[Column] Scott Herren / Prefuse 73: Poet of Beats and Fragments
Column en Ambient Electronic Glitch Hiphop![[Column] Scott Herren / Prefuse 73: Poet of Beats and Fragments](/../assets/images/column-scott-herren-prefuse73.webp)
Introduction
Text: mmr｜Theme: Tracing life, career, musical style, and projects with chronology and charts
Guillermo Scott Herren, also known as Prefuse 73, is a very important producer in the world of instrumental hip-hop, IDM, and electronica since the beginning of the 21st century. His music is known for its meticulous beat construction, which utilizes sample fragmentation, vocal cutting and pasting, and glitch processing, and has influenced many creators.
Early life and background
Guillermo Scott Herren was born in 1976 in Miami, Florida, USA. Her father is from Catalonia and her mother is of Irish and Cuban descent, so she grew up in a multicultural environment from an early age. He was trained in music by his mother and has been familiar with several instruments including the piano.
As a boy, he became interested in hip-hop, punk, and electronic music, and was influenced by the music scene in his hometown of Miami. He started DJing as a teenager, playing nightclubs in Atlanta, and got involved in music production and performance from an early age. Through his experience in the studio, he honed his sonic experiments and sampling techniques.
When he moved to New York for college, he began developing his own musical project in earnest.
Early Career — Delarosa & Asora
In 1997, Scott Herren released the album Sleep Method Suite under the name Delarosa & Asora. Works from this period were characterized by melodic techno, glitches, and abstract electronic sounds, forming the basis for early experimental sound processing.
After that, they released singles and EPs, developing a unique style that combines delicate click sounds and fleeting melodies.
Savath & Savalas Project
Around 2000, the project started under the alias Savath & Savalas. Folk Songs for Trains, Trees, and Honey, released in 2000, presents an ambient-oriented sound that incorporates acoustic instruments and environmental sounds.
In 2004, he released Apropa”t. Reflecting Spanish/Catalan vocals, post-rock and Latin influences, they pursued a musical expression different from Prefuse 73.
This project is positioned as another form of his self-expression, and shows his multifaceted musical activities, including the relationship with Prefuse 73’s experimental nature.
Birth of Prefuse 73 and early works
In 2001, Herren released his debut album Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives under the name Prefuse 73. It is characterized by fragmentary samples that make full use of MPC, vocal cutting and pasting, and glitch processing, and although it has many guest artists, it has created its own unique worldview.
In 2002, they released the EP The ‘92 vs. ‘02 Collection. The content was enhanced with electronic noise and experimental beats.
In 2003, released the seminal album One Word Extinguisher. Extinguished: Outtakes, a compilation of unused takes and remixes, was also released at the same time. This body of work further evolved sample fragmentation and precise beat construction, and served as a bridge between IDM and hip-hop.
Mid-term: Deepening collaboration and experimentation
Surrounded by Silence in 2005 expanded the world of sound with a variety of guests including Ghostface Killah, El-P, Kazu (Blonde Redhead), and The Books.
In the same year, he released a collaborative EP with The Books, Prefuse 73 Reads the Books, demonstrating his collaborative spirit and experimental nature.
In 2006, he released Security Screenings, which is album-length but treated as an EP.
In 2007, they released Preparations, and the bonus disc Interregnums presented ambient-oriented music.
Establishment of label and new development
Herren founded Eastern Developments Music and began running the label together. Furthermore, he launched Yellow Year Records and developed the collaboration series Speak Soon.
The new label allows for collaborations with diverse creators, such as Sons of the Morning Volume 1 with Teebs, and encourages an expansion of experimentation.
Returns and recent releases
In 2015, the album Rivington Não Rio and EPs Forsyth Gardens and Every Color of Darkness were simultaneously released.
In 2018, he released Sacrifices, marking a return to the sparse beats and cut-and-paste techniques of early Prefuse 73.
In 2024, he will release New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol.1 and Vol.2, once again developing a new experimental approach.
Arias/parallel project list
| Name/Project | Characteristics/Role |
|---|---|
| Prefuse 73 | Fragmented vocals, glitches, hip-hop/IDM fusion |
| Delarosa & Asora | Early career, experimental techno, electronic music |
| Savath & Savalas | Ambient/folk music, mainly acoustic |
| Piano Overlord | Piano-based, keyboard-based project |
| Ahmad Szabo | Diversity as a multi-author under different names |
| Other collaborations | Sons of the Morning, Fudge, Risil, Diamond Watch Wrists, etc. |
Music styles and influences
- Fusion of hip-hop (1990s), Miami bass, IDM, and jazz.
- Features a technology that cuts and pastes samples and vocals into extremely small units to reconstruct them.
- More than just experimental music, it expresses urban emotions and humanity in fragments.
- Expand your musical range through collaboration and connect with new generation creators.
summary
Scott Herren / Prefuse 73 is a hugely important figure in 21st century beat music, more than just a producer, he’s a composer/sound poet. Through various projects, label management, and comeback releases, he continues to constantly reinvent himself and experiment. It is expected that new collaborations and experimental works will be announced in the future.
Chronology
Career map (project relationship diagram)
Music style influence chart
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