Zelienople is an American psychedelic drone band formed in Chicago, Il in 1998. The name "Zelienople" is a reference to the town Matt Christensen and Brian Harding were once stranded in while waiting for parts necessary to fix a broken-down car. Zelienople came together when keyboardist / clarinetist / bassist Brian… Read moreShow less
Zelienople is an American psychedelic drone band formed in Chicago, Il in 1998. The name "Zelienople" is a reference to the town Matt Christensen and Brian Harding were once stranded in while waiting for parts necessary to fix a broken-down car. Zelienople came together when keyboardist / clarinetist / bassist Brian Harding, and vocalist / guitarist Matt Christensen were playing in an old haunted building in Chicago, where old doctors offices used to be and got turned into music reherseal places.
The loud drones produced by the two not only frustrated the buildings owner, with items being knocked off shelves, and items breaking and falling onto floors, it also caught the attention of drummer / percussionist Mike Weis who was renting a space down the hall. They started playing together out of a similar dislike for their previous experiences and a love for drone-based jazz.
Combining their many strange and psychedelic influences into a lean sound, the group gigged around Chicago until a chance to record for Loose Thread gave them the chance to release Pajama Avenue, their debut, in the spring of 2002.
For a short period of time from around 2004 until 2006, Neil Jendon joined into the band to serve as the electronics and guitarist, credited on their second album release, Sleeper Coach in 2004. He left the band shortly there after but is featured in a lot of the photography of the band.
Current Members:
Matt Christensen
Brian Harding
Mike Weis
Past Members:
Neil Jendon (guitarist/electronics) {2004-2006]