Biography
Active in the West Coast rock underground from the mid-'80s onward, guitarist Herb Heinz earned his widest recognition during his time with the avant-cabaret ensemble Amy X Neuburg & Men. Whether working inside that lineup, leading his own projects, or appearing with the experimental rock duo Hmmm..., his output consistently favored nonconformist approaches and often paired them with playful, mildly dadaist lyrics. His sole solo release to date remains the 1995 album Failure.
Heinz first touched a guitar at age five. After cycling through the standard high-school rock groups, he absorbed the progressive-rock movement of the 1970s and began experimenting with electronics in 1979. Two substantive endeavors took shape in 1983. Alongside Mark Briggs he launched the experimental rock duo Hmmm..., an alliance that would wait more than a decade before issuing its initial recordings. At the same time he began a partnership with visual artist Dale MacDonald that culminated, in 1986, in the multimedia collective MAP, assembled with fellow students from the Mills College Center for Contemporary Music. The group—whose roster also included Tim Root, Joel Davel, and art singer Amy X Neuburg—mounted increasingly ambitious performances throughout San Francisco until 1994. In 1993 Neuburg assembled her backing band Men from MAP personnel, among them Heinz, who had already contributed to her debut album Songs 91 to 85. The same circle established the recording studio IS Productions.
Heinz issued his first solo album, Failure, in 1999. Framed as a concept work exploring the impulse to fail, it received favorable yet bemused notices. He also made a brief appearance with the avant-garde collective Discord Aggregate. A second solo album is scheduled for release in 2002.
Heinz first touched a guitar at age five. After cycling through the standard high-school rock groups, he absorbed the progressive-rock movement of the 1970s and began experimenting with electronics in 1979. Two substantive endeavors took shape in 1983. Alongside Mark Briggs he launched the experimental rock duo Hmmm..., an alliance that would wait more than a decade before issuing its initial recordings. At the same time he began a partnership with visual artist Dale MacDonald that culminated, in 1986, in the multimedia collective MAP, assembled with fellow students from the Mills College Center for Contemporary Music. The group—whose roster also included Tim Root, Joel Davel, and art singer Amy X Neuburg—mounted increasingly ambitious performances throughout San Francisco until 1994. In 1993 Neuburg assembled her backing band Men from MAP personnel, among them Heinz, who had already contributed to her debut album Songs 91 to 85. The same circle established the recording studio IS Productions.
Heinz issued his first solo album, Failure, in 1999. Framed as a concept work exploring the impulse to fail, it received favorable yet bemused notices. He also made a brief appearance with the avant-garde collective Discord Aggregate. A second solo album is scheduled for release in 2002.
Albums
