onlyone
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Music
Press
"Onlyone boldly wields sounds drawn from North African and Indian tradition and smoothly blends them with odd percussion and the squonk and titter of analog synth-drenched grooves. Tied together with his lyrical brilliance, understated theatrics and an unquestionable gift for songcraft, the overall result is a compelling, eyebrow-raising sound." (AltarNative.com) - AltarNative.com
"...on Yourself/Anew, ambient swirls, lush atmospherics and a hard rock groove confirm onlyone’s influences (he cites Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush) and his drive to make an enthralling, uncluttered record. Yourself/Anew both challenges and charms. “Devil Wears the Face” is a stand-out, with its irresistible rootsy groove and modern electronic edge. The sincere lullabye “Like That Dream” is reminiscent of Massive Attack. The Tom Waits-like “Axe Song” provides a powerful example of onlyone’s ability to use unorthodox instrumental arrangement for emotional impact– the song is just plain scary. The more pop-oriented tunes romp with a sort of 80s feel. Like I said, at once challenging and charming. Yourself/Anew is a heady flight that takes onlyone one level higher in his search for new compositional expression." - LowBudgetSuperhero.com
"Local smart-rock bassface Joe Kowalski (Project Eno, ex-All the Queen's Men) attempts bridging the gap 'tween Beck and Skinny Puppy with this one-man synthestra of loopy, 80s inspired artwave and coffeehouse slacker rock. Ya can't fault the cat's playing, or the production on this one, 'cause they're both flawless." - The Noise
Discography
2009 (pending) - onlyone - (title tbd) - songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist
2009 - Fünf - "Apothecary Fisher" - co-producer, co-composer, multi-instrumentalist
2009 - Fünf - "Need Is Now" - co-producer, co-composer, multi-instrumentalist
2009 - The Elderly - "Congealin' With The Elderly" - co-producer, co-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist
2008 - (Musical Score) - Razz Hands, short feature film (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ON1VwoxPxDk)
2007 - (Musical Score) - City of Lost Carts, short feature film (http://myspace.com/cityoflostcarts)
2007 - (EP) Funf EP, "Need is Now" (onlyone is one fifth of FUNF) (http://myspace.com/funfmusic)
2006 - (single, mp3) - "Here Come Our Storms," alternative rock.
2006, November - (single, mp3) "Pillow Time," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2006 - (single, mp3) "Sundae Smile," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2006 - (CD, full length) World's Greatest Sinners, "Ten Before Eight" (contributed piano and organ)
2005 - (single, mp3) "HUG!," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, vocals, producing, mixing, mastering)
2005 - (single, mp3) "Love Waves Hello," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2005 - Oblique Strategies For A Squelchy Life: Doctor X and The Songs Of Brian Eno (bass on "Baby's On Fire" and "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More")
2005 - (single, mp3) - "Wait Until It's Quiet Again," alternative rock.
2004 - (single, mp3) - "Sliders," ambient electronic/soundtrack.
2004 - (single, mp3) - "Outside the Electronic Metropolis," ambient electronic/soundtrack.
2004 - (single, mp3) - "You'll Never Know," alternative rock.
2003 - (CD, full length) - Yourself/Anew
Track 1 - "Opening Up"
Track 2 - "Recreate Yourself"
Track 3 - "Sunshine"
Track 4 - "Everything is You"
Track 5 - "All Come Running"
Track 6 - "Axe Song"
Track 7 - "Did It I Did"
Track 8 - "Devil Wears The Face of a Lovely Day"
Track 9 - "Recreated Self"
Track 10 - "Like That Dream"
2002 - (CD, full length) - Adjective/Noun
Track 1 - "Open Your Eyes"
Track 2 - "Might"
Track 3 - "Lovely Heart"
Track 4 - "Blue Skies"
Track 5 - "Born"
Track 6 - "All Alone"
Track 7 - "Two Weeks"
Track 8 - "Gliding Down"
Track 9 - "Lying"
Track 10 - "..."
2002 - (CD, full length) - Ambience 1: Sunday Night (ambient/soundtrack)
2000 - (CD, full length) - Swirl
PRODUCER:
2007, January - DEMO, "End War Now" (http://myspace.com/dreamerswanted)
2007, March - REMIX, "Let Go Warped" by The Luxury (http://myspace.com/onlyone)
2006, November - (single, mp3) "Pillow Time," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2006 - (single, mp3) "Sundae Smile," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2005 - (single, mp3) "HUG!," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, vocals, producing, mixing, mastering)
2005 - (single, mp3) "Love Waves Hello," w/ Larry Banilow (co-writer, piano, producing, mixing, mastering)
2004, June - DEMO, Joe Lies 3-song demo (http://cdbaby.com/cd/liesjoe)
ARRANGING:
2002 - Jes Perry, Clearing My Head
(http://www.myspace.com/jesperry)
Photos
Bio
onlyone is also known as Joe Kowalski, a Boston-based recording artist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrument session player. Joe has performed with The Bay City Rollers, The World's Greatest Sinners, [munk], All The Queen's Men, Project Eno and many more acts.
On his own records, onlyone uses the recording studio as an instrument, crafting masterful songs with an iron grip on the latest music technology. His discography boasts three full-length alternative rock CDs, a set of Internet-exclusive singles and four long-form ambient works. Not unlike Brian Eno, onlyone has a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde thing going on, switching gears between long-form ambient works and progressive, alternative rock. (Click the Audio section to hear three ambient works and a rock single, "Devil Wears the Face..." from his third CD.) When in rock mode, onlyone has been compared to Nine Inch Nails, Tones on Tails, Massive Attack and Peter Gabriel. When in ambient mode he's channeling his greatest influence, Brian Eno.
When not writing and producing his own music, onlyone lends his sound (on stage and in the studio) to a wide variety of projects. He's played in hard rock bands, soul bands, improv groups, comedy rock and art/prog and ambient projects. Though known mostly for his intense bass playing (Myshkin, All the Queen's Men, Project Eno, Axemunkee, The Gloria Forward) onlyone also brings brilliance on piano and organ (World's Greatest Sinners, Ziaf, Larry Banilow). Bass and piano come naturally to onlyone, but he is at his edgy best when he can act the Eno role on stage and in the studio, contributing wildly experimental electronic soundscapes which he creates on the fly with an arsenal of cutting edge gear (Gato Malo, Funf, [munk]).
Most recently onlyone has been knocking on doors in the film and TV scoring world and is seeking more opportunities in that milieu. His ambient work "Outside the Electronic Metropolis" provides the soundtrack to CITY OF LOST CARTS, a short feature film released in spring 2007.
In addition to seeking new opportunities in film and TV, onlyone is currently one fifth of FUNF, an experimental studio project that has been compared to Exquisite Corpse, where five musicians trade unfinished tracks over the course of several rounds, enhancing, building and finally culminating in a finished work.
onlyone is also at work on his follow-up CD to 2003's Yourself/Anew.
onlyone is a Berklee College of Music alum, former teacher and a member of ASCAP. He resides in Boston, MA where he's built a comprehensive, fully-equipped home studio.
Links
