Bitchin Bajas was launched by Chicago musician and engineer/producer Cooper Crain (who has recorded albums by Circuit Des Yeux, Moon Duo, Times New Viking, Running, and Endless Bummer, among others). The rock- and structure-resisting, mostly improvisational Bitchin Bajas (a trio of Crain, Dan Quinlivan, and Rob Frye) have amassed their own sizeable body of work that tastefully and sometimes beautifully reimagines a vast array of past-drone, minimalist, ambient, pastoral psych and electronic touchstones.
At its strongest (see 2014’s double-length, 77-minute self-titled album on Drag City), the trio adds and subtracts layer upon layer of synths, tape machines, assorted loop-generating effects and instruments, flutes, guitars, bass, organs, xylophones, field/found-sound recordings, processed vocals, and many other sources of sound to create rewarding experiences of pulsating and relaxing prettiness for the willingly immersive listener.
Jeremiah Chiu
Bitchin Bajas
The most recent release by the band is a definite curveball and should no doubt increase the trio’s profile exponentially. Released on March 18th, Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties (Drag City/Palace Music) is a democratic and epic (nine tracks across an LP and 12″ EP) collaboration between Bitchin Bajas and one of America’s most accomplished, unique, and timeless songwriters, Bonnie “Prince” Billy (Will Oldham). After the Bajas served as Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s crack backing band for a Record Store Day one-off in which the trio properly dialed back to allow for the singer’s unmistakable voice to take the wheel, the immensely-prolific Oldham invited the trio over to his house for a recorded jam session.
