Biography
Originating in Brooklyn, New York, Rhyton operates as a bold indie rock trio whose improvisational pieces draw from psychedelia, global traditions, and modern avant-garde currents. Although the group typically anchors itself in guitar, bass, and drums—augmented now and then by keyboards or extra strings—the unhurried, expansive flow of their lines opens pathways that diverge sharply from standard indie fare. Their self-titled 2011 debut presented the core approach, yet a surer, tighter pulse emerged on Kykeon three years later, while Pharaonic Crosstalk, cut following a five-year hiatus and issued in 2021, displayed renewed vigor and clarity.
Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Dave Shuford, formerly of D. Charles Speer & the Helix and the No-Neck Blues Band, joined bassist and keyboardist Jimy SeiTang, late of Psychic Ills, and drummer Spencer Herbst, whose prior credits include Matta Llama and Messages, to establish the unit. Once they had honed their approach through live performances, the three tracked their inaugural album across just three days. Partnering with Thrill Jockey, the limited pressing of five hundred LPs and two hundred numbered CD-Rs appeared in 2011. The Emerald Tablet followed in 2012 as another restricted edition, co-released by Three Lobed Recordings and Divided by Zero Records. Returning to Thrill Jockey, the 2014 album Kykeon marked the arrival of new drummer Rob Smith, formerly with Pigeons, after Herbst’s departure. MIE Music put out Navigating by Starlight in 2015, featuring a pair of extended side-long pieces, and Thrill Jockey issued Redshift the next year. Various commitments occupied the members until Feeding Tube Records released Pharaonic Crosstalk in 2021.
Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Dave Shuford, formerly of D. Charles Speer & the Helix and the No-Neck Blues Band, joined bassist and keyboardist Jimy SeiTang, late of Psychic Ills, and drummer Spencer Herbst, whose prior credits include Matta Llama and Messages, to establish the unit. Once they had honed their approach through live performances, the three tracked their inaugural album across just three days. Partnering with Thrill Jockey, the limited pressing of five hundred LPs and two hundred numbered CD-Rs appeared in 2011. The Emerald Tablet followed in 2012 as another restricted edition, co-released by Three Lobed Recordings and Divided by Zero Records. Returning to Thrill Jockey, the 2014 album Kykeon marked the arrival of new drummer Rob Smith, formerly with Pigeons, after Herbst’s departure. MIE Music put out Navigating by Starlight in 2015, featuring a pair of extended side-long pieces, and Thrill Jockey issued Redshift the next year. Various commitments occupied the members until Feeding Tube Records released Pharaonic Crosstalk in 2021.
Albums
