Personal Bio

• i’m an illinois native
• i write, play, manipulate and record music
• i enjoy the science of sound and electricity, linux, baseball (cubs futility), instruments, fruit, my wife, my son, layla the german shepherd and summing myself up in 3 bullet points

Press Bio (You Know…Third Person)

Tate Eskew carefully orchestrates layers of swirling guitar, thunderous drums and haunting melody with explosive bursts of noise and disorder, forming an indie rock style distinctly his own. A self-proclaimed studio rat, Eskew labors endlessly in his own studio creating music that evokes such descriptions as “liquid flowing through a chaotic mess of lines” and “raw, with otherworldly sounds and atmospherics.” Complex declarations for complex music.

Eskew has spent years obsessing and experimenting in the studio, programming computer software and playing guitar, so it is no surprise that his music is constructed of stacked sonic building blocks–at times recalling the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Seam. With his roots in Illinois, it’s also evident that Eskew is influenced by sounds of the Midwest, as bands such as HUM, The Promise Ring and LOW show at times. Through his singular style and studio proficiency, Eskew melds old and new musical influences into his own exceptional sound.

Eskew’s debut album, entitled Semiotics, is a work of astonishing expression and ingenuity. Intricate arrangements of guitars, distorted organ and drums frame Eskew’s intimate vocals, moving from delicate finger-picked notes to breathtaking rock crescendos, and back again. Truth and metaphor permeate the album both lyrically and musically, reminiscent of mid-era Pink Floyd, as Eskew explores situations and signs of one’s past, present and future. Songs from Eskew’s collection often start in a traditional directive but soon turn unexpected corners, later blooming into a wash of melody and noise. Throughout every track, Eskew’s obsession with refined composition and studio experimentation shows.

Watch for Semiotics, coming soon on progressive indie collective Functional Equivalent Recordings.

Tate’s Recording Engineering History

• recording in some shape or form since i got one of these . seriously doing it for the last 16-17 years.
• i’ve worked on lots of record albums, tv shows and films. during these albums, tv shows and films i’ve worked with great musicians, shitty musicians, well-known musicians/actors, non-well-known musicains/actors, amazingly wonderful people and amazingly terrible people.
• i worked for years as a recordist for The Simpsons and King of the Hill.
• i’ve commited a lot of things to tape and disk. if you are interested in hearing any of the work i’ve done, just email me. i’m available to record your album if you see me as the person to do it.

Other Projects

• i created Zero Art Radio in 1997. with the help of friends we’ve managed to keep it alive for over a decade, although now it’s just a podcast because of heavy handed tactics by the RIAA, SoundExchange and the major record labels. visit the site to listen.
• part of the collective that has put Functional Equivalent Recordings out into the world. visit the site for more information.
• contributor (both testing and monetarily) to Ardour. ardour is a free (as in beer and speech) open source digital audio workstation (DAW) software application. visit the site for more information and to contribute
• contributor to Ubuntu Linux