Biography
"Dreamy Cello + Dark Beats + Smart Emotional Vocals
“Elliott Smith with a cello” would be a lazy and reductionist way to introduce the music of Luke Janela, despite the parallels between the two songwriters — namely, their intimate, minimalist, melancholy acoustic elegies originally born in the bedrooms of gray and rainy Portland, Oregon. Janela’s inclusion of a drum machine and effects pedals, combined with the rich, deep, sonorous tone of his cello, gives his performances the time-collapsing atmosphere of ancient eras meeting the future. This is no mere gimmick at work, though: Janela’s welding of words to melodies is as accomplished as any erudite troubadour. That Janela left Portland for Nevada City, CA, hasn’t altered his desolate atmospheres, either — it merely means that maybe he’ll wheel his way into the city more often. Good news for us indeed. — J. Graham - SF Weekly, July 1008"
Luke’s innovative use of the cello yields fascinating results. As opposed to using the instrument to create soft harmonies or classical embellishments, he puts the cello in front of the sound, played in a way that is rare: raw, intuitive, and yet classically trained.
Live, the spectacle is impressive and moving, the way that the voice meshes with the cello is in rich harmony, the driving beats beneath, all performed live.
www.youtube.com/lukejanela
“Luke Janela… writes amazing music. His voice is rich and honest, glimmering with harmonies, and buoyed by beats and the shivering pull of the cello…” - Portland Mercury.
Instrumentation
Luke Janela - Cello, Vocals, Guitar, Beats
Discography
2009 - "REDWOOD SUMMER" LP
2009 - "JUNEAUREVOIR" LP
2007 - "Midnight Door" LP
2005 - "You Are The Driver" LP as Drama Club
2004 - "The New Age" LP with The Key
2004 - "Rainmaker" LP
2003 - "Blue Star" LP
2002 - "The Key" EP with The Key
2001 - "You Space Me" LP
2000 - "Talk Into The Stars" LP
1999 - "Nowhere I Should Be Walking" LP with The Key
1998 - "Still Dream" LP
1997 - "This" LP
1996 - "One Sung Over" LP
Links
| http://www.lukejanela.net |
| Luke Janela's Official Site |
| Luke Janela on FaceBook |
| MySpace |