The seeds of Abunai! germinated with a series of jam sessions between bassist Dan Parmenter, guitarist Brendan Quinn, and drummer Joe Turner. Dan and Joe had been with psych-popsters Cinnamon (not the Euro band), while Brendan had been in several punk bands (most notably Tripwire), and was ready to explore new sonic horizons. A few weeks later the group was completed by the addition of Brendan's recently-unearthed college friend Kris Thompson (who'd been with Nisi Period, Jasmine Love Bomb, and The Prefab Messiahs) on organ, synth, and theremin.

The group found some deep common ground in a flowing and dynamic modal improv style, and began grafting that onto unsuspecting pop structures and skeletons of traditional folk songs as well.

1997's "Universal Mind Decoder" and 1999's "The Mystic River Sound" caused enthusiasm throughout the music underground worldwide. Besides airplay on the BBC's John Peel show, reviews and articles have appeared in Ptolemaic Terrascope, MAGNET, Rolling Stone, The Wire, Alternative Press, and Popwatch, to name a few.

Abunai!'s final full-length album "Round Wound" was released  at Terrastock 4 in Seattle in November 2000. Condensed from several years' worth of improvs recorded in their rehearsal studio, it offers a sprawling vista of what they're capable of when they stretch out -- and only hinted at on the two albums thus far.

Abunai! broke up in mid-2002, and the bands final recording, a 12" entitled "Two Brothers" was released on 02 Feb 03.

A brief and incomplete Abunai! discography:

1. Self-released Terrastock I tape 4/97
2. Universal Mind Decoder CD, Camera Obscura 11/97 
3. The Mystic River Sound CD, Camera Obscura 08/99 
4. Deep Mu Flux+2 10" lathe, Camera Obscura 11/00
5. Round Wound CD, Camera Obscura 11/00
6. Two Brothers 12" on Camera Lucida 02/03

Other Resources:

Band Web site

Check out the free MP3s on this page