Battles

Formed in New York City in 2002, Battles built an experimental rock sound around intricate guitar and keyboard work, muscular drumming, and electronic manipulation. The group was founded by Ian Williams, previously of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress, and has released four studio albums, most recently Juice B Crypts in 2019.

Battles is now a duo of Williams and drummer John Stanier, whose prior and concurrent associations include Tomahawk, Helmet and The Mark of Cain. Composer and vocalist Tyondai Braxton and guitarist/bassist Dave Konopka were also members of the band. Across its mid-2000s and 2010s work, Battles drew particular critical praise for bringing avant-garde and experimental electronic ideas into a live-band framework. In 2007, Pitchfork wrote that the group had extended “the idea of a flesh-and-blood band enhanced by computer technology” more than anyone since Disco Inferno.