Horde of Two is the instrumental duo of guitarist David Lester (Mecca Normal) and Wendy Atkinson (solo experimental bassist).
In the song Durruti “as war breaks out, the music becomes stark, spare, and mournful, a lonely guitar line atop quietly foreboding bass. Listen carefully to the music and feel changed and charged by David Lester (Mecca Normal) and Wendy Atkinson’s remarkable composition.” — Andrea Warner, CBC New Music, Songs You Need to Hear
“The spirit of struggle courses through the music.” — Bill Meyer, Essential New Music, Magnet Magazine
“Think of this as ambient music for activists rather than Brian Eno’s Music for Airports.” — Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun
*****
In 2022, California’s Shrimper Records released Horde of Two’s second instrumental album. Titled I Knew I Was a Rebel Then, it features a 22-minute musical opus on the life of a Spanish rebel that spans power pop, hypnotic loops, rock anthems, melodic pop, and a punk rock ending. Rebellion infiltrates the rest of the album through field recordings, finger snapping, stand-up bass and crazed laughter; and a live one-handed guitar frenzy.
The album was recorded and mixed by Wendy Atkinson. Mastered at The Noise Floor Recording Studio by Jordan Koop, Gabriola Island, B.C.
Concurrently, a 42-page book by Horde of Two was published by Bamboo Dart Press to accompany the release of I Knew I was a Rebel Then. The publisher is Mark Givens, who previously ran the MungBeing literary site.
Book/CD project available from Bamboo Dart Press, Revolver, Grapefruit.
Shrimper Records was founded in Upland, California, in 1990 by Dennis Callaci. The label has released music by such bands as Amps for Christ, Lou Barlow, Franklin Bruno. Jad Fair, The Folk Implosion, God Is My Co-Pilot, The Mountain Goats, Nothing Painted Blue and Refrigerator.
Horde of Two released their first album, Guitar & Bass Actions (SMARTEN UP! & Get To The Point Records) in 2009. Horde of Two’s song IWW: The Lynching of Wesley Everest came out in 2010 on the comp CD In The Orchard Of Osiris (It Takes A Village To Make Records).
In 2015, Wendy released The Last Fret, her third solo bass album, which included ebow, toy piano, field recordings and prepared bass. David played guitar on three tracks. The songs ranged from ambient, textured pieces to rhythmic or poppy instrumentals to spoken word but, always, bass is the core. In 2018, Wendy was commissioned by the Media Arts Committee (Vancouver) to create a piece to pay tribute to Pauline Oliveros and she focused on the concept of “Deep Listening”. Wendy performed with legendary outsider Jandek in 2009 (a recording of that show is slated for an album release). She is included in CascadiAvant, a forum for Experimental, Improvised, Noise, Electronic, Free-Jazz, Avant Garde, Modern Composition, and Other Forms of Contemporary Sound in the Pacific Northwest.
In 2019, Mecca Normal released Mecca Normal live in Montreal, 1996 (Artoffact Records) as part of their CBC Brave New Waves’ series. Mecca Normal released Empathy for the Evil (M’lady’s Records, Portland, OR) in 2014. The album was produced by Kramer who played bass, vibraphone, mellotron and organ. Rolling Stone magazine feature on Riot Grrrl includes a playlist of 23 songs including Mecca Normal’s I Walk Alone.
Horde of Two live in Vancouver Canada.
HORDE OF TWO 