Kris Swenson [Vocals/Lyrics/Artwork]

Contact info:

Photos - 2004

(click on thumbnails)
 

Audio (.mp3)

99 names of god

Interwoven - RMR 2003

Excursions - RMR 2000

Djam Karet

Gavin Harrison/Dave Streett

 Bio:

I have been performing live consistently for over 6 years in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area with 99 names of god.  I enjoy writing & playing eclectic, eccentric, progressive, experimental styles of music with open-minded musicians. My lyrics are dark & sometimes abstract, written in stream of consciousness style, sometimes using the cutup method (developed by William Burroughs).  The lyrics are usually intended to be obtuse & have meanings on many different levels so the listener has to search for the meaning.  [ lyrics ]

Musical influences include: Beth Gibbons, Diamanda Galas, Nicole Blackman, Dead Can Dance, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Poe, Dog Faced Hermans, Cibo Matto, Aphex Twin, Vas, The Dresden Dolls...

Artistic Influences include: Chris Cunningham, Peter Greenaway, David Lynch, William Burroughs, Sylvia Plath, Kiki Smith, Charles Bukowski, Mark Ryden, Joel Peter Witkin, Fakir Musssafar, Bob Flannagan...

Projects:

Full-Time:

Collaborative:

  • Djam Karet (song: "the arcane", not yet released)
  • Gavin Harrison & Dave Streett (song: "red moon/blue remix" - Interwoven, RMR 2003)


Press:

Progression Magazine Issue #46

99 NAMES OF GOD: Interwoven
2003 (CD, 56:17); Red Moon Records RMR0302
Style: Progressive rock/Industrial
Sound: Composition: Musicianship: Performance:
Total rating: 16 (scale: 0-16)

On this album, Mark Cook (guitars, programming), Kris Swenson (vocals/lyrics/keyboards) and Jason Spradlin (drums and keyboards) successfully mesh Tangerine Dream-like soundscapes ("Sleeproom"), thick and bombastic King Crimson art-rock ("Schemata,""The Logos"), and industrial noose noodling ("Indocile").

99 Names of God commands a catchy repertoire of hooks and pulsing rhythms together with an impressionistic scope portrayed by dreamy keyboard washes and sinuous bass/percussion lines. Like the musical grandchildren of Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, the band percolates through elegantly geometrical visions, perfectly complemented by Swenson's Bjork-like vocal performance.

"No Such Place as Nowhere" features Japanese lyrics, a bubbling disco pulse and paparazzi samples, contributing to the catholic, truly international sweep of the entire venture. "All Those Things" keeps a languid groove traveling through French folk-music atmospheres and toy synth textures. "Obsolence" swamps the narrative of Kafka's great story, "The Metamorphosis," with off-kilter haze guitar and layered beats.

It all adds up to sophisticated, commercial entertainment with a solid plumb-line to integrity. 

- Alex S. Johnson, Progression Magazine

Godsofmusic.com

"The vocals are very sexy and tantalizing while the music brings out the sensuous feeling."

- Becca Ramsey

Fort Worth Weekly

"On Interwoven, the band's first full-length c.d. since 2000's Excursions, 99 Names' sonic palette encompasses stately webs of incandescent guitar fire, edgy electronic grooves, and icy, iconic vocalismo. Their songs flow together like the soundtracks to dreams...And Kris Swenson lays her breathy ice-princess voice atop the swirling vortex of sound. Overall, it's pretty heady stuff, but what else would you expect from a band whose promo schmatter namechecks William Burroughs and Albert Camus?"

-Ken Shimamoto

MakeaStar.com Review (excerpt)
99 names of god song "Gabrielle" is reviewed by MakeaStar.com's Industry Review Board
 

"[lyrics]: Dark, provocative, and visual, these words touch on several senses. Mixed with the music, it makes me wonder how you ever got as far as writing them down.  A wonderful expression...

[lead vocal]: Effective, yet elusive. I love the marriage of melody and character, and you’ve nailed it. A perfect combination of ingredients that stir the senses into frenzy. I don’t know whether to book a massage or organize the sacrifice of a virgin into an erupting volcano! Great pitch, tone, and delivery."


Excursions cd review: Soundmag.com

"The mix is brought to full flavor by Kris Swenson’s unique rich, dark yet innocent vocal style..."

-Craig Villareal


Music Morsels Online Magazine

Starting off with a near war drum beat with splashes of breathy female vocals and electronica flourishes, 99 Names of God may be one of the fresher acts to come out in awhile.  It's hard to pin down comparisons for this Dallas area trio; maybe a bit of Cocteau Twins and New Order with a dash of trance, but this is their own hybrid and it smacks of musical genius.  Powerful without being noisy and slyly hypnotic, this tripod is one to watch out for. 

-Mark E. Waterbury

 
  Side Interests:

Videography: Video work for 99 names of god

Photography: Online photo gallery of bands, musicians, artists & portraiture sessions

Visual Art: none online yet...drawings, paintings, sculpture...

Web Design: http://99namesofgod.com