Dallas Orbiter is a Minneapolis-based quintet exploring the cusp between sophisticated pop songwriting and modern, spaced-out psychedelia. The group began with long Krautrock and electric Miles Davis-inspired space jam sessions in the late nineties featuring singer and guitarist Mark Miller, bassist/guitarist Daniel Gahres, Rhodes piano and analog synth master Jonathan Schmig, and drummer Greg Flanagan. The current lineup solidified in 2000 when multi-instrumentalist Eric Lodahl joined up on bass, guitar, filters, Farfisa, and lap steel. Soon after, the band went to work on their first recording project in a tiny practice space near downtown Minneapolis. Dallas Orbiter’s first self-titled cd was released in a handsome, handmade, hand-numbered limited edition in 2002. Fakejazz.com, a webzine dedicated to all things psychedelia and post-rock declared it a “slab of psych-pop/rock genius.” A super limited (and again hand-packaged) experimental ep followed in 2003, entitled “Dallas Orbiter in a Vat of Laser.” The winter of 2002-2003 was spent building a studio in drummer Flanagan’s basement. A third cd, (the first recorded in their home studio) entitled “Magnesium Fireflies, Arise” is scheduled for release on Princess Records in January 2005. The record reflects sharpened songwriting instincts, a continued focus on mind-expanding sonic textures, and a growing interest in the production techniques of left-field hip-hop and beat-driven electronic music.
