions of traditional songwriting. Coming together around the turn of the century, the ensemble's work is often secondary to the individual projects of the musicians involved. ~ Bradley Torreano