Biography
Basque operates as an art pop duo made up solely of the first names Brandt on bass and Maryasque on vocals. Their nearly subliminal sound drifts in a space between faint spectral textures and near-total quiet. Brandt constructs minimal bass parts that avoid both pulse and tune, echoing the approach of Hugh Hopper from Soft Machine, while Maryasque delivers an abstract vocal style that recalls the experimental jazz phrasing of Jeanne Lee as well as the delicate, fluttering delivery of Elizabeth Fraser from the Cocteau Twins. The pair came together in Brooklyn during 1997 and issued their debut album, also titled Basque, the next year. Radiate appeared in 1999, and their third release, Falling Forward, came out in December 2000.
Albums
