Bugskull

Experimental pop group Bügsküll began its existence as the solo project of Portland, Oregon-based singer/composer Sean Byrne, and was launched in 1992 with the release of the Shrimper cassette Subversives in the Midst. While early releases like the cassettes Gargamelodies and Magic Tremelo consisted of Byrne's fractured guitar pop fleshed out by tape loops and samples, by the time of a 1993 self-titled 10" for the Quixotic label, Bügsküll had become a true band with the additions of bassist Brendan Bell and drummer James Yu. Split singles with Sone and Quasi followed in 1994 prior to the release of the group's first full-length effort, the excellent Phantasies & Senseitions; the follow-up, Crock: Original Motion Picture Soundrack, appeared in 1995. Following the release of 1997's Distracted Snowflake, Vol. 1, the steady flow of Bügsküll material trickled to a halt, prompting many to predict the band's demise; 1999's Distracted Snowflake, Vol. 2 disproved the notion, although the contributions of both Bell and Yu were at best minimal, returning the project to its solo roots. Byrne and Yu also teamed in Big White Cloud.