Emperor X
| Emperor X | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1979 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Origin | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1998 – present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts |
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| Website | http://www.emperorx.net |
Chad R. Matheny, known professionally as Emperor X, is an American singer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Matheny got his start in music when he was given a Casio SK-1 by his grandparents at age 9, and managed to record his first album on a Tascam four-track before the age of 20.[1]
Matheny tours across the United States regularly and performs around the world as well, including tours in Mexico, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.[2]
In a self-described attempt to "address the diminishing utility of physical copies of music and the expanding role of marketing in the experience of art",[3] Matheny often hides or buries one-off physical copies and associated visual artwork of b-sides at GPS coordinates and posts them online as a part of a geocaching game to unlock MP3 copies of the audio. For the release of the 2011 Emperor X album Western Teleport, 41 "translucent purple audio cassettes" were buried across North America, many of which remain undiscovered.[4] This received a feature on NPR's "Weekend Edition" program.[5]
Personal life
Matheny was a former high school science teacher,[6] and in 2004 he stopped his pursuit of a master's degree in physics in order to dedicate his career to music.[7]
Discography
Full-length albums
- The Joytakers' Rakes/Stars on the Ceiling, Pleasantly Kneeling (1998, self-released)
- Tectonic Membrane/Thin Strip on an Edgeless Platform (2004, Discos Mariscos) [8]
- Central Hug/Friendarmy/Fractal Dunes (2005, Discos Mariscos)
- The Blythe Archives Volumes One and Two (2009, Burnt Toast Vinyl/self-released)
- Western Teleport (2011, Bar/None Records)
- Nineteen Live Recordings (2013, Plan-It-X Records)
- The Orlando Sentinel (2014) [9]
EPs and singles
- Wuss/Strike/River/Preacher/Magnet/God/Unwuss (2006)
- Dirt Dealership 7" (2007)
- Defiance (for Elise Sunderhuse) (2010)
Tour-only releases
- Gasheater/Raytracer (2004)
- East Coast and Freedom From/Freedom To (2004)
- Everyone in Jacksonville (2006)
- Australia Tour Tape (2010)
- Several New Songs in Various Digital Formats (2011)
Soundtracks
- Matthew/Malena/Rebecca/Kalil: A Motion Picture Soundtrack for Michael Masarof's First Love (2016)
External links
- "Weekend Edition" Story on Matheny's Burial Project
- L Magazine review
- Interview with Artist Connection Podcast
References
- ↑ Ubl, Sam. "Tectonic Membrane/Thin Strip on an Edgeless Platform Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Matheny, Chad. "A POORLY-FORMATTED BUT COMPLETE LST OF EVERY EMPEROR X PERFORMACE EVER SO FAR". Emperor X Official Website. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Wasoba, Ryan. "Emperor X On Stock Responses And Performative Marketing". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Matheny, Chad. "Western Teleport Nodes". Western Teleport. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ NPR feature
- ↑ Deusner, Stephen. "The Most Underrated Albums of 2011". Salon. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "Emperor X Biography". Bar None Records.
- ↑ Ubl, Sam. "Tectonic Membrane/Thin Strip on an Edgeless Platform Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ Eakin, Marah. "Emperor X tries to put Orlando on the map (again) with a new single, EP". The AV Club. Retrieved 2 March 2016.