Biography
Pat Gubler, a.k.a P.G. Six, came on the scene in 1994, as a member of Memphis Luxure, a noise/rock band from Port Chester, NY. That band morphed into Tower Recordings, a musically omnivorous ensemble that released several albums on the Siltbreeze and Communion labels over the past decade. Pat’s first solo album, “Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites” saw the light of day in 2001, followed by “The Well of Memory” in 2004. “Music From the Sherman Box Series”, a collection of instrumentals arrived in Fall 2006. His music fuses an unlikely range of influences including 60s British folk, country rock, & experimental music. P.G. Six has shared the stage with a variety of performers including: Ghost, Slint, Yo la tengo, Michael Hurley, & The Incredible String Band. His 4th album, Slightly Sorry was released Feb 2007 on Drag City.
PR resources available via Goldstar
Along with his identity as P.G. Six, Pat Gubler is also a founding member of Tower Recordings. Tower Recordings took its name from a loft space in Port Chester, New York called "Tower Gallery" where Helen Rush and Matt Valentine were living in the early nineties. Pat soon was living there too and it was in this loft space that the core of the Tower Recordings collective began putting songs and improvisational sessions to tape. The group put out the "Rehearsals for Roseland" LP (in a limited edition of 500 copies) on Superlux (Lux 003) packaged in hand painted covers in 1995. Stylistically the record takes cues from contemporary bands like Sebadoh, GBV, Palace, Silver Jews, and the Fall. Following this record came "The Fraternity of Moonwalkers" on Audible Hiss (AH 16) which sounds more reminiscent of sixties folk and psych, as well as bands like the Godz, and Amon Duul. This record was followed by the amazingly beautiful Planet T.R. release "Let the Cosmos Ring" on Spirit of Orr (SO 8) where, along with a few "group" songs, each Tower member is showcased on their own tracks. P.G. Six's "The Seventh Member" reveals a beautiful droning folk sound, reminiscent of a loosely improvisational traditional folk tune. This was followed by the full length "Furniture Music for Evening Shuttles" on Siltbreeze (SB 54). Most recently, a one sided 12” entitled "Folk Scene" (Shrat Field Recordings) documents the expanding Tower line up, which now includes Tim Barnes, Samara Lubelski, and Dean Roberts, to name a few.
Prior to his involvement in Tower, in the early nineties, Pat Gubler studied music at SUNY Purchase. While at Purchase he met Matt Valentine and Marc Wolf who formed the Captain Beefheart, Pussy Galore inspired Memphis Luxure. Memphis Luxure did some live shows around the Northeast with like-minded noise outfits like Danbury, CT's Bunnybrains and released two 7’s on Superlux (Lux 001 and 002), a label started and run by Matt Valentine, Helen Rush and Pat. In 1995, Pat also released "Book of Rayguns" (Lux 005) on Superlux, which is P.G. Six's formal debut. This 7" is a Branca-esque piece of concert music for the electric guitar performed with Tom Keller and P.G. Six. At one point in its development, Pat had twelve guitarists rehearsing in the basement of SUNY Purchase Music Division. The Superlux 7" features an edited version of this larger concept and composition. "Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites" is a continuation of P.G. Six's development.
Pat has also played with one of his musical heroes, Robin Williamson of the Incredible String Band. The influence of Williamson is clear throughout "Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites" especially on the Pentangle-inspired "When I was a young man" with its echoes of Irish and Scottish folk music. P.G. Six covers Anne Briggs' "Go Your Way", as well. P.G. Six also shares a strong connection to folk instrumental virtuosos like Sandy Bull and John Fahey especially on "The Divine Invasion" and "Unteleported Man." The bluesy sound of the American Christian backwoods is evident on the "The Shepherd." Like most American art forms, the record has experimental flourishes and, in this case, Pat references minimalist theory, on the drone epigraph/epilogue "Letter to Lilli St Cyr" and free improvisational playing on "Quiet Fan for SK." "The Fallen Leaves that jewel the ground" is clear P.G. Six, melding the harpsichord-like sounds of a wire-strung harp and electronic drone.
Tim Barnes mixed "Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites" and lends a hand on percussion. Tim is the percussionist for Jim O’Rourke, Tower Recordings and has most recently made great musical contributions as an archivist of sixties Ludlow Street legend/Velvet Underground percussionist Angus Maclise with his Quakebasket series. The beautiful artwork on the CD references everything from Marie Curie to Native American culture and was done by Chris Krol and Steve Gubler.
In his various musical incarnations, Pat has shared the stage with the aforementioned Robin Williamson, To Live and Shave in L.A., Alan Licht, Tony Conrad, Tono Bungay, Bert Jansch, the Shadow Ring and others. Live shows of P.G. Six include an amazing set at Tonic on June 11, 2000, which featured an interactive performance between P.G. and the audience highlighted by an extended drone of a hundred harmonicas on top of which Pat improvised. This kind of performance reflects Pat's musical inclinations, combining the traditional with the avant garde.