MOTHFIELD, a unique and short-lived musical journey, was born in the heart of New York City. It was the brainchild of four central New York musicians: Guitarist Meric Sarkhov and keyboard player Klozzner. The two vowed to create what they thought of as "noise pollution in original musical form." The duo's musical influences were as diverse as their compositions, ranging from 19th-and 20th-century composers like Dmitri Shostakovich and Wilhelm Wagner to progressive rock acts like GENESIS and GENTLE GIANT. The band aimed to challenge the listener with emotional and unique compositions. To bring their vision to life, they recruited drummer Renfield Smith, who decided to move from the West Coast to N.Y.C. with just his clothes and a custom-designed drum kit that folded into a small portable unit. Despite facing numerous challenges, the band's determination never wavered. After auditioning and rehearsing with several vocalists, they finally found their frontwoman in a female opera singer. They booked their first gig at the iconic CBGB in the spring of 1991. Despite the singer unexpectedly leaving the band shortly before the gig, MOTHFIELD refused to cancel the show, showcasing their unwavering determination and commitment to their music. Sarkhov would then contact David Slife, also known as Vladimir Traynerik. Who had just recently moved to the area. Slife was a then-retired vocalist who had previously sung in other bands in central New York during the 1980s, such as the queerly unique LUFTWAFFE and the pomp-rock MERE MORTALS. With just a few weeks to prepare for their gig in the Bowery, the quartet embarked on a relentless rehearsal schedule. The evening arrived, and MOTHFIELD took to the stage, ready to showcase their unorthodox style of music and enigmatic, maniacal stage presence. The crowd, captivated by the band's raw energy and unique sound, was left stunned, their expectations shattered. MOTHFIELD continued to pick up gigs and eventually went into Big Blue Meenie Recording Studios in Hackensack, NJ, to lay down tracks. Tim Gilles, known for his work with hardcore legends such as AGNOSTIC FRONT and S.O.D., sat at the controls. Gilles and MOTHFIELD managed to capture unadulterated progressive avant-garde chaos for the fringe and unhinged that defies convention. Ten songs would emerge from this experiment in sonic bedlam. Nothing would be officially released. Only a few demo tracks on crudely recorded TDK and Maxell cassettes would be shared throughout the underground amongst cave-dwelling music collectors. Interesting, discordant and a far stretch from the cookie-cutter music of the time, MOTHFIELD remain a staple for musical outliers while preaching agony and discontent in audible form. MOTHFIELD briefly continued to play shows at all the legendary hotspots in N.Y.C until the inevitable differences between members, misfortunes and the weights of life's pressures that dissolves most bands. FOR FANS OF: King Crimson, Frank Zappa & Faith No More.
